Paul Conroy (Reynolds) is not ready to die. Beaten and Buried in a wooden box by Iraqi insurgents who attacked his civilian convoy, Conroy is left with only a cell phone, a lighter, and 90 minutes to save his own life. He has only the voice of his kidnapper to help him piece together clues that could lead an elite team of special agents to his location, and time is not on his side. Fighting despair, panic, and delirium, Conroy focuses on his only link to the outside world—a cell phone with poor reception and a rapidly draining battery—to keep alive for himself and his family back home. (Gary Reber)
Special features include the featurette Unearthing Buried (SD 17:59), teaser and theatrical trailers, up-front previews, plus LG-Live functionality.
The 1080p AVC picture is intentionally low contrasted with a cell phone, a cigarette lighter, a greenish battery-powered flare, and a flashlight as the only source of light in the confined wooden coffin. When the lighter is off, the frame is pitch black, unlike the accompanying DVD, which exhibits a deep gray. When light appears, though limited, resolution is revealed in fine details seen in facial feature close-ups and clothes. The color palette is muted for dramatic effect, with the exception of the stark cold blue of a cell phone in the coffin. The visuals are uncomfortable to view and project an oppressive feeling that is bound to set off personal emotions. Clearly, this is not a situation that anyone would ever want to be in. (Gary Reber)
The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 7.1-channel soundtrack is well produced. The sound projects an extremely narrow frontal soundscape during the wooden coffin segments. At times suddenly the minimalist orchestral music track kicks in and the soundfield expands for a holosonic® enveloping experience. Foley sound effects are prominent and effectively provide thumps, scraping sounds, and heavy breathing, with a wide soundfield presence. Ambient sounds are heard wide and deep, a result of the 7.1-channel mix, which effectively enhances the claustrophobic feeling. At times the sound effects are powerfully energized and always directional. Dialogue is nicely presented with excellent spatial integration and differentiation between Reynolds' voice and that of the voices heard on the cell phone. Bass extension is effective in the .1 LFE channel and enhances the dramatic impact. While the added two channels are improperly positioned to the rear of the soundfield, when corrected the soundfield experience can be impressive. (Gary Reber)