Blood Diamond (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Warner Brothers
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Set against the backdrop of civil war and chaos in 1990's Sierra Leone, Danny Archer, a South African mercenary, and Solomon Vandy, a Mende fisherman are joined in a common quest to recover a rare pink diamond that can transform their lives. While in prison for smuggling, Archer learns that Solomon--who was taken from his family and forced to work in the diamond fields--has found and hidden the extraordinary rough stone. With the help of Maddy Bowen, an American journalist whose idealism is tempered by a deepening connection with Archer, the two men embark on a trek through rebel territory--a journey that could save Solomon's family and give Archer the second chance he thought he would never have.

I've been looking for many years to deter my wife from wanting jewelry for every blooming holiday. Birthday, anniversary, Valentine's, Christmas, Tuesday -- all she ever seems to want is something shiny. Enter Blood Diamond.

This is one powerful film. The shooting style is intense, mixing action with heart-wrenching drama with Leonardo DiCaprio's faux South African accent. The pacing of the first two-thirds is what really sucked me in. You'd think something revolving around diamonds couldn't have a lot of intensity. Or at least have intensity and make a lick of sense. Blood Diamond succeeds on both levels. The pattern goes a little something like this: high-drama plot point that develops characters followed by a tight action scene. It's an affective cycle that repeats itself over and over. By the end things peter out a little. Perhaps it was because I was so exhausted or perhaps there's a certain amount of inevitability to it all. Either way, it's a pinch on the long side.

DiCaprio seems to get some flack around some circles. I'm guessing it's more because he's a babyfaced pretty boy (his goatee still can't hide the fact). Personally, I respect the heck out of his body of work. His role in Blood Diamond is one that walks a nice line between good guy and bad guy, mixing both sides like ying and yang. His adopted accent is a little distracting at first, but it settles pretty quickly.

My wife still wants shiny things for each and every special occasion, although now she says she'll at least settle for the ones made from fancy glue. Here's one instance where I hope for a sequel, just as long as it looks at the dark side of the fake jewelry industry.

Video: How's it look?
The widescreen transfer does the exotic locales justice.

Audio: How's it sound?
With such a variety of scenes ranging from tense conversation to jungle chases, the Dolby Digital 5.1 sound picks it all up beautifully. French and Spanish 5.1 tracks are also available.

Extras: What additional goodies are included?

• Director Edward Zwick's commentary is best described as soothing, mixing history with production.
• "Blood on the Stone" tells the black story of the conflict diamonds of the world, how they are mined and tracing their path through to jewelry stores.
• "Becoming Archer" looks at how Leonardo DiCaprio got involved with the film and how he prepared for his anti-hero role.
• Jennifer Connelly discusses her research with female journalists covering wars in the five-minute mini-featurette "Journalism on the Front Line".
• "Inside the Siege of Freetown" breaks down one of the biggest action sequences in the film.
• Nas' music video for "Shine on 'Em"
• Theatrical trailer.

Closing Thoughts
Blood Diamond was one of the best films released theatrically in 2006. It's got a tense story that's issue oriented but not too preachy, strong acting and an excellent sense of pacing early on. The two-disc special edition is loaded with plenty of bonus features, making this a definite must-own for fans.

Review brought to you by our friend Ryan @ Movie-Views.com