kal
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Joined: 06 Mar 2006
Posts: 18114
Location: Ottawa, Canada
TV/Projector: JVC DLA-NZ7
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| Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2012 2:35 am Post subject: The Descendants [Blu-ray] |
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Another reference disc!
The Descendants (Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy) (2011)
(Hover over link for price, click to purchase and support our forum at no extra cost to you)
| Quote: | I found this movie fascinating, and I’m not even all that interested in psychoanalysis. It just goes to show what a film can do for its characters when it isn't all that obsessed with running us through a rigid plot structure. There are three great performances here. It's definitely worth watching, especially with the spot on audio and video provided by Sony. Recommended.
The Video: Sizing Up the Picture
'The Descendants' has been given such a strong 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encode that it will make you want to get up and vacation in Hawaii immediately. The strength of this transfer never lets up.
As the opening titles for the film take the screen, the background slides around the color wheel to reveal bold and vibrant colorization of the film's palette. This beautiful color scheme does more justice for the location than a "Visit Hawaii" ad. This vacation hotspot has never looked more appealing than it does on this Blu-ray. As our cast lounges on the beach, you'll swear you can feel the warmth of the strong Hawaiian sun beating down on you too.
Details are always sharp and extremely defined. Even when the camera appears to be placed at a distance, you can still make out all objects with perfect clarity. If Clooney moves closer to the camera and the operator has to rack focus, we can still see his peppered stubble as clear as if he was standing still. When we meet Troy, the reckless driver of the speed boat that cause Liz's accident, we can see the fine details of his hydrogen peroxide blonde hair and the texture of his leathered alligator skin.
Fleshtones are warm and lifelike. Black levels are inky and rich. Bands, artifacts and noise aren't a problem and Fox's transfer is so clean and clear that there was no need for edge enhancement or DNR. There are, however, three small instances of aliasing – once in the hair on the back of Clooney's head, once on Lillard's plaid shirt from a distance and once in the wall-mounted hospital equipment in Liz's ICU room. Aside from these three tiny flaws, this picture quality is perfect.
The Audio: Rating the Sound
From the very opening as the drums kick off the Searchlight vanity reel, the strength of this 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track is evident. Aside from lulls here and there, the audio is also downright fantastic.
The film begins with a short dialog-less clip of Liz sitting on the back of a speeding boat that's popping up and down on the choppy waters of some Hawaiian harbor. With each rise and fall, you can her the motor working hard, then letting up. You can hear the water splash each time the boat sinks back into the water. Combine the perfectly mixed traditional music with these dynamic effects and the video quality, and you're really aching for an impromptu Hawaii vacation.
Following the credits is a voice-over narration by Clooney explaining how, from the viewpoint of someone who lives there, Hawaii isn't quite the paradise that mainlanders think it is. During his voice-over, Clooney's voice is clear and bold. The bass of it resonates deeply. In fact, anyone with a low tones in their voices also possess this strong characteristic.
The environmental ambient sounds from the film can always be heard. If we're outdoors, we can heard the gulls cawing, waves crashing, the ocean wind blowing through the trees and dogs barking in the distance. When in the hospital, we hear the pumps and machines breathing for Liz and the nurse chatter in the hallways. All of these sounds and more emit from all channels. The only problem with the mix are a few occasions of downtime where nothing seems to be happening at all. For example, one location near the shore warranted lots of sounds during the daytime shots, yet during the nighttime shots when the beach cannot be seen at that same location, we hear nothing. Luckily, these instances are rare. |
Kal
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