# American Sniper - Blu-ray Review



## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=45082[/img] 
*Title: American Sniper* 

*Movie:* :4stars:
*Video:* :4.5stars:
*Audio:* :5stars: 
*Extras:* :2.5stars: 

*HTS Overall Score:*88




[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=45090[/img]*Summary*
I love Clint Eastwood. He’s one of only three actors that I collect EVERY movie he’s ever played in, no matter how good or how weak the movie is, and his career as a director has kept me enthralled for many years as well. “American Sniper” took the cinemas by storm this winter and I so desperately wanted to see it in theaters. Much to my chagrin I was forced to wait for the Blu-ray release and experience it at home. Chronically the life of America’s most deadly sniper, Chris Kyle, the movie tracks him from childhood up until his untimely death at the hands of another PTSD sufferer back on American soil. Clint has a dramatic take on war, and one that I tend to understand and feel comfortable with as well. His latest take on the legendary sniper is great, but also suffering from a few flaws that keep it from being a truly GREAT movie.

We kick start the movie by watching in on Chris (Bradley Cooper) as he performs his first human kill as a Navy Seal sniper. Flashing back years past we see Chris growing up in Texas, taught by a good old country father who sees the world in black and white. As he put it, there are three types of people in the world. The sheep (those who don’t see the evil that’s out there), the wolves (the predators who seek to do harm to others), and the sheep dogs (those who have strength and power and choose to use that strength to protect others). Taking that mantra to heart, Kyle grows up, seeking one thrill after another in the rodeo ring, only deciding to take it to the next level by joining the Navy Seals. Coming back to that first shot of the movie, it’s a full on race to the end as Chris soon becomes the most decorated and most dangerous sniper in all of U.S. history. Racking up over 160 confirmed kills over four tours, he becomes a legend to the men around him. The only problem is, there really are no legends. There are no perfect heroes, only imperfect men who do the best they can. Sometimes with results that far exceed those of the people around them.

In between his four tours of duty, Chris tries (tries being the operative word here) to have a family with his wife Taya (Sienna Miller), and while he loves his family, the harsh responsibility of war weighs heavy on his shoulders. This responsibility and single minded focus does nothing but play havoc with his home life. Taya is left at home with his son while Chris is out there hunting a legendary sniper (controversial due to the fact that this sniper’s existence has never been officially confirmed), as well as an insurgent leader based off of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Chris doesn’t appeared to have seen the world in shades of grey as much as more black and white. His entire mission is to wipe out the evil that is rearing its ugly head. The same evil that tortured children in the street to make a point to a father, and the same evil that has a mother give a Russian grenade to her child to go try and ambush a group of Marines. The world is very rarely all grey, but I still believe that there is a great deal of black and white issues out there as well. Chris saw those issues, and used the skillset that he was trained for to try and negate those black issues. The unfortunate side effect was having to come home with PTSD and having to re learn living life as a normal human being again. The military is something I have deep abiding respect for, but I also have to realize that those who engage in open combat sacrifice something more deep and impactful than body parts. A piece of them is altered forever, and even if that person learns to change and adapt with that alteration, they also have to live with the pain and suffering endured by taking a life as well. 

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=45098[/img]I’ve heard a lot about the movie and its controversy over the last several months, and I can see both sides. Chris has made some claims that don’t really hold up about his post war life. There are signs that his larger than life ego started writing checks that his mouth couldn’t cash. I’ve also heard allegations that Clint Eastwood was white washing the character, making him out to be a legend and hero that he wasn’t. Respectfully I have to disagree. Clint Eastwood has always been a man that despises war. If you watch all of his war movies or movies ABOUT war events you start to see the idea that Clint really despises it. However, he is also a big fan of the military and the men and women who give their lives in service for the rest of us. Chris Kyle was not a perfect man. He was a man who had an exceptional skill at shooting that sniper rifle of his in service to his country. I don’t think he was an idol, or a hero due to him being a perfect man. However I have to hold my hat in my hand in respect to the dedication and skill he displayed on a job that not many men are qualified for. In that respect I do consider him a hero. 

