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Does this kind of a film have a prayer? Brian Helgeland (A Knight's Tale, Payback) wrote, co- produced and directed The Order, and all of his efforts to make the film something special are impressive. Great set design, solid acting, and beautiful photograph are highlights, but it still just doesn't work. The idea of a person being able to steal the last seconds from a dying person, perform a ritual and absorb their sin is intriguing, outrageous even, but that hasn't hampered some of the best horror films of all time. And of course the power of any movie comes in large part from our ability to suspend our disbelief. But The Order just keeps stumbling, failing to build tension and believability.

Everything here is so overboard that I just couldn't buy it. Handsome Heath Ledger as a priest is far too much of a stretch for me despite his earnest performance. And while Helgeland worked with Ledger on A Knights Tale, regardless of their confidence together as a team, Ledger is just too young for the part. (Someone a bit more world weary would have worked better.) And given the rather gothic background of Catholicism and the picturesque Rome locations, the overblown (and loud) special effects jar badly with the milieu, and only serves to remind us that we are watching a big Hollywood film.

Worst of all is that the film's greatest asset – its interesting premise – fails to excite. The Order would have been more successful if Helgeland had just toned things down. But because of the bombast, the sin eating sequences come across as another special effect, achieving no lasting emotional impact or any emotional resonance. We just watch the actors do the best they can, and get a tiny thrill from the cool special effects and surround sound. But it's over, it's hard to care. Which is a shame, because whatever its weak aspects, The Order was the rare horror film that actually had the potential to be something special.

Video: How Does The Disc Look?

The film is presented in 1.85:1 and anamorphically encoded (a full screen version is also available on the flip). The visual texture of the film seems to gravitate to a "'70s style," with colors that are a touch pasty and not quite rich and vibrant. That's perfectly fine, but sometimes a lack of proper contrast only adds to flatter look of the film. While I actually like the color scheme, I was disappointed that much of the darker scenes would lack detail in the nooks and - shadow delineation could have used a boost. Still, the print is very clean, and the clarity of the transfer is overall very sharp – especially during daylight sequences. Edge enhancement is minor but irritatingly notable. Overall, the film looks quite good, but it could have been better.

Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?

The audio is presented in 5.1 Dolby Digital. As one might expect, this is a rather engaging presentation. Strong separation between the fronts is evident, even with dialogue. Reproduction and clarity is very good, but a few times I had to put the subtitles on when the actors didn't annunciate very well. The .1 LFE is also forceful, although not as aggressive or rich as I had hoped. Surrounds use is interesting: when they are engaged, they have a very pleasing sense of depth, and certainly reveal a great transparency. However, quieter scenes render surrounds completely dead (in huge, drafty rooms?) leaving the film sometimes too front heavy, and split activity was only noticeable a few times. A rather missed opportunity. Still, this is a decent mix.

Also included are English and Spanish subtitles and English Closed Captions, as well as a French 2.0 surround dub.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

A solid set of supplements are included. First is a screen-specific audio commentary with director Brian Helgeland, who is very straightforward and pulls no punches. Helgeland leans most toward the technical aspects during his discussions, though he does talk about themes, actors, and contributions of other film crew. And there are some gaps during his conversations. A bit dry, but it still remains interesting.

Next up are 8 deleted scenes, along with some dailies. Thankfully, a "Play All" option is included along with optional director commentary. Helgeland is again honest and open about his reasons for cutting these scenes and explains that they simply slowed down the narrative. (I would agree.) However, fans will certainly find them interesting. The Dailies are really just one big long scene, when Ledger finds a dead loved one. The scene includes production sound only, and it is a rather long 9-minute sequence.

Lastly is a full screen theatrical trailer that probably reveals more than it should. The link to the website http://www.theorderdvd.com just wants you to buy the DVD you already have.

DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC?

There are no ROM extras on the disc.

Parting Thoughts