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There Be Dragons (Blu-ray)
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray B - United Kingdom - G2 Pictures Review written by and copyright: Samuel Scott (20th October 2013). |
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The Film
 ***This is a technical review only. For reviews on the movie from various critics, we recommend visiting HERE.*** There Be Dragons is an epic drama set during the Spanish Civil War from director Roland Joffe (The Mission, The Killing Fields). The story traces the lives of two men, childhood friends who become separated by the political upheaval of pre-war Spain only to find themselves on opposite sides when the war erupts. Jose (Charlie Cox - Stardust, The Merchant of Venice) becomes a priest, founding the Opus Dei movement, Manolo (Wes Bentley - American Beauty, Ghost Rider) chooses war, becoming a spy for the fascists. As both personal and national battles rage, the characters' lives collide and their deepest struggles are illuminated through the fateful choices they make. Also starring Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace, Max Payne), Dougray Scott (Mission: Impossible 2, Hitman), Rodrigo Santoro (300, Love Actually), Lily Cole (St. Trinians) and Derek Jacobi (The King's Speech, Gladiator).
Video
G2 Pictures have released There Be Dragons onto Blu-ray for British audiences in the original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 using an AVC MPEG-4 codec. Unfortunately, the transfer is 1080i/50 and although that isn't exactly a surprise from G2, it is a let down. Generally, the picture quality throughout the entirety of the feature is pretty good, with nothing to complain about, but there are one or two niggling problems. The first, there is quite a bit of aliasing going on, especially during the faster panning shots. Annoyingly, it is quite noticeable and sometimes even distracting. Secondly, there was a bit of crushing every now and again due to the blacks not being quite as deep as they perhaps should be. Detail is strong for the duration, especially facial close-ups and clothing. Shadow detail lacks depth and clarity on occasion, but is generally okay. Skintones appear accurate and contrast levels good. There were no compression issues that I could see and there was no damage to the print itself by way of dirt or scratches. The disc is a BD25 and the feature runs 116:59.
Audio
Just a single audio option here: - English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 This audio track is easily the strongest part of this Blu-ray, featuring above average depth and clarity. The surrounds are usually used to quite subtle effect, such as the echoes of a large open room, or general chatter of surrounding environments. However, they certainly kick it up a notch when the occasion calls for it. During battle scenes, the surrounds and LFE are quite enthusiastic, with explosions and gunshots ringing out in all directions. Separation and directionality is good throughout and volume levels are consistent. Dialogue was clear at all times, and I noticed no dropouts, scratches or background hiss. No subtitles have been included.
Extras
Start-up Trailers: - "Fortress of War" (1:13) - "Hybrid 3D" (2:06) - "Swinging with the Finkels" (1:36) Theatrical Trailer (2:04)
Overall
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