The pacing of the movie is mildly flawed here. The film jumps back and forth across the timeline, many times with quick edits that feel rather sudden and jarring. One moment he’s in the middle of a battle, and the next scene it’s assumed that we understand that his tour was over and he’s back in the states. The first couple times it happened I took it in stride, but after happening for over an hour I realized that this was Clint’s version of a scene wipe. Secondly I feel as if Eastwood just took the biography of Kyle and mapped it out word for word. That leaves a little bit of character development on the table and some of the conflicts that he was put under doesn’t carry the same impact as it could have with proper exposition. While not a flaw, I do have to chuckle at the notorious “Eastwood one take” situation that cropped up on set. If you’ve paid attention to the movie at all, you’ll see a seen where Chris Kyle is holding his newborn daughter in his arms and it’s VERY obviously a doll wrapped up. Supposedly Clint Eastwood is famous for taking only 1, maybe 2, takes per scene and the real life baby they were using wasn’t available that day. So, what does he do? He takes a doll, wraps it in baby clothes and ahead goes the shooting. 





*Rating:* 

Rated R for strong and disturbing war violence, and language throughout including some sexual references



*Video* :4.5stars:
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=45106[/img]Warner’s 2.40:1 AVC encoded Blu-ray is a thing of beauty. Crisp and clean at all times, it showcases wonderfully fine detail across the board. The movie is supposedly color corrected with a bit whiter push than the theatrical release, but since I did not see it in the theater I will have to take others words for that piece of information. There is a dusky blue/green tinge to the film, with some bright whites that give the Iraqi environment a very sun weary look. Facial detail is simply phenomenal as you can see every bit of stubble on Chris’s roughhewn face. Black levels are very strong, although I noticed two scenes (the bar scene where Chris calls his wife near the end in particular) that shows some black crush, and lack of shadow detail. Clarity is incredible and gives the viewer a clear picture at all times, without any major artifacting or digital manipulation post filming. Excellent all the way around. 







*Audio* :5stars:
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=45114[/img]Humina humina humina Hermeine! Oh dear goodness gracious me, “American Sniper” is blessed with a simply fantastic Dolby Atmos track (7.1 Dolby TrueHD for those of you without an Atmos setup) and it’s an experience for sure. The opening scene of the movie sets the pace with a tank rumbling over debris, rattling everything in sight on my back wall, and an amazing sense of immersion into the world of war. There is never a dull moment in the movie, with lots of amazing directional queues and fantastic surround usage. The front sound stage is alive with gunshot, rattling tank vehicles and the shouts of Navy Seals, while the surrounds flabbergasted me some of the best rear support I’ve ever heard. Gunfights shift around the viewer as the camera pans and turns around. A machine gun firing three round bursts to the front can suddenly be heard from the right surround as the camera shifts with its back right hand to the screen, and incredible amounts of ambient details floor through. Creaking doors, clattering hoof beats, or just the crunching of booted feet on desert sand, all come through with spectacular clarity. I just HAVE to reiterate the fact that the surrounds are simply amazing on this track. One of the best I’ve ever heard. LFE is deep and powerful, giving tight punch to the explosions and a sense of weight to the heavy gunfire. It’s never an all-consuming level of bass, but my sub lights were constantly flashing as the heavy low end intertwines itself with every fiber of the audio track. Dialog is strong and clear, with a nice balance to the cacophony and mayhem of the war scenes around them. A superb track that has easily become one of my go to tracks for a detailed sound stage. 





*Extras* :2.5stars:
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=45122[/img]
• One soldier’s story: The journey of American Sniper
• Making of American Sniper 








*Overall:* :4.5stars:

“American Sniper” is a VERY good movie. I had a complete blast watching it and coming from the southwest, I completely understand with Kyle’s viewpoints and growing up situation. The film had a few flaws in the pacing and characterization department, but it’s a thrilling movie that kept me engaged the whole time. At over 2 hours and 14 minutes I barely looked at the runtime passed until 2/3 of the way through. Video and audio are simply demo material and another notch in the Dolby Atmos gun belt for great audio presentations. I would have preferred a few more extras to make this a truly fantastic Blu-ray release, but I heartily give the movie two thumbs up. Definitely give it a watch


*Additional Information:*

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Kyle Gallner
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Written by: Jason Hall
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 AVC
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD core), French, Spanish, Portuguese DD 5.1
Studio: Warner Brothers
Rated: R
Runtime: 134 minutes
Own “American Sniper” on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD on May 19th from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment 




*Buy American Sniper On Blu-ray at Amazon*


*Recommendation: Watch It ​*








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## tripplej (Oct 23, 2011)

Thanks for the review. I also wanted to see this in the theater but due to family commitments and work was not able to check it out. Now that it is available on blu ray, I will get my chance. Looking forward to seeing this one.


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## Dwight Angus (Dec 17, 2007)

Great review Mike. Although I don't have ATmos installed yet it will be a day one buy for me.


