Before I begin (no pun intended), I need a quick moment to reflect upon a disclaimer I need to make. If it were not for on-screen onslaught of The Dark Knight, I don’t think I would have given Batman Begins the much needed respect and appreciation it deserves. I think I need to be brutally honest here for a moment. Batman Begins is an origin story so if you have not seen it, do not go in with the expectations that it is going to be one of the greatest high-adrenaline action movies you have ever seen because you will be greatly disappointed. Instead, you need to appreciate the movie for what it really is. What is that, you might ask? It is a slick vehicle to introduce to the world who the Batman really is.

Batman is not just a man in a masked costume going around fighting loud and ludicrous villains. Batman is a human being just like any of us and suffers from some of the same fears and desperations that plague the lives of all ordinary people. When you strip the Batman character down to bare bones you realize that he is simply a man driven by a fear that severely haunts him and his only way of escaping that binding fear, to fight crime and injustice, is by sharing it with his enemies. How does one do that? You do that by becoming a symbol…by becoming more than just a man. This is the psychological journey we are treated to and undertake in Batman Begins.

Don’t think of this as simply another comic book movie, but instead treat it like you would any good psychological thriller. There is always an underlying reason for a man’s actions, which ultimately defines who he is. In hindsight, we finally get to walk on the red carpet by seeing what exactly makes Bruce Wayne tick. We get to witness what drives him into becoming the only hope that Gotham City has. Gotham City needs to be saved from the underworld clutches of the world’s most dangerous villains and criminals. This ladies and gentleman, is the story of Batman Begins.

Film  

The film opens with eight-year old Bruce Wayne having accidentally just fallen into a cave while playing with his best friend, Rachel Dawes. Helpless and injured young Bruce Wayne has a frightful yet fateful encounter with bats. He grows more fearful of bats every passing day as his nightmares haunt him and extinguish his sleep. Then came the dark night (again no pun intended) that changed young Bruce’s life forever. While attending an opera with his parents, Bruce becomes frightened at the actors portraying bats. Cognitive of Bruce’s frightened state, his parents agree to take him home. Outside the opera house, Bruce’s parents are robbed and shot down in cold blood by a thug named Joe Chill. Having witnessed this seditious and tragic act of violence, Bruce blames himself for his parents’ untimely demise.

Many years go by as a more mature Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) returns home to Wayne Manor from Princeton University, with intent to kill Joe Chill who is being arraigned for a possible early release. His childhood friend, Rachel Dawes (Katie Holmes), who is now an attorney herself, accompanies him to the trial. Before Bruce can act on his plan of revenge, an unidentified woman kills Joe Chill for the crime lord Carmine Falcone (Tom Wilkinson). Angered and feeling cheated that he did not get to complete his act of selfish vengeance, Bruce Wayne decides to confront Carmine Falcone. This is where one of my favorite lines of the movie comes to fruition. Carmine Falcone lectures Bruce that he does not understand the nature of crime and that he should be thankful that he killed his parent’s murderer. The most memeorable line comes when Carmine starts pointing out all the lawyers, cops and politicians in the restaurant they are in and how he could fire his gun upon Bruce Wayne without hesitation or anyone questioning the act of him doing so. He tells Bruce that this is power you just cannot buy. I may have mixed some words around but I think you get the point. This is serious stuff here people!

Bruce, at this point, is just disgusted at the injustice and current state of Gotham City ruled by corrupt politicians, police officers and criminal organizations. He decides to travel the world to understand the criminal mind. He learns what its like to live without money and to steal just to feed and clothe himself over a seven-year length of time. Ultimately, he ends up imprisoned and meets Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson). Ducard invites Bruce to train and eventually join the extremist vigilante group, the League of Shadows led by Ra’s al Ghul, dedicated to ridding the world of criminal activity and declining civilizations. During his rigorous martial arts and mental training sessions with Ducard and the members of the League of Shadows, Bruce learns to embrace his fear of bats by utilizing it to fight crime and putting fear into the wrongdoers he intends to stop. The final test comes when Bruce is ordered to execute a criminal and he must decide between what he feels is the right and what is the wrong kind of justice. Upon being ordered to carry out the execution of this prisoner, Bruce finally realizes that the League’s conflicting extremist views do not align with what he feels justice truly should be. As a result, he ends up burning down the temple and defeating Ra’s al Ghul…so he thinks. I told you this film was deep, didn’t I?

Back in Gotham City, things are worse than ever. Gotham City is now pretty much under the corruption and control of Falcone. Bruce Wayne declares war against the corruption that infiltrates Gotham City. Bruce returns back to the loving care and guidance of his family’s trusted butler, Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine), who has taking care and presiding over all of Bruce’s affairs while he has been gone. Bruce manages to re-establish his connections to his father’s company, Wayne Enterprises, which is about to go public. It is there that he is introduced to a former board member, Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), who now heads the research and development department. Secretly, Bruce uses Lucius’ knowledge and gadgets to acquire not only suit armor and weaponry, but also the Tumbler, a prototype armored car, which will replace what legacy Batman fans always refer to as the Batmobile. Back at Wayne Manor, with the help of Alfred, Bruce constructs the Batcave and ultimately his alter ego…the Batman. When asked why bats, Bruce responds because he is afraid of them and wants his opponents to share in that fear. The rest ladies and gentlemen…is what they call history. I hope I have given you enough to whet your appetite for what will eventually become a baptism by fire for the Batman as he ventures out to rid Gotham City of corruption and spread his own kind of justice. Of course you can expect a few major villains to go bump in the night and try to foil the Dark Knight’s crusade to save Gotham City. Who will ultimately prevail? I guess you will need to watch and find out because the path through Batman Begins only leads to bigger and better things…The Dark Knight.

