Blu-ray Review: S. Darko

Release Date: May 12th, 2009
Running Time: 103 minutes

The Film

Few cult films are as mind-bending as Donnie Darko. I have seen it numerous times and still can’t say that I completely understand what is happening. To this day theories are argued on forums across the Internet, citing all sorts of wacky time travel documentation. Yet despite the success and status of the film, it never felt like one that warranted a sequel, especially if the original filmmakers weren’t involved. But in the days of remakes, reboots, and endless sequels, it was almost inevitable that the world of Donnie Darko would be revisited. Unfortunately S. Darko is only a shadow of its predecessor; a frustrating film presented on an underwhelming Blu-ray disc.

The film picks up a number of years after the original and has Daveigh Chase reprising her role as Samantha Darko. She has had problems since her brother’s death, even veering towards suicidal thoughts. Samantha decides to take a road trip to LA with her friend, Corey (Briana Evigan), only to have their car breakdown in Conejo Springs, Utah. They meet the local bad boy named Randy (Ed Westwick) who offers to help them out, but the pair get caught up partying and such.

A meteor shower changes everything. Samantha has nightmares about the end of the universe, disturbing visions, and finds herself waking up in random places across town. She encounters a strange man called Justin “Iraq Jack” Sparrow (James Lafferty) who claims that Samantha is his princess, and that she has been appearing to him with warnings of the end of the world. To make matters more complicated, a series of kidnappings have happened recently, and the town is looking for someone to blame. As Justin grows stranger, even creating a familiar bunny mask, the town seems intent on labeling him the suspect, but there is far more going on than anyone could imagine.

I found myself unable to enjoy much of S. Darko. Tackling time travel in films or television requires exquisite planning and execution to avoid being a complete mess, and I didn’t feel like this film explored the topic well. The plot is very, very convoluted and disjointed. I understand the franchise is not one to give you all the answers, but this story makes Donnie Darko seem downright linear. The time travel also reduces the tension and meaning of major events that happen in the film because you get the sense that any of it can be rewritten.

The one thing the filmmakers do nail is the feel and tone of the original. But just having the look of Donnie Darko isn’t enough; this still pales in comparison. Even if you are able to decipher the events happening on screen, I doubt that you will find any new territory that hasn’t already been explored more thoroughly in the original film

The Disc

The video is presented in a 1.78:1, 1080p High Definition transfer. Fine detail can be excellent in close up shots, but it is also extremely inconsistent. Many shots are far too soft creating an odd shift in the image between crisp and muddied. The exterior shots of the gorgeous Utah landscape could have had more consistent depth as well. Black levels aren’t very deep and lose a lot of shadow detail. Colors pop but are stylistically oversaturated. Grain is heavy and some video noise is there as well. Don’t misunderstand me, this isn’t a horrific transfer, it’s just a far cry from reference quality.

The audio is offered in an English DTS HD 5.1 Master lossless audio mix as well as French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound with Spanish/French subtitles. A few key scenes feature excellent channel separation and deep bass, such as the meteor shower, but they are the rare case. The sound design was actually better than I expected and features tons of effects and cues that harkens back to the original film. Still, don’t expect a wild audio experience by any means. Atmosphere is basic, and the majority of the film is front loaded. Having said that, the mix is balanced and features crisp dialogue.

The Extras

Commentary is offered with Director Chris Fisher, Writer Nathan Atkins, and Cinematographer Marvin V. Rush. The track finds a balance between technical production information and discussing the challenges associated with crafting a sequel to the cult hit. The participants also seem to understand the story far better than I was able to, making me think that they had a more cohesive plan that simply didn’t work out in the execution.

“The Making of S. Darko” is a 15-minute featurette with the standard cast/crew interviews concerning the plot, characters, and theme of the film.

“Utah Too Much” is a 7-minute piece on a love song to Utah that the cast came up with during the production.

Lastly, 5 Deleted Scenes run 6 minutes and wouldn’t have helped or hurt the film in any way.

Final Thoughts

Though I do enjoy Donnie Darko, I found S. Darko to be a muddled rehash of the same material that is less skillfully explored. With a poor selection of special features and average video/audio, S. Darko is best left for a random late-night rental.