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

I'm working on an Atmos setup right now, so hopefully it will be up and running in about a year when prices on the receivers drop... either way, the 7.1 mix is INSANE


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

Mike Edwards said:


> I'm working on an Atmos setup right now, so hopefully it will be up and running in about a year when prices on the receivers drop... either way, the 7.1 mix is INSANE


 I thought Lone Survivor was INSANE…how does it compare?


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

JBrax said:


> I thought Lone Survivor was INSANE…how does it compare?


it's definitely a different mix, but they both are equally incredible... the surround usage in American Sniper is superior in my opinion though


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

Mike Edwards said:


> it's definitely a different mix, but they both are equally incredible... the surround usage in American Sniper is superior in my opinion though


 Nice! I caught American Sniper in theaters but don't really recall the audio as standing out. Maybe I was enthralled completely by the movie to the point of not noticing. Needless to say I'm ready to watch it again on my setup. Thanks for another great review Mike.


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## willis7469 (Jan 31, 2014)

I've been waiting since the first trailer for this. My question is, I also have a 12yr old boy who is equally as excited. I haven't let him watch lone survivor. It might be too messy for him? Plus there's a lot of "F" bombs. Would American Sniper be ok? If the surround use really is superior, I can't wait even more, as I found lone survivor totally realistic and amazing. 

OT. We live across the Mississippi River from one of the largest military training training facilities in the country. If you've experienced munitions, you'll understand when I say aside from machine guns, and explosives in the distance, I've never been in a system that makes you feel like the house is coming down and the air is pressurized like when they are using the "big stuff" as we call it. Plus all the aircraft all the time is awesome too.


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

willis7469 said:


> I've been waiting since the first trailer for this. My question is, I also have a 12yr old boy who is equally as excited. I haven't let him watch lone survivor. It might be too messy for him? Plus there's a lot of "F" bombs. Would American Sniper be ok? If the surround use really is superior, I can't wait even more, as I found lone survivor totally realistic and amazing.
> 
> OT. We live across the Mississippi River from one of the largest military training training facilities in the country. If you've experienced munitions, you'll understand when I say aside from machine guns, and explosives in the distance, I've never been in a system that makes you feel like the house is coming down and the air is pressurized like when they are using the "big stuff" as we call it. Plus all the aircraft all the time is awesome too.


It's about on par with "Lone Survivor" in terms of violence and Language


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## asere (Dec 7, 2011)

I will buy this one. Looking forward since I've never seen it.


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## willis7469 (Jan 31, 2014)

asere said:


> I will buy this one. Looking forward since I've never seen it.


 Sooooo, I'm in wal-market (my gramma said that all the time) and counted 24 empty slots labeled "American Sniper". Ugh...


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## asere (Dec 7, 2011)

willis7469 said:


> Sooooo, I'm in wal-market (my gramma said that all the time) and counted 24 empty slots labeled "American Sniper". Ugh...


A friend of mine would literally wait till 12am or so for Walmart to put them on the shelves.


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## willis7469 (Jan 31, 2014)

asere said:


> A friend of mine would literally wait till 12am or so for Walmart to put them on the shelves.


 wow. Dedication! I think they weren't out yet, as opposed to sold out. At first I was like, WHAT! Trailer for new MI was just on. Looks awesome. What do you think about the new poltergeist?


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## phillihp23 (Mar 14, 2012)

Have had my American Sniper Blu-ray on Pre-order with Amazon for months................Give it to me already....


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## asere (Dec 7, 2011)

The trailer to Poltergeist looked interesting. I remember watching the original many times as a kid. Now that you mentioned it I might pull it from my shelf and watch it.


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## willis7469 (Jan 31, 2014)

phillihp23 said:


> Have had my American Sniper Blu-ray on Pre-order with Amazon for months................Give it to me already....


 lol!


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## willis7469 (Jan 31, 2014)

asere said:


> The trailer to Poltergeist looked interesting. I remember watching the original many times as a kid. Now that you mentioned it I might pull it from my shelf and watch it.


 I think that's a great idea! I loved it when I was younger too. Been a looong time though. Hmmmm...


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## bokeh (Nov 13, 2013)

The story is very good but I don't remember any thing that stood out for its audio... maybe some bass sweeps here and there. Wanted to pick up the steel book from target but not sure it's worth. Anyone remember any demo worthy scenes? i.e. Lone Survivor's forest shootout is very memorable.


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

bokeh said:


> The story is very good but I don't remember any thing that stood out for its audio... maybe some bass sweeps here and there. Wanted to pick up the steel book from target but not sure it's worth. Anyone remember any demo worthy scenes? i.e. Lone Survivor's forest shootout is very memorable.