Batman Begins ultimately became a critical and commercial success. The film eventually grossed more than $370 million worldwide. While not really being a big fan of Chris Nolan’s prior films, I was somewhat judgmental when I heard he was helming the reboot of the Batman franchise. I personally felt it was way too soon after the failure of the last Batman movie in 1997. I now hang my head in embarrassment and admit how truly wrong I was. Chris Nolan not only resurrected the Batman franchise but has also paved a trend for many more superhero movies to follow. If you keep up with entertainment and movie news like I do, then you will know what I am talking about. Just about every news article I read about future superhero movies talk about how the producers and writers are taking cues from Christopher Nolan’s darker version of Batman. Let’s face it…there has to be a serious issue or deep underlying reason why a person wants to become a superhero and Christopher Nolan explores and dissects this theory by making the audience not only care for the Batman but also for his alter identity, Bruce Wayne. Now if that is not deeply psychologically rooted, then I don’t know what is. This is not a film for the kiddies. They just won’t understand the psychosis of everything involved. Like I said before, the journey that Christopher Nolan has created only gets better as you going along.

Video  

Warner Bros. brings us a video transfer with a 1080P VC-1 video encode and a 2.40:1 widescreen aspect ratio. Unfortunately, here is where I start to digress and take the journey down the road of complaints. While the Blu-ray video transfer is leaps and bounds above the DVD release, it is nowhere close to the reference quality video many current Blu-ray discs portray. There are no problems with the resolution but throughout the entire feature, the colors seem somewhat muted and the image never has that three-dimensional pop that many of today’s Blu-rays exhibit. Some of the shots do look good but the majority of the film is very soft and almost feels as if it has a filter overlaid on top of the image because it almost never seems sharp. The flesh tones all seemed a bit pale to me as well. The good news is that grain is at an absolute minimum for a movie that is mostly dark and filmed in the shadows. While this Blu-ray release may not be of reference quality video, this is definitely the finest High-Definition presentation of Batman Begins that is available and is truly a delicacy for die-hard fans.

Audio  

Like the video, it appears that Warner Bros. has also ported over the audio from the HD DVD release. The audio track of choice here is a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround mix. I have read and heard many conflicting reviews regarding the audio track of the Batman Begins Blu-ray disc. Some people say it is status quo and some same it is reference quality throughout. I fall somewhere in between those two points of view. While I feel the audio definitely has its moments, I would not be inclined to showcase this as a reference audio track. The dialogue is always clear and intelligible throughout the feature. The famous Hans Zimmer also treats us to another fine musical score. The low-end bass is superb during all the action scenes but I just can’t shake the feeling that the rest of the movie just sounds flat during non-action sequences to me. The Dolby TrueHD surround track sounds exactly like the audio track on the HD DVD release of Batman Begins. While the audio track here is nothing to sneer at, I just feel certain dynamics could have been fleshed out a bit more and improved upon.

Special Features  

If there was ever a reason for me to own the Blu-ray release of Batman Begins when I already own it on HD DVD, it was for the six heavenly minutes of The Dark Knight IMAX prologue footage. This is the “Holy Grail” of the Blu-ray release and makes the price of admission and owning the Batman Begins Blu-ray well worth it, even if you own it on two other different formats like myself. The Blu-ray release of Batman Begins was purposely released a week before the theatrical release of The Dark Knight and for many fans it was their first glimpse of the Oscar-worthy performance of Heath Ledger as the Joker. This is the first time in a long time in which I am excited about the extras. As a side note, just about every extra from the past HD DVD and DVD releases are included here. The only disappointing thing is that every special feature is in Standard Definition with the exception of the IMAX prologue and theatrical trailer.

The following are the full technical specs as published on the back of the Blu-ray cover art:

In-Movie Experience – (HD) This is the Picture-in-Picture track that delayed the Blu-ray release until the Profile 1.1 was finalized. This is basically a visual commentary with director Christopher Nolan and is joined by the main cast and production crewmembers through a variety of behind-the-scenes footage.

The Dark Knight IMAX Prologue – (HD) This is the entire first 6-minutes of the opening sequence. It is presented in pristine 1080P with a 1.80:1 aspect ratio. This sequence is reference quality and worth every penny.

Tankman Begins – (SD) This is a funny short skit created for the 2005 MTV Movie Awards.

Batman – The Journey Begins – (SD) This is a short 14-minute documentary on the casting process.

Shaping Mind and Body – (SD) This is a 13-minute documentary that shows the training that Christian Bale undertook for the role.

Gotham City Rises – (SD) This is a 13-minute look at the production team tasked with building the various Gotham City locations.

Cape and Cowl – (SD) This is an 8-minute look at the creation of the new Batsuit.

Batman – The Tumbler – (SD) Here is a 14-minute documentary about the creation and concepts of the new Batmobile.

Path to Discovery – (SD) This is a 14-minute look at the challenges the production crew faced in cold climate of Iceland.

Saving Gotham City – (SD) This is a 13-minute tribute to the filming of the action scenes and how they tried to use as little CGI as possible.

Genesis of the Bat – (SD) We get a 15-minute explanation from director Christopher Nolan and screenwriter David S. Goyer on how the film was conceived.

Still Gallery (SD) – The still gallery contains a collection of various advertising concepts for the film’s marketing around the world.

Theatrical Trailer – (HD) Don’t let this title fool you. This is only the teaser trailer and not the full theatrical trailer.

Reflections on Writing Batman Begins – (SD) David S. Goyer speaks to his experience in writing the screenplay and how he got inspired.  This 2-minute feature is not overly valuable, but worth a quick watch.

Digital Batman – (SD) This 1-minute feature shows how digital images of batman were more believable then the live batman.  Side-by-side comparisons are used.  Rather a dull extra, but somewhat interesting none-the-less.

Batman Begins Stunts – (SD) This 2.5-minute poor quality extra features shots of how a number of stunts were pulled off during the filming of the movie.  No need to waste your time here.

