Jarhead (HD DVD)

Ahhh, one of my favorites of 2005 and certainly one of my recent favorites of all-time is Jarhead. So, when I received my HD DVD review copy you could consider me a happy camper and this is the film for any HD buff. I know several critics gave Jarhead the thumbs down and I continually have to tell people how good it is despite them coming at me from all sides telling me I am wrong. Thankfully, I rarely listen to other people and their opinions. Nanner, nanner.

In my HD DVD review of Assault on Precinct 13 I mentioned how it was a good example of what HD DVD can do for an extremely dark film as it negotiates black levels brilliantly, well if that is the dark, Jarhead is the light. Set in the Middle East, Jarhead primarily takes place in the bright, hot desert sun and even when night falls we are treated to spectacular visuals as the oil fields burn with a brilliant orange. Not like it is a sight I want to see in real life or hope this world relives, on film the scenes sure do capture the essence of the spectacular and add a higher level of emotion.

Like Cinderella Man the Jarhead HD DVD takes what was a two-disc special edition and places it all on one disc, which is good news considering the Jarhead (Collector's Edition) DVD had some great features, particularly the "Jarhead Diaries" featurette of which I gushed over in my review of the DVD. It also comes with both excellent commentaries and a bevy of other goodies. However, I already told you how great those were in my DVD review so no sense in beating you over the head with it.

In comparison to the other HD DVDs I have received thus far, Jarhead is certainly one of my more favorite, but that is simply because I love the movie and thought the cinematography was phenomenal, both of which take full advantage of this high-end media format.

If you didn't like Jarhead or on the fence as to whether you want to own it you should probably steer clear of this release since I don't really think it is a movie that grows on you... I think you either like it or you don't. However, if you are a fan like me and own an HD DVD player, then by all means add this one to your cart, it is a perfect collection starter.

THE BREAKDOWN
Player Status	Once again my player still is having trouble with HD DVDs and this one stopped midway and I had to restart everything and pick it up about 20 minutes past where it stopped.
Overall Impression	Excellent color and black levels and a phenomenal soundtrack make this one a worthy HD DVD. Oh, I love the movie as well.
Buy or Wait?	If you own an HD DVD player and love the movie then buy this now, that is if you didn't already fork over a bunch of cash for the Collector's Edition. If you did, then you should be able to get by with the player's up-res capabilities.
HD DVD Specific Special Features	There are no HD DVD specific features on this disc.