# Lovely Bones - Blu-ray Review



## celica_pete21 (Aug 27, 2009)

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=3998[/img]
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Title: Lovely Bones
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Saoirse Ronan, Stanley Tucci, Susan Sarandon
Directed by: Peter Jackson
Written by: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, & Peter Jackson
Studio: Dreamworks
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 2 hr 19 min
Release Date: April 20, 2010
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*Movie* :4.5stars:

A true "never give up story," Lovely Bones introduces us to the Salmons. A typical middle class family in a small Pennsylvania neighborhood. The Salmons are a happy family, everyone gets along with one another, and the father Jack (Wahlberg) does his best to be a good father for his children, to provide for them, spend time for them, and protect them. One of Jack's hobbies is to build boats inside a glass jar, and one night he shows his daughter Suzie (Ronan) how to accomplish this. She asks why he does boats in bottles, why spend the time. He teaches her that it is much more than building a boat and putting it into a jar. It teaches a person patience, and most of all, to never give up and to accomplish something you have started.

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Suzie is a typical high school underclassmen. She is going through the transition stage, and has only a handful of friends, and does not have a boyfriend. Although she does have a crush, but he is a senior. One day, while at her locker, her wildest dream comes true when the senior asked her out on a date. This would not only be the best day of her life, but the worst day. On her way home from school, like many of the kids she takes a shortcut through a harvest field. A man is awaiting her arrival and lures her into a structure that he has built. He tells her that he built it for the neighborhood kids to hang out in, and she can be the very first to see it.

She cautiously walks underground where the structure has been built, and it is decorated with figurines, games, and looks like a dream fort for most kids that age. Suzie soon learns that this man, George Harvey (Tucci) had different plans to bring her down into this fort. She tries to make a break for it when Harvey lunges toward her and throws her down to the ground. Through the next days, weeks and even months, police try to find where her body is, and who was responsible for her death. When the police seem to lose hope and have no luck finding any evidence the search starts to die down. This is where Jack's never give up till you accomplish what you started mindset comes to play. For the next few months, Jack works tirelessly to find who was responsible for his daughter's death, even to the point where his wife needs to spend some time alone from him.
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Through all of Jack's searching, Suzie's point of view from Heaven is also captured. She is watching as he tries to find her, and the close her gets, the happier she becomes, and the more accepting she becomes where she is. Jack starts to hit some bumpy road in his search, and Suzie's course in Heaven starts to become rough as well. She starts to become angry at her killer, wanting revenge on him, and her world starts to become very dark. 

A little more than a year has passed, Harvey is craving his killing nature and soon starts to plan his next victim, Suzie's sister, Lindsey. Lindsey has started to become aware of the presence with the Harvey house, something about it doesn't seem right, and she becomes suspicious. Harvey obviously doesn't like this and begins his plan to capture her. After some days of passing, Lindsey plans her next move to break into his house and do some searching. In a thrilling cat & mouse chase she is able to recover a book with the evidence to put Harvey away. When she makes it home to show her father, she finds that her mother has come back home and the two of them are willing to work it through Suzie's death. Being the mature girl she is, she doesn't want to ruin something that has finally become great again, so she gives it to her grandmother (Sarandon) the book. 


*Rating*

The movie is rated PG-13 for a little bit of language, and some violent/thrilling scenes 

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=3996[/img]

*Video* :4.5stars:

The visuals in this movie were top notch. Following Suzie through her journey to Heaven had some of the most amazing visuals I have ever seen in a movie. Obviously A LOT of green screen and CGI, but it was still pretty spectacular. 

And aside from the Heaven scenes, there was a lot of great lighting effects with fog that took place. It definitely gave the movie a creepier feel, but also gave it an epic, Peter Jackson feel. 

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=3997[/img]

*Audio* :4stars:

Just like the visuals, the audio was amazing as well. True this movie didn't have a lot of action, or any gun fights, but there were a lot of sound effects added in that just made the movie. And the mixing of the audio in this movie was spectacular. Everything worked well together from the dialogue, sound effects and music, nothing was overpowered. 

*Extras* 

None.  This was a big disappointment, I never like a disc without special features. It's always interesting to see behind the scenes, bloopers, etc.

*Overall* 

I don't know exactly what it was about this movie that I liked so much. It wasn't a movie with a lot of action, comedy, or anything else that interests me. But at the end of it, I was so impressed I messaged everyone I know to check it out. It is definitely a weird movie, and it is definitely a movie you MUST keep up with. If you can't think during a movie, don't watch it, because you will be lost and the movie will be nothing but boring to you.

But if you can put yourself in the movie, and understand how everything is working together, from Jack searching for his daughter and Suzie's journey to Heaven, it is one amazing movie. And not only that, but the story was spectacular. I thought the writing of this film rocked, and I am definitely considering purchasing it very soon.:clap:


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## Cinema Squid (Apr 24, 2010)

*Re: Lovely Bones - Blu Ray Review*



celica_pete21 said:


> *Extras*
> 
> None.  This was a big disappointment, I never like a disc without special features. It's always interesting to see behind the scenes, bloopers, etc.


This is sort of an odd thing to say. All of the extra features (several hours worth) are on Disc 2...? Not so uncommon with Paramount and a good practice in my opinion.


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## celica_pete21 (Aug 27, 2009)

*Re: Lovely Bones - Blu Ray Review*

Oh, I was not aware of that. I rented it so I guess that may be why I did not see that. Well then in that case, rental stores need to include the 2nd disc in there. 

Thanks for the heads up! Sure wish I could have seen some of the bonus features then...


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## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

*Re: Lovely Bones - Blu Ray Review*

I don't know Steffen, I'm sure it is good but the subject matter just doesn't appeal to me at all. I just can't see finishing it with any kind of good vibe. On the other hand, your reviews have been pretty accurate so far....


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## celica_pete21 (Aug 27, 2009)

*Re: Lovely Bones - Blu Ray Review*

Oh it's definitely one of those love or hate movies for sure. Most people I talk to hated it, but they are also the kind of people that can't sit down to think during a movie. I mean this movie makes you pay attention to FULLY understand what is going one between the two worlds taking place.

But I think the thing that got me the most was just the visuals and audio mixing. The visuals, although pretty much all CGI, were fantastic. Very bright, colorful, and just presented this perfect world that Suzie was in, kind of reminded me of Avatar, but with a Tim Burton feel to it. lol

I would definitely recommend watching it on a rainy day when you are bored. It is lengthy, and if you are on the fence about it, I would say save it for a rainy day that you would waste away anyway.


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## Andoskyy (Feb 22, 2010)

*Re: Lovely Bones - Blu Ray Review*

just watched this last night on Blu-ray.

I agree that the visuals are amazing...they really are. There is not a lot of action, but there are actually some really cool LFE. I was pleasantly surprised.


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## Jon Liu (May 21, 2007)

*Re: Lovely Bones - Blu Ray Review*

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I got it based on your review and was a bit worried when I initially popped the disc in that it may not be my kind of movie, but indeed I found it very intriguing. Stanley Tucci does a FANTASTIC job as a creepy guy. Kind of weird to see him in that kind of role, but he did it so perfectly.


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## celica_pete21 (Aug 27, 2009)

*Re: Lovely Bones - Blu Ray Review*

Yeah, when I was looking at his previous work and saw pictures of him, he looks nothing like he did in this movie. lol He did do a terrific job, but he was definitely quite creepy!


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## Endesereth (Sep 15, 2009)

*Re: Lovely Bones - Blu Ray Review*

watched it tonight, very well thought out movie!
my parents left since it dealt with kids and all that...


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