Final Thoughts  

I guess one of the reasons I initially dismissed Batman Begins upon my first viewing in the theatre, was mainly for a lack of action that I was expecting rather than the psychological story I got. I can only figure that I must have got so numb from the previous Batman franchise that I was not expecting to have to do so much thinking. I was so use to the flashy and flamboyant villains that I did not know what to make of Batman Begins. I don’t want to be misunderstood. In no way did I think that Batman Begins was a bad movie. I just thought it was really different than what I was expecting to see and was amazed at how many fan boys came out of nowhere as a result of the darker Batman story. Then the month of July 2008 came around and my life changed forever. My initial viewing of The Dark Knight made Batman Begins mean so much more to me. I finally saw what I was missing all along in Batman Begins. The audience gets to dive head-first into the psychosis thinking of what is going through Bruce Wayne’s mind as we experience first hand his motivation, training and drive that culminated him into our favorite crime fighter…the Batman. What makes Batman unique is that under the mask and costume, Bruce Wayne is just an ordinary man with no superhuman powers except the ability to free his mind of any fear and devote himself to a higher mission in life…saving the lives of others. Batman is more than a man. He is a symbol. He is a symbol that criminals should fear. He uses this fear to clean up the streets of Gotham City. How brilliant is that?

If you are a Batman fan, then this is a no-brainer. I highly recommend the purchase of Batman Begins Steelbook on Blu-ray. But get it before it is gone… this is a Limited Edition release!

So it was with this “lowered” set of expectations that I viewed Ponyo.   

Film

Although Hayao Miyazaki first came to prominence in North America after Spirited Away won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2002, he had been making wonderful family movies for almost two decades.  Some of his most cherished movies are My Neighbor Totoro, Castle in the Sky, and Kiki’s Delivery Service.  For the more mature audiences, there was also the superb anime Princess Mononoke.  Regardless, Miyazaki movies are constant favourites with the official children of this writer, and the writer himself.

The plot of Ponyo is fairly straightforward – it is an adaptation of the Hans Christian Anderson tale of The Little Mermaid.  However, there is zero (and I mean zero) resemblance between this movie and Walt Disney’s The Little Mermaid. 

Ponyo is a five-ish year old girl, and the love between her and her human “prince” (just a regular 5-year old boy, Sosuke) is the pure and clear love of childhood.  When she’s not a girl, she is a fish, or something in between a fish and girl.

Her desire to be with Sosuke (and to eat ham) is very problematic however.  Her being out of the ocean has caused an imbalance in nature, something that greatly concerns her father, Fujimoto (well voiced by Liam Neeson).  Fujimoto also has other plans, including bringing back prehistoric fish, and wiping humans off the face of the Earth due to the damage they have caused to the ocean.

Ponyo’s escape from her father, her use of her magic, and her desire to turn human causes all sorts of catastrophe, including flooding and pulling the moon too close to the Earth.  This puts Sosuke, his Mother (Lisa, wryly voiced by Tina Fey), and residents of a retirement home into danger.  However, Ponyo’s mother (who only happens to be a sea goddess) has a solution that will solve all these issues, but only at great risk to Ponyo herself.

Two elements that are always prominent in a Miyazaki movie are the quality of the animation, and the imagination that goes into the composition of each scene.  In Ponyo, these elements were again at the fore, though in a different way than what I’ve seen in past movies.

In past Miyazaki movies, the backgrounds have always looked like a painting, with the attention to detail and brushstrokes necessary to make it so.  However, the backgrounds in Ponyo were more varied, with some reminding me of pastels on textured paper – almost impressionistic.  Based on the lightness and rich color palette of the move, these were appropriate, and still visibly demonstrated the master’s attention to detail.

The imagination of the characters and the ocean scenes was nothing short of stunning.  During Ponyo’s escape, the ocean boils with life, with waves being composed of fish that form and crash with every swell.  And on top of these waves runs the smiling little girl, Ponyo.  This is absolutely joyous to watch.  Even things as simple as the path Lisa uses to drive to work are fully imagined, as are the eerily familiar ladies she cares for at her retirement home.

In his adaptation of an old tale, Miyazaki has made something old new again, and has done so through the beauty and imagination of the artists at Studio Ghibli.  How good can a movie be?  Let’s just say that after watching the movie, one immediately wants to watch it again to see what they may have missed.  And yet again, Miyazaki has delivered an intelligent, whimsical, and touching movie that parents and children can enjoy together.

Video

This disk is now my reference for hand drawn animation.  Its color is rich and pops out of the clean lines of the drawings, yet avoids any tendency to be over-saturated.  At no point were any jaggies, pixilation, artifacting, or noise to be seen.  The transfer can be described in one word – perfect. 

Color transitions smoothly from frame to frame, with no hints of any shading or coloring diffculties.  All animations are smooth, and flow beautifully with no jump, skip, or jiggle.  Basic colors such as blue, green and red are used generously, giving everything a lush vibrancy. 

Each and every scene is like looking at a painting, and the high quality of Blu-ray truly allows this to shine through.  Simply put, this is one of the best presentations I have ever seen on Blu-ray, as all 1080 lines are full of the beautiful artistry of Studio Ghibli.

Audio

When watching Ponyo, I was so enveloped in the movie that I did not notice where the sound is coming from, nor was I distracted by any one sound.  Faithful reader, this means that the mix is just about perfect.

Dynamic levels were excellent, speech was clear and intelligible (even considering the large variety of voices on the soundtrack), and the surround channels were used judiciously.  When necessary, the subwoofer rumbled with the necessary ambient sounds, but at no point was anything over loud or discordant.  When creating the DTS-MA audio dub for the English release of this movie, Disney took an obvious amount of care in its design.

A special “attaboy” also goes to Disney for their ability to sync the English words with the mouth movements of characters originally animated to speak Japanese.  Out of curiosity, I watched the first thirty minutes of the movie in Japanese with English subtitles, and was impressed how well the words were translated for the English dub.  To do this at the level it was done was impressive.

The voice cast assembled was also stellar.  In addition to Fey and Neeson, Noah Cyrus and Frankie Jonas (yes, there’s another one) are great as Ponyo and Sosuke.  Lily Tomlin, Cloris Leachman, and Betty White provide appropriate comedy relief as seniors in the retirement home where Lisa works.  Even smaller characters receive the star treatment, with the ever-lovely Cate Blanchett providing the voice for Ponyo’s Mom, and Matt Damon providing the voice for Sosuke’s father.  Each actor is mixed appropriately, and each brings a quality performance to the movie.

Special Features

There is no such thing as a perfect disk, and the special features here were good.  However, some navigation and other issues keep these from being a great set.

Firstly, the features are all in HD, something that already makes these a step above features found on many other disks. 

