Contagion

The only thing spreading faster than the disease in Steven Soderbergh's "Contagion" is the gossip surrounding it. Proving himself yet again to be not just master craftsman but a motivated auteur, Soderbergh uses this end-of-the-world scenario (an airborne virus causes a global pandemic that claims the lives of a high percentage of the world population) not for titillation or shallow thrills but rather as a means to studying topics that matter to him.

Yes, this is the thinking man's disaster film. Those hoping for wanton destruction and decimated landscapes would do better to seek out the latest "Transformers" movie; as Soderbergh is far more interested in humans than in explosions. It takes some audacity to make a film in 2011 where the bloggers are villains out for hit-counts and the heroes are government agents who aim to help the public with no interest in bribes or recognition. But as scary as the virus is, the misleading power of the internet is the true enemy here - "Contagion" feels like a cautionary tale about the dangers of constant connection.

Unfortunately, the film arrives on Blu-ray with hardly any extras. We have 20 minutes of footage featuring the stars of the film talking how realistic the virus is, their thoughts backed up by scientist testimonials. But sorely missing is an audio commentary with Soderbergh (whose lively tracks are always a highlight) as well as deleted scenes (interviews suggest early cuts of the film ran near 3 hours, and nary a second of deleted footage shows up here.) Of course, the picture quality is impeccable; with Soderbergh's color-tinted digital photography perhaps looking cleaner here than it did blown up on the big screen. But still, Warner Brothers should've done better for a film as smart as "Contagion."

"Contagion"
Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy Combo Pack
$35.99
Warnerbros.com