 I've actually started watching it but had to pause for some family and grilling. The opening scene with the tanks was AMAZING! Some serious rumble going on. Mike was dead on in regards to the surround activity. I agree that so far Lone Survivor and in particular the forrest scene trumps what I've heard so far but we'll see. I'm about 45 minutes into it. Much better sound at home than what I heard at the theater. I caught this one late at the theater so no Atmos or IMAX was available.


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## phillihp23 (Mar 14, 2012)

willis7469 said:


> lol!


Amazon says it should be delivered by 8 PM tonight


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## asere (Dec 7, 2011)

phillihp23 said:


> Amazon says it should be delivered by 8 PM tonight


Heading to Best Buy tomorrow


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

Very good sound no doubt. Outstanding surround usage as Mike noted in his review. To me not as satisfying overall as Lone Survivor. The biggest difference was gunshots didn't have that realistic weighty sound to them. Great movie and a must own.


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## willis7469 (Jan 31, 2014)

My MIL grabbed this for me yesterday. I'll be visiting tomorrow!


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## Dwight Angus (Dec 17, 2007)

Finally got to watch this last night. Great movie video quality was stellar. Audio was on point. IMHO Lone Survivor slightly edged this one out for better movie


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

Dwight Angus said:


> Finally got to watch this last night. Great movie video quality was stellar. Audio was on point. IMHO Lone Survivor slightly edged this one out for better movie


I agree. there was some pacing issues here that gave "Lone Survivor" the edge.. still a very good movie ,just not AS good


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## phillihp23 (Mar 14, 2012)

I felt that they were two movies unique in there own way. Lone survivor felt more action while american sniper felt more drama, or emotional driven. Oddly the time shifting didn't come across too badly, IMO. I have seen some movies that time shift back and forth that I just gave up on as I totally lost track of what was going on. Over all I felt it was a solid film. I do agree that the audio quality was not on par with Lone survivor.


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## bokeh (Nov 13, 2013)

I either buy a BD for the film or the pure HT audio/video experience....American Sniper is something I may buy when it goes on sale for $5...Lone Survivor is a good film and really puts an HT thru it's paces for audio...fun ride with bullets flying all around and punching chest bass.


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

bokeh said:


> I either buy a BD for the film or the pure HT audio/video experience....American Sniper is something I may buy when it goes on sale for $5...Lone Survivor is a good film and really puts an HT thru it's paces for audio...fun ride with bullets flying all around and punching chest bass.


 Agree, Lone Survivor was in a different league. American Sniper was good though.


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## bokeh (Nov 13, 2013)

JBrax said:


> Agree, Lone Survivor was in a different league. American Sniper was good though.


Yes, AS is a very good film...more ppl should see it to better understand the struggles of our soldiers and the terrible consequences of war and the hard choices that have to made...very well made, Eastwood's direction was really good.


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

bokeh said:


> Yes, AS is a very good film...more ppl should see it to better understand the struggles of our soldiers and the terrible consequences of war and the hard choices that have to made...very well made, Eastwood's direction was really good.


 Still not on par with Lone Survivor. In any capacity. YMMV.


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## willis7469 (Jan 31, 2014)

JBrax said:


> Still not on par with Lone Survivor. In any capacity. YMMV.


 my MIL still has my copy of AS, so I haven't seen it, but every time I see a post about LS, I can't resist saying how totally insane that track is(bass was decent). I know we've covered it before but had to....


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

willis7469 said:


> my MIL still has my copy of AS, so I haven't seen it, but every time I see a post about LS, I can't resist saying how totally insane that track is(bass was decent). I know we've covered it before but had to....


 It's a good movie but don't expect LS.


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## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

I finally got around to watching this last week. Solid audio and video...where it was lacking (for me) was in the storytelling department. This is simply a case of his book delivering detail, emotion, and continuity that the movie delivery bungled. I also wasn't a huge fan of creating a villain. Not sure if that was even necessary.

My take home from reading Chris Kyle's book was his incredible selflessness. The movie tries to touch on it, but misses. 

So, I'd say the book is an absolute must read. The movie is a must watch, but for different reasons.

Three Stars for the film.


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## willis7469 (Jan 31, 2014)

Good notes Todd. My son is finishing the book now. I'll read it when he's done, and I'm looking forward to it. My BD is at my MIL's so it looks like I'll read first. My son is really enjoying the book, and I think he's connecting to the spirit.


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

I have to agree on the story. it was a GOOD movie, but it wasn't great because of those reasons. the audio and video are amazing, and the story is quite engaging, it just lost some of the passion of the biography.


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