Some of the features are a little lightweight, like “Meet Ponyo”, the “Ghibli Worlds Preview”, and the ever-present Disney sneak peeks.  Oddly enough, I had to watch the Toy Story 3 trailer four or five times as I was blown away by how good this movie will look.  For fans of animation, there is also an option to watch the movie with its original storyboards (PIP) – an excellent viewing for those who love the creative process that goes into animation. 

Most of the meat in the features was contained in two submenus, these being “The World of Ghibli – Behind the Studio” and “The World of Ghibli – Enter the Lands”.  The “Behind the Studio” menu has a nice set of quality “behind the scenes” featurettes, including the strangely entertaining Japanese trailers.  Plus, one featurette highlights the excellent score, a well-deserved featurette considering how well this movie was scored.  Please note that even though these features are good, they’re all rather short.

However, the “Enter the Lands” menu is very poor.  Only some of the Ghibli movies are clickable, and with no instructions, its navigation can quickly become frustrating (“Why can’t I click on Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away!  Why!  Arghhh!”).  Even though this is really a limited interaction area, it could have been used in a much more judicious and logical way to introduce newcomers to Studio Ghibli’s excellent catalog.   

Final Thoughts

Do you like animation?  Go buy this.  Do you have children between the ages of 3 and 40?  Go buy this.  Do you get disappointed with your expensive TV, stereo, and Blu-ray player because disks you’ve bought don’t really give you an improvement over DVD?  Go buy this.

I don’t really know what else I can say. Ponyo is a charming, whimsical and touching movie that would appeal to viewers of any age.  It has a flawless audio and video presentation; it is a work of art contained on a Blu-ray.

And while at the store buying this, I’d also recommend picking up DVDs of Spirited Away, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and My Neighbor Totoro.  After viewing Ponyo, it is almost inevitable that you will be returning to buy these too. 

As a general rule of thumb, movies based on video games tend to well, lets say, not quite meet expectations. Although there are exceptions to the rule (like Pokémon, or Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within), for each good movie there is three or four bad ones (like Street Fighter or Super Mario Brothers).

This being said, a quick read of the cover jacket piqued my interest, as this Blu-ray was a compilation of seven stories told through eight anime shorts. As a lover of anime, I find that the art form (when done well) has both emotional and aesthetic resonance that stays with the viewer days afterward.

Therefore, I optimistically sat down to view this Blu-ray with an eager air of anticipation – even though it was based on a video game, I knew there was an opportunity to enjoy the work of at least seven different anime directors.

Film 

There is always some difficulty in reviewing anime, as I do find the animation art form we are raised with in North America affecting our frame of reference. As we are conditioned to enjoy Chuck Jones-style slapstick or Scooby-Doo stupidity, I have often felt there are many levels to anime films that the North American viewer fails to appreciate.

As a Halo neophyte, I found the order of the shorts and the information provided to be more than adequate to understand the stories. However, I should caution that this is from the perspective of an experienced anime viewer – I am used to not having everything explained in detail to me. For someone who has not watched anime, or is unfamiliar with Halo, they may find some of the shorts challenging to enjoy, as they’re too distracted trying to understand what they are about. For this segment of the population, an advance visit to the Special Features before watching the shorts is advised.

I can thankfully report that this Blu-ray covers the anime waterfront – from linear and traditional (Origins, Part I and II), to incredibly stylistic and emotionally powerful (The Duel), to heavy and self-reflective (Homecoming), to mecha (Prototype), to action (The Babysitter), and to humor (Odd One Out). Even the viewer who is inexperienced with anime should find something to like here. The only short that seemed really out of place on the Blu-ray was the CGI-rendered “The Package”, which was more like Star Wars I through III, and less like traditional anime.

A very powerful theme that runs through the best anime is that of redemption – that a flawed character is eventually redeemed through making amends, self-sacrifice, a redemptive act, self-awareness, or choosing not to engage in an act. Of the eight shorts, redemption was at the fore in four, and was considered in two others. This gave the Blu-ray a credibility and weight far superior to what it should have from the source material.

Overall, this disc was very well done. If asked to pick favourites, “Odd One Out” appeared at a great time on the disc, adding a needed levity after some heavier segments. “The Babysitter”, “Homecoming”, and “Prototype” were also equally well done, and fit very well into a traditional anime mold. However, special praise is reserved for “The Duel”, a short that is stylistically unlike anything I’ve seen previously.

In “The Duel”, each scene looked like a shifting watercolor painted by a master like Renoir: sharp enough to suggest the scene, diffuse enough to allow your mind to add the details, yet having one fine detail at all times (like eyes) that jars and focuses the viewer. It has to be seen to be understood; my words do not do it justice. On top of this visceral beauty, the story dealt with strong concepts such as honor, power, loyalty, belief, murder, and revenge, very impressive in a short this length.

All in all, this was a very entertaining disc. Although the Spartans (of which Master Chief is one) and their war are what tie this movie together, the variety of settings, character perspectives, and anime styles are what make the disc such a treat.

Video 

As can be expected from any animated picture, the transfer was incredibly clean and sharp. Colors popped off the screen, yet tones were not lost, especially important when the color itself was being used to convey emotion. This is especially noted at the beginning of “Prototype” (when tones are used to set a somber mood) and when the Spartan returns home in the middle of “Homecoming” (the bright clear sky and fountain convey joy in a way words cannot).

It is difficult to nit-pick this Blu-ray, as the video is superb and smooth, with no artifacting, black crush, or noise to be seen. The only challenge is that with such different art styles and directorial visions, there would have been some compromise in color balancing the disk. This shows up in a few of the paler shorts, mainly “Origins I” and “The Babysitter”.

Although this is not a reference disk (like Wall-E), it is very, very close, and looks superb.

Audio 

As mentioned in the Video section, there can be a challenge when bringing together eight different shorts, yet getting them sonically balanced. The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack of this Blu-ray did a surprisingly admirable job of doing so.

Dynamic levels were exceptionally good (considering the variety of anime presented), and dialog came through crisp and clear. Combat scenes had thump and power, shell casings landed all around the viewer, and surround channels were used regularly and appropriately. For DD 5.1, it was one of the best I’ve heard, and better than some True HD mixes.

