kal
Forum Administrator
Joined: 06 Mar 2006
Posts: 18114
Location: Ottawa, Canada
TV/Projector: JVC DLA-NZ7
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| Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 4:50 pm Post subject: Iron Man 3 [Blu-ray] |
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Another reference disc!
Iron Man 3 (Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack) (2013)
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| Quote: | Thanks to a series of smart and subversive choices by the filmmakers, 'Iron Man 3' is a character-based thriller that harkens back to the 90s action movies where co-writer/director Shane Black came of age. Not only is it a fun blockbuster, but the picture and audio are outstanding. The special features are a little light, but otherwise this is a nice package. Recommended.
The Video: Sizing Up the Picture
'Iron Man Three' blasts onto Blu-ray with an ever-just-so-shy of perfect MPEG 4 AVC transfer, framed at the film's original 2.40:1 aspect ratio.
As we expect from modern, digitally shot blockbusters, 'Iron Man 3' excels at resolution and fine details. Everything is sharp and crisp and in focus, even things in darker areas of the frame. The film's color palette ranges from golden sunsets to cool winter exteriors to lush and vibrant tropical Miami; all render well. Skin tones are even. Visual Effects integration is seamless.
The only minor (minor!) flaws are a couple quick moments of banding in night, or underwater shots, and some slightly gray black levels. Blink and you miss it type stuff. If HDD gave out 4.75 or 4.90 star ratings, I would score 'IM3' thusly.
Overall 'Iron Man 3' is a fantastic high definition presentation that is, for 99.9 percent of the time, clearly demo material.
The Audio: Rating the Sound
The only thing better than the video on 'Iron Man 3', is the highly detailed 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack.
To be fair, I do have one huge complaint, though I can't knock off any points for this. You see, I was extremely lucky, thanks to my work here at HDD, to see 'Iron Man 3' at the very same ToddAO mixing stage in Hollywood where the filmmakers mixed the film in Dolby ATMOS. Meaning, I experienced 'IM3' in one of the world's best sounding cinemas in something like 42.4 surround sound -- complete with subwoofers bigger than my couch at home and the dual overhead arrays.
I say all of that not to brag (again, just lucky), but to point out there's no way my 7.1 home system can compete with my new favorite theatrical sound format...
But it's damn close.
I'm not sure if they went in and did a near-field or home cinema specific mix, but 'Iron Man 3' is a reference quality surround experience. Sure, there's all the stuff you'd expect from an Iron Man movie -- thunderous and robust and deep LFE, extremely articulate panning effects, and extreme rear channel activity during the action sequences. But the filmmakers are very smart to not overuse the mix. There are plenty of quiet moments in the film -- even in the normally deafening action sequences -- which really highlight the track's clarity and precision. You can hear wind in the trees outside, or even little pieces of glass pinging around the room. And Brian Tyler's excellent music really shines.
So, while it may not compare to the theatrical Atmos mix, this 7.1 home cinema mix is a stunner all around. No complaints.
In addition to English 7.1 DTS-HD MA, audio options include English 2.0 Descriptive Video Service, Francais 7.1 DTS-HD High Resolution, and Espanol 5.1 Dolby Digital. |
Kal
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