Blu-ray

Duncan Jones made quite a splash with his feature debut Moon, so it’s hardly a surprise that his next directorial outing arrived on a tide of expectations that would prove almost impossible to meet. While its reach outweighs its success, Source Code is still a very successful sci-fi thriller with a cracking Groundhog Day-like plot about a repetitive time travelling effort to discover the identity of a mysterious bomber before he strikes again. And while the pseudo-science driving the story sometimes becomes a little overbearing, excellent performances from the film’s two time-crossed leads, Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Monaghan, give it all an emotional resonance that keeps pulling you back in.

Picture: Source Code arrives on Blu-ray with an extremely attractive and film-like AVC 1.85:1 1080p encode. While the palette doesn’t really offer up the most vibrant colours (outside of the red and yellow flames that repeatedly engulf the train, that is), the film’s deliberately cold, wintry visuals are handled with aplomb, aided by flawless black levels, and remain stable throughout. Detailing is also extremely good throughout, giving the imagery a sense of depth and the locations a genuine real-world texture.
Picture rating: 5/5

Audio: There’s a lot to like about Source Code’s DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack. The first time the train explodes, the sheer force and impact of the audio is likely to have you jumping out of your seat. Likewise, the slightly claustrophobic  nature of the main train carriage location feels less oppressive thanks to smart use of the surrounds for ambient sound such as passengers talking and announcements over the PA. As such, it’s a very competent presentation of an equally competent piece of sound design.
Audio rating: 4/5

Extras: Source Code offers up a reasonable selection of features – kicking off with a trio of picture-in-picture modes that deliver Cast and Crew Insights (interviews), Focal Points (behind-the-scenes vignettes) and Expert Intel (scientific explanations) – although they’re each fairly sparse and would probably have worked better combined into a single PiP mode. If you don’t want to watch the material in that way, the Special Features menu also allows access to all eleven Insights, five Focal Points and 19 Expert Intel features as full-screen 1080p presentations. The remaining features take the form of a very informative commentary from Jones, Gyllenhaal and writer Ben Ripley, the trailer and a pair of trivia tracks.
Extras rating: 3/5

We say: A thrilling Blu-ray you’ll want to revisit again and again and again and… 

Optimum Releasing, Region B BD/R2 DVD, £23 approx, On sale now
HCC VERDICT: 4/5