My only complaint is the presence and mixing of the score. Much of the music is beautifully composed, and adds to the mood and atmosphere of the disc. However, there is too much of a good thing at times – the score can occasionally be invasive through the rear channels in some segments, and there is simply too much of it.

One of the things I appreciate about anime is that there does not always need to be a constant cacophony of dialog, music, and action noises. Some of the best scenes in may favourite anime are where there is silent and contemplative reflection (anathema to the Hollywood studio). Think of the trolley scene in Spirited Away or the train station scene with Shinji and Misato near the end of episode four of Neon Genesis Evangelion – there is a beauty to these scenes that North American studios would mangle.

Special Features 

It is a special disk which contains shorts that are so memorable, you’d rather watch them a few times more before reviewing the special features. But, the features must be reviewed. Such is my duty as your humble reviewer.

As a non-Halo fan, I did not find the commentaries really that interesting, and I’m confident enthusiasts will get more out of these than I did. Although discussions of the styles of the different directors were good, it was simply not enough to keep me interested.

For the same reasons, I did not find the “Gaming Evolved” featurette all that interesting either. Presented in 1080i, at least its presentation and run time was good, and would be a walk down memory lane for the itchy-fingered masses.

“The Story so Far” was an interesting featurette, and would be a good starting place for the Halo uninitiated to start. It explains a lot of the back stories (again in 1080i), and would be perfect for the person who needs to know everything about what they are watching. Again, I do not have issues with the partial-plot nature of anime, and found I enjoyed the shorts better by knowing less. However, this was a very good offering, and I could see how it would be appreciated by others.

To me, the cherry on the sundae was the almost hour-long “Making of” featurette which actually dissects each one of the shorts. This is one of those great “behind the scenes” features that allow you to understand the craft better. Recorded in 1080i, this is fully worth the time invested.

I was glad to see that Warner Brothers went the quality route with their featurettes on this Blu-ray. Although not all were to my tastes, my score for these reflects more the overall value that others (especially the neophyte) will likely get from this package.

Final Thoughts

Although apprehensive before viewing the movie, I was actually rewarded with a nicely crafted “variety pack” of anime. Through emotive storytelling and beautiful video/audio presentation, this disc surprised me with the depth, comprehensibility, and emotion of its stories. Even though the material was a bit uneven, there was much more good than bad on this disc. And when it was good, it was really good.

I would fully recommend this movie to those who appreciate anime, and to those who appreciate animation as an art form. Even those who aren’t anime or Halo fans are presented with quality special features that would allow them to fully enjoy the shorts.

In my experience, it is rare to be able to sample such a great variety of anime on one disk, especially one with such a high quality presentation. Highly recommended.

Film

I was surprised to see that this film was two hours long.  It’s not common for a cartoon film to have such a lengthy runtime.  In addition, with the CGI it has, it leads one to believe The Sky Crawlers took quite a long time to make.  Normally, this is where I introduce the characters, but there’s one small problem.  I don’t know how to spell their names and the credits were in Japanese.  In addition, this movie does so little to establish character development that you will find yourself not caring one way or the other about these kids.

Yes, they are in fact kids, known as Kildren, that don’t grow up in a physical sense.  They reach an appearance of a teenager and can live forever, free from the grasp of death’s natural causes.  As such, they are recruited to serve as pilots in a corporate air battle.  You won’t find any warring governments here.  This is a blue-collar battle of white-collar interests.  Rostock versus Lautern.  Those are the warring factions, battling for air supremacy over a fictional Europe with prop planes.  Gee guys, where I come from, corporations just drop their prices to rule the day.

The immediate goal of these Rostock pilots seems to be the demise of the “Teacher.”  This is a somewhat unidentified adult who is apparently unstoppable in the air who racks up kill after kill.  More scenes of the “Teacher” in action would have been so much more welcomed over sleep-inducing dialogue.  The CGI of the planes and the dogfight animation is absolutely spectacular.  This is far better than anything Pixar has every brought to the big screen.  You will find yourself wondering if some of the scenes are actual or just incredibly superb computer animation.  The traditional ink animation is standard here and is really nothing to write home about, but it won’t offer any grimaces either.

My biggest complaint is the overabundance of dramatic pauses in this film.  The first thing that came to mind was the old Talk Soup show on the E! channel, specifically its original host, Greg Kinnear.  He would have these hilarious but silent expressions of disbelief.  He retained the key of timing in doing so.  In The Sky Crawlers, there is no sense of expressive timing.  This film is absolutely infested with these breaks in dialogue where a character will be staring directly at the viewer or off into space.  It is ridiculously annoying and shatters the quality of any possible story.  Perhaps if more time was spent on content flow, a more solid delivery could have been established.  Instead, we’ve got teenage top guns pointing pistols at one another hoping for death or sex, which ever is more readily available at the moment.

Video

Coming to us in a magnificent 1080p, 1.78:1 aspect ratio with an AVC encode, The Sky Crawlers truly shines when the film takes to the air.  The colors remain consistently solid throughout the movie’s delivery, but the CGI is the Webster Dictionary definition of ‘perfect.’  I cannot brag enough about how positively satisfying these scenes look.  True, the ink animation has zero grain and no flaws just like its computer-aided counterpart.  However, it certainly loses its spotlight to the realism of the fighter planes.  I will say the two methods gel quite well when you will find one style of animation sharing a scene with the other (i.e. the hand-drawn pilot in his CGI cockpit).  With the exception of the Final Fantasy movie, I have never seen computer animation look so incredibly jaw-dropping.

Audio

If someone asked me to provide them with the finest example of surround sound from a Blu-ray disc, I would have them listen to this film.  There was no audible detail spared when this film was assembled.  I take my hat off to the folks behind this one because you will hear every mechanical aspect of a door knob being turned, released and clicking into place as well as the characters’ shifting weight on a creaky, hardwood floor.  While the dialogue is delivered from the front, the approach of off-screen characters can be heard as their footsteps originate from the rear channels with every gravel-crunching step.

