kal
Forum Administrator
Joined: 06 Mar 2006
Posts: 18114
Location: Ottawa, Canada
TV/Projector: JVC DLA-NZ7
|
| Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 6:58 pm Post subject: Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters [Blu-ray] |
|
|
Another reference disc!
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (Unrated Cut) (Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy + UltraViolet) (2012)
(Hover over link for price, click to purchase and support our forum at no extra cost to you)
| Quote: | 'Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters' isn't the best re-imagining of a classic tale, but it's a hell of lot more fun, memorable and likable than most of the others. It not only adds wit and charm to the playfully violent twist of the Brothers Grimm story, but it's absolutely entertaining. After making five times its production budget at the worldwide box office, Paramount has already green-lit a sequel. The only way to view the theatrical cut in high-def is by owning the 3D Blu-ray. This 2D Blu-ray only contains the new unrated cut which features 10 additional minutes of footage spread throughout the film. The video quality is near-perfect, with the lossless audio quality being a superb five-star 5.1 Dolby TrueHD mix. While I prefer the 3D Blu-ray release over the 2D one, if 2D is the only option, I still recommend 'Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters.'
The Video: Sizing Up the Picture
Paramount has given 'Hansel & Gretel' a very strong, near-perfect 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer that expands the film from its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio to 2.39:1.
The video quality is crisp and always clean. Noise, bands and all other flaws are completely absent. Facial features are highly defined, showing off both the detailed textures of our heroes' faces and the cracked and deathly features of the witches' faces. Black levels are solid and consistently deep. Colors are just as vibrant as they should be – especially the reds that light up the sky during the blood moon. Explosive fires roar with great colorization amidst the natural and muted colors of the dark ages. Fleshtones are natural and spot-on for the "living" folks; the witches with somewhat normal faces carry a dead pale look.
The only fault that I could find in 'Hansel & Gretel' was a minor amount of aliasing with the tiny spider web wires that makes up a tree-to-tree witch trap. This flaw is present in both the 3D and 2D presentations, so don't feel like you're being ripped off for not owning the 3D version.
The Audio: Rating the Sound
'Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters' features an always-active 5.1 Dolby TrueHD audio track. Be prepared to have all channels constantly lit up with unique sound.
I was impressed by the overall volume of this mix. Even during the downtime, scenes where we watch characters safely wander through forests, effects are constantly emitting from all around the room. Imagine the most amount of wildlife that you've ever heard at once, then triple it. Woodpeckers, chirping and fluttering birds, wind blowing through tree limbs – that's what you're hearing non-stop in even the most calm moments of 'Hansel & Gretel,' making the action-packed and tense moments even more exciting, loud and thrilling.
The bassy and dynamic effects of cottages exploding, fire crackling and creatures roaring sound fantastic. A few of the action moments contain would-be graphic violence where the action takes place off-screen (these were probably the instances planned for the now-non-existent PG-13 cut of the film), but the horrific and disgusting sounds that blare from the speakers paint a bloody picture in your mind of what you would be seeing had the action taken place in the frame. (Don't worry – there's still a lot more bloody violence than just these PG-13 moments.)
The vocal levels perfectly blend with all of the other sounds. The clarity is perfect and never trumped by the scoring - which occasionally consists of distorted electric guitars chomping away with power chords. As loud as the overall mix may get, the music, effects and vocals always work harmoniously with one another. |
Kal
_________________
Support our site by using our affiliate links. We thank you!
My basement/HT/bar/brewery build 2.0
|
|
