DVD Review - Entrapment

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Site created 12/15/97.

review added: 1/20/00

Entrapment
1999 (1999) - 20th Century Fox

review by Todd Doogan of The Digital Bits

Film Rating: D

Disc Ratings (Video/Audio/Extras): B+/A/ C-

Specs and Features

113 mins, PG-13, letterboxed widescreen (2.35:1), single-sided, single-layered, Amaray keep case packaging, 2 theatrical trailers (for Entrapment and Rising Sun), cast list, film-themed menu screens with animation and sound, scene access (24 chapters), languages: English (DD 5.1 & 2.0), subtitles: English and Spanish, Closed Captioned

"Never trust a naked woman."

That Catherine Zeta-Jones is an undeniable babe. My only question for her is, what's with all the old dudes? Sure, the ones she chooses to be seen with are uber-cool and all that stuff. But she just turned 30, and she's hanging around with guys that could quite possibly her gramps - and you know there's a little sumthin'-sumthin' going on. I guess my other concern for Ms. Zeta-Jones is with her marketing skills. I mean, she's very pretty and quite talented, but Entrapment seems like a huge commercial for her butt. From the trailers to the actual film, everything's about her butt. Even the menu screens for this DVD are built around her posterior. I present the main menu screen into evidence if you think I'm a bit loopy.

Entrapment (besides being about a nice round butt in leather or workout pants) is also about one Robert "Mac" MacDougal (Sean Connery), one of the most gifted cat burglars in the business. When a famous painting turns up missing (and after they question Thomas Crown, I would assume), the powers that be start barking up Mac's tree. Zeta-Jones plays Virginia Baker, an investigator who poses as a thief in order to lure Mac into a trap. Or does she? The point of the film is, it's all about who's fooling whom. Or better put: who's trying to entrap whom. Supporting cast members include Ving Rhames, who pops up as Mac's best friend and partner in crime, and Will Patton, who appears as a very gringo Hector Cruz (I guess the filmmakers were trying to fool us with that one). The film is sort of illogical, a bit convoluted and not very well done I'm afraid. I liked the characters and the acting, I just didn't like what they were doing and what was motivating them. There are a few cool scenes, but I don't really see any benefit for anyone to go out of their way to see them. If you're curious and you just have to check it out, I think you'll be disappointed. And if you don't even care and this is the only thing left on the rental shelf, you'll probably still hate it.

In terms of disc quality, it's a non-anamorphic transfer. For not being 16x9, it still looks good (but it could have looked better). Colors and contrast are dead on and there is not a speck of grain. I enjoyed the transfer, and on a standard TV it looks pretty good - not perfect, but good. The thing is, video quality isn't exactly what this disc is about. This disc is all about the sound, and this is a great sound field in either Dolby Digital 5.1 or 2.0. Quite simply, it rocks. The wind effects in the first chapter blow through from left to right and create a nice ambient effect. I really like the soundstage here. Special addition material is light, with only a few trailers and a cast list. That last one is pretty silly - instead of bios, it's just a list of who's in the film. That's it. Like I didn't know. I would hope that this was an oversight, and they meant to put something in here. But if it wasn't, let's all hope that Fox doesn't continue this trend.

Most of the best parts of this flick were seen in the trailer. And the trailer actually makes this movie look good. But when it comes down to it, the movie itself is pretty lackluster. If you're a fiend for great DVD sound, pop this one in, close your eyes and enjoy. But about the only people who could walk away from this movie happy are fans of Ms. Zeta-Jones' butt.

Todd Doogan
todddoogan@thedigitalbits.com