The air battles are just adrenalizing as your subwoofer repeatedly thumps from the rapid fire of the wing-mounted guns.  While laser cannons can look cool on screen, there is just something that old black-powder technology can offer on surround sound that hot plasma can’t.  If you don’t feel like you are part of the action when watching this, please check your pulse and have a phone near by.  The well-versed usage of all speakers and the subwoofer will make you want to throw this disc in again just to hear another air battle.

Special Features

There are four selectable items under The Sky Crawlers extras, not including the BD Live feature, all of which are presented in 1080i.

• Previews – Blu-ray Disc in High Definition!, Dragon Wars, The Da Vinci Code Extended Cut, Passengers, Close Encounters of the Third Kind 30^th Anniversary Edition.
• Animation Research for The Sky Crawlers – This segment follows director Mamoru Oshii and his camera crew around Poland as they get ideas for the cityscape of their film.  While it may not sound all that exciting, it was actually quite intriguing and I found it more entertaining than the movie itself (30:52).
• The Sound Design and Animation of The Sky Crawlers – While this bit features more dialogue with Mamoru Oshii, you’ll also find interviews with the film’s animators and their visit to Skywalker Ranch for some sound implementation in the film (32:16).
• Sky’s the Limit: An Interview with Director Mamoru Oshii – A one-on-one discussion with the director (15:18).

Final Thoughts

There was so much potential for this film.  Unfortunately, its greatest sequence lies in the very beginning before the title credits even roll.  It’s not that I just want action on the screen.  Of course I want a story, but this film lacked both overall and the story is paramount to a film’s delivery.  The only good I can pull out of this film is eclipsed by the slow-moving, often-empty interaction between characters.  What a pity that such a brilliant use of sight and sound is lost on the anemic dialogue.  I switched around the audio to see if that would help.  At first I had the English delivery, which I then switched to Japanese delivery with English subtitles.  From this I discovered that no matter how little of a story there is, it is still universally empty in any language.

Keanu Reeves has come a long way since the days of Bill & Ted. He really came into his own when given the part of Neo in The Matrix. The film Constantine suits him well as the character is very dark, with not too much emotion. This seems to be the type of character he is used to playing in many of his recent films, including the up coming The Day the Earth Stood Still. Constantine is a film full of action, drama and some scares, which is all a good thing and really is a thrill ride kind of a film.

The original write-up of Constantine has been taken from Ryan Keefer’s HD-DVD review from Upcomingdiscs.com, the sister site of Intotheblu.com . His review is in quotes.

“Written by Kevin Brodbin (who came up with the initial story) and directed by Francis Lawrence, who was previously well-reputed as a music video director (think Tarsem or David Fincher maybe), Reeves plays Constantine as a man with a conflict. While others may think that he has a gift in exorcising and deporting demons, he sees it as a burden, a duty he thinks he should get into heaven for. With the help of a grizzled priest (Pruitt Taylor Vince, Nobody’s Fool) and an aspiring apprentice (Shia LaBeouf, IMDB), he plods along through the days and nights, doing his duty while battling an aggressive form of lung cancer which he doesn’t make any better by chain-smoking.Enter Angela (Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener), a police detective whose identical twin named Isabel died in an apparent suicide in a mental hospital. Angela firmly believes that it was not a suicide because of her sister’s spiritual beliefs, and decides to see if Constantine will help. And after some fairly creative rebuffing, he finally tries to figure out what’s going on, and employs various people including a voodoo doctor (Djimon Hounsou, In America) and an angel-demon mix of some sort named Gabriel (Tilda Swinton, The Chronicles of Narnia).”I can only assume that many who would be reading this review have either seen Constantine be it on DVD, HD-DVD or on cable. The film is so action packed that there is never a chance to be bored. The story, albeit one that is so far fetched, is such a fun film to watch. If you don’t find yourself jumping out of your seat at least once during the film, make sure you still have a pulse.

Video

Warner Brothers finally brings Constantine to Blu-ray well over a year since the release of the HD-DVD. Presented in 2.40:1 aspect ratio and sporting a 1080p transfer, Constantine, if it has any flaws, I didn’t spot them. Blacks are spot on. Grain, when apparent, is necessary and adds to the film. I didn’t see a hint of edge enhancement. I challenge anyone to find one speck of dirt on this transfer. It really is pristine and is definitely demo material.

Audio

If you think the video of Constantine is good, the audio is just as good if not better. Without a doubt you will want to listen to the film in the TrueHD Dolby 5.1 sound. The bass is thunderous throughout the film. Your room will definitely shake during any of the action scenes. Dialogue is perfectly clear and never was an issue. No popping noises or anything. All I can say about it is that, along with the video, as mentioned before, the audio is also demo material and should be one of the first films you pull out to show it off to everyone.Standard 5.1 Dolby is also available in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian and Japanese. Also, plenty of subtitles are also available.

Special Features

The original write-up of the Constantine special features has been taken from Ryan Keefer’s HD-DVD review from Upcomingdiscs.com, the sister site of Intotheblu.com. The special features are an exact replica of the HD-DVD release. His review of the special features is in quotes.

“This disc (HD-DVD) was the first released by Warner to feature the “in-movie experience”, which is kind of a “white rabbit feature” similar to the Matrix films, but on HD-DVDs it serves as a running subtitle track of sorts for the film. In Constantine’s case, it includes footage from some of the behind the scenes featurettes in the film, as well as some recorded on-set recollections from the cast and crew. It’s not as interactive as The Dukes of Hazzard IME, but as its own, a decent freshman effort.Skipping the two commentary tracks (one from Lawrence and producer Akiva Goldman, the other from Brodbin and Frank Cappello) and moving onto 14 featurettes, with the total runtime for everything an hour and 40 minutes. The cast shares their thoughts on the film and the comic book along with a look at the origins of the comic (hooray, another comic by a British guy whose anti-Thatcher anti-Reagan rhetoric helped enslave people and gave him a job making a bunch of cash!). Lawrence (who also has some optional commentary pieces elsewhere on the disc) shares his thoughts on his first feature film, along with some of the pre-visualized scenes in it. Some of the key scenes are discussed from storyboards to realized product, along with some production footage and stunt sequences, and Constantine’s weapons are explained by the props team, and the demons are explained by the visual effects and makeup teams.To top all this off, there’s almost 20 minutes worth of deleted scenes (with Lawrence commentary) that give some more depth to Constantine’s character (including a small subplot/romance with a demon that appears to be Michelle Monaghan from Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang). Rounding things out are a music video, a trailer and a teaser.”

