Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk

"Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk" was a tough sell during its theatrical release and will likely be a tough sell on the home market as well. This is due mainly to the film's unique and revolutionary filmmaking process, undertaken by director Ang Lee -- an approach so cutting edge, in fact, that the mainstream cinemas couldn't keep up.

While most films are captured at the cinematic standard of 24 frames per second, "Billy Lynn" amps that up to a whopping 120 fps for an unmatched sense of hyper-realism that was described by those who witnessed it as extraordinary. Peter Jackson experimented in 48 fps for his "Hobbit" trilogy, but at nearly triple that frame rate, Ang Lee created an unprecedented visual presentation. As such, only two theaters in the United States possessed the capabilities to showcase the film in its intended format of 4K resolution, 3D and 120 fps.

Now, as the film arrives on a variety of digital formats, we are faced with a new dilemma: There are no televisions on the market capable of handling the film's 120 fps, so all of Lee's ambition essentially gets lost in a lapse of progress. The film is, however, being released on a 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray combo pack, with the 4K presentation displayed at 60 fps to offer viewers a glimpse at the film's intent of enhanced exhibition. Yet, 4K is still a rising player in the residential entertainment industry, so to experience this version of "Billy Lynn" requires both a 4K Blu-ray player and a 4K television. If you're without these things, you're fresh out of luck.

This is a bummer for many reasons, the key one being that "Billy Lynn" definitely lacks a certain impact in standard 24 fps. Seeing the film in theaters this way was a compelling, yet underwhelming, experience, and I can only imagine how the 120fps version (or even the 60fps version) could heighten the film's envisioned effect to unimagined levels. For such a revolutionary process, it's a shame that barely anyone will get to witness the payoff.

Then there's the fact that the 4K release also includes an exclusive featurette entitled "Technology as Art: Changing the Language of Cinema," which dives deep into Ang Lee's remarkable undertaking with this film. The Blu-ray and DVD versions only contain a helping of deleted scenes and four featurettes. The 4K is obviously being pushed as the option worthy of your purchase, but with such a limited audience of consumers, it's a shame that the Blu-ray didn't make up for what it lacks in presentation with a wealthier collection of bonus material.

"Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk"
Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Combo Pack
$19.99
http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/billylynnslonghalftimewalk