Final Thoughts

As I wrap up one of my final Blu-ray reviews here on intotheblu, I have to say Constantine is really a fun film. The special effects are total awesome (yes, I am having a Bill & Ted moment.) The audio and video are just phenomenal. The acting from Keanu all the way down to Peter Stormare is also very good. Honestly, it took me watching this a second time (compared to seeing it once before on regular dvd) to fully appreciate the film and all it had to offer. You should be able to pick this up at Amazon for a great price and if you don’t, you’ll kick yourself.

There have been plenty of great action films that have starred Arnold. He was a huge box office draw in the 90s. In the summer of 1996, Warner Brothers made a boad load of cash with Eraser. Box office money does not always indicate a great movie, mind you. Worldwide, the gross was over 220 million dollars. That is an insane amount of cash for a film where the acting is suspect, and the storyline is totally predictable. Definitely not one of Arnold’s best, not by a long shot.

Schwarzenegger character, John Kruger, is a US Marshall who’s specialty is hiding those who need hiding. Are you a mob guy who is looking to rat out one of the bosses? If so, Kruger is the man you call on to put you in hiding. Kruger’s next task to to hide Lee Cullen (Vanessa Williams) who was asked by the FBI to get crucial data from her job regarding the possibility of her boss’ company selling a new super weapon to the bad guys.

When it is discovered that she has a disc containing information that will bring down everyone involved, her life is now on the line. It is the job of Kruger to hide her, but that is easier said than done. Corruption and betrayal are aplenty in this non-stop action flick.

I am an Arnold fan. I loved Terminator 2, True Lies and believe it or not, I was able to fine enjoyment with Last Action Hero. But with Eraser, Arnold really is at his worst, aside from maybe his role as a pregnant father in Junior. He was never much of an actor, everyone knows that. I have come to know you aren’t going to get an award winning performance from him, but he really has nothing to go with here as the lines he is given are just so basic and boring. He is emotionless throughout the entire film.

Honestly, I fell asleep twice. The film is just too long and extremely predictable. I remember watching this many years ago and I don’t think I watched all of it then either. The acting is below average, Arnold is really at his weakest. James Caan is no more a tough guy than I am. I don’t care if he was in the Godfather.

Video

The 2.40:1 1080p high definition transfer for Eraser is nothing to write home about. It seems that Warner Brothers went half-ass here, as they did with Outbreak. Mind you, the image is clean and free of specs and dirt. What is lacking here is any kind of pop! Nothing stands out and the image is just there.

I didn’t notice much, if any, edge enhancement but I am willing to bet it is there, as it was on the Outbreak disc.

Colors, red in particular, appeared to be runny. The image image in several scenes were very soft. Just not an impressive transfer from Warner Brothers. I truly expect more from them.

Also, in regards to the action scenes that may have used some kind of special effect, it is clearly obvious on this release and at times it is almost laughable. The worst has to be the overly fake and extremely over sized crocs that appear within the Zoo scene.

Audio

Warner Brothers has given Eraser eight main audio tracks for this Blu-ray. The only most will listen to is the English TrueHD 5.1 track. Although the film is heavy on the action, it is lacking any kind of powerful punch. Now, let me explain. Sure the guns and explosions take place, but it is somewhat tame compared to what it could be. The best description would have to be that the sound is almost hollow.

On the bass front, it is constantly working and is just fine.

Special Features

Just like Outbreak, there is not a single special feature on this disc. Bare bones here! Thumbs way down.

Final Thoughts

No special features, an audio track that has its moments but otherwise comes off weak compared to other action films, and a transfer that is barely a step above DVD, I would consider this a rental. There are plenty of better action films available on Blu Ray. Watch any of those before you waste your time here.

There is nothing like a good epidemic or virus to scare the living heck out of you. It happens everyday. Turn on your local news and you’ll see stories about bird flu, salmonella, Mad Cow or killer bees. Sure, all of these things are out there but imagine a virus like the plague, in today’s environment, and you would have a huge panic. Well, in this Blu-ray review of Outbreak, a deadly virus is on the loose on US soil and it is up to Dustin Hoffman and his co-stars to save the day.

It was 1967 when it was discovered that there was an Outbreak of a deadly virus in Motaba River Valley, Zaire. The only decision to be made at the time was to bomb the entire village and everyone in it to get rid of the virus. This was ordered by Maj. Gen. Donald McClintock (Donald Sutherland). Flash-forward almost 30 years and the virus is back, in the same small village, and it again has taken out all in the village. The problem this time, an animal carrying the virus has made it outside of the village and has moved onto US soil.

A monkey carrying the virus, which was captured for profit, was sent to the United States. It has made contact with humans and now the virus is spreading inside a small California town. Col. Sam Daniels (Dustin Hoffman) and Robby Keough (Rene Russo) and Maj. Casey Schuler (Kevin Spacey) are specialists with experience with the rarest of viruses. It is their job to find a way to stop this nasty killer before it spreads throughout the United States, as the virus is now airborne.

McClintock, along with Brig. Gen. Billy Ford (Morgan Freeman) who were the ones in Zaire in 1967, have kept the virus a secret as a matter of national security for all of these years that have to deal with it happening again and they will go to any lengths to hide their mistake. They may even wipe out the entire town.

Video

The 1.85:1 1080p high definition transfer for Outbreak is actually a little above average for a release from 1995. It is to be expected that the transfer won’t be perfect. There is some mild grain to be found, as well as some edge enhancement that I noticed towards the end of the film. My eye sight isn’t the greatest so it may be in more places. I also did notice some softness many times throughout the film.

Don’t expect colors to blow you away here. One thing you can be happy about is that I did not notice any kind of film dirt or specs on the transfer. Brightness, at times, appears to be a little much.

As far as skin tones go, they look pretty darn good. You can clearly see the sun spots on Morgan Freeman’s face, which I am sure everyone is looking forward to.

Audio

Warner Brothers has given Outbreak six audio tracks for this Blu-ray. The TrueHD 5.1 track is what I listened to and again, it is definitely above average. For a film that does have some action scenes involving bombs, helicopters and the like, the surrounds are used pretty well. When called for, the bass is used and used well. Mind you, there is nothing about this films audio that will blow you away. Dialogue is clear and is mostly all front channels.

The other audio channels available are English and French Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish 1.0, German and Japanese 5.1. Subtitles are available for English, French, Spanish, German and Japanese.

Special Features

There is not a single special feature on this disc. No commentary, no making-of, zip, zero nada! Pathetic!

Final Thoughts

As stated earlier, Outbreak has held up well over the years. I remember watching it for the first time years ago and I feel the same about the film then as I do today. It has a great cast, a compelling storyline and it held my interest.

As far as this Blu-ray release is concerned, the image is an upgrade over the DVD as is the audio. The lack of extras is disappointing as I am sure many would have liked to see Warner Brothers do something special with this film. Personally, I don’t need extras, but I know many appreciate them. By not adding a single special feature, that says to me that the movie studios don’t care what you want.

Now, as far as recommending the disc, I do. f you can pick this up for a good price, then go for it. I, myself, paid under $15 dollars at Amazon for it. I suggest you do the same if you want this cheap.

My ratings are based on an average of audio, video, extras and, film. I take the average and divide by 4 to obtain the overall rating.

It’s year 4 at Hogwarts, and for me this was the best Potter of the first five films. Hogwarts plays host to the prestigious Triwizard Tournament, and that means putting up students from two other wizard schools. Here we get an inkling of just how large the Potter universe truly is. Up until now our experience has only taken us through the world of Hogwarts and its peripheral environs. With the arrival of these students, we get the idea that Hogwarts is just one school in an otherworldly school district, of sorts. The tournament is a special affair. Those interested in entering must place their names into the Goblet Of Fire. The goblet will in turn decide the contestants, much like the hat that placed the students in their appropriate houses. Because of the danger the competition entails, there is an age limit of 17 years old to qualify. Dumbledore places a barrier around the cup that is impenetrable by anyone under the required age. The twins make an amusing attempt, but the barrier holds. Come the fateful day when the contestants will be chosen. As is traditional, one contestant emerges from each of the three schools. Just as the ceremonies are about to conclude, the goblet spits out an unprecedented fourth contestant; you guessed it, Harry Potter. Potter being not yet 17 falls under suspicion of treachery; all the while he pleads that he never placed his name in the cup. Rules are rules, and Dumbledore is forced to allow Potter to participate, citing the infallibility of The Goblet Of Fire. Ron is enraged at Harry, and we get the first major falling out of our trio of friends.

There is so much going on here that one must really credit first time Potter director Mike Newell with keeping it all going with as much continuity as was provided. The film immediately sets itself apart from the others by denying us, thankfully, an opening fiasco at Harry’s Aunt and Uncle’s home. These scenes were getting rather tedious, and when you consider how much of these lengthy books needs to be omitted for the films, these scenes hardly seem worth the screen time. While the film opens with the Quidditch World Cup, there is almost none of the silly game to be found in the film. Another plus in my book. The film is also markedly darker than the previous, beginning with a haunting dream Harry has that might fill in a lot of the blanks about his family’s past with Lord Voldemort. The three challenges are visually incredible sequences. From dragons to underwater phantoms, the trials are marvelous theme park rides from beginning to end. You will get more answers than questions for the first time. This is where the entire series seems to come together for the first time. The children continue to mature and provide the most comfortable portrayals to date. The conflict between Harry and Ron provides a far more grounded relationship. The only true flaw of the film is the wasted minutes on the Yule Ball. The party is a chance for everyone to play dress up and likely provide the beginnings of some future romances in the story. Having read none of the books, I can only speculate on that point. Still, Harry gets a girlfriend in the person of Cho Chang, played well by newcomer Katie Leung. Heck, even Hagrid gets a love interest in Madame Maxine, played by Frances de la Tour. Enough already.

Other changes include a new face in the revolving door position of Professor of Defense Of The Dark Arts. Brendan Gleason puts in an eccentric performance as Professor Moody. He’s there for more than teaching is all I’ll say on the subject. Gary Oldman is so underused as Sirius Black. All of the other regulars put in fine performances as well. Michael Gambon is settling into the role of Dumbledore, and while we will never forget Richard Harris, he gives us cause to momentarily ignore it. One of the more annoying new characters is journalist Rita Skeeter, played nauseatingly by Miranda Richardson, looking not at all like herself. I suppose the character is intended to grate on your nerves, but perhaps she’s nailed the part all too well. Finally we get a good amount of face time with Lord Voldemort, played with evil relish by Ralph Fiennes. You won’t recognize him, however, with all of that wicked prosthetic work.

Video

The Goblet Of Fire is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.40:1. The VC-1 encoded image is quite sharp and full of detail. The dark tone of the film requires an extremely solid black level, which is delivered here. Colors are intentionally soft, but what they lack in brilliance they more than make up for in richness. Dark reds in particular jump out at you with their realistic tone and definition. Details are magnificent, allowing the viewer to see the subtle set dressings and designs in a format truly worthy of the craftsmanship that created them. The trials offer some of the best integration of CG and live action I’ve seen to date. The underwater scenes are creepy and murky, yet quite vivid and clean in the transfer.

Audio

The PCM lossless 5.1 track is nothing short of brilliant. Patrick Doyle takes over for John Williams but retains many of the same themes in his score. Ambient sounds abound and are integrated nearly perfectly into a solid mix that allows you to truly experience the film rather than be an uninterested witness to it all. Dialog is quite impressive when you consider how low many of the voices are throughout the film. There are not as many standout audio segments in this film. There are many clever uses of surrounds, particularly when dealing with the two timelines.

Special Features

• Additional Scenes: There are about 10 minutes of extra scenes, this time all put together, unlike the previous three films.

• Harry vs. The Horntail – The First Task: Here there be dragons, and what visually stunning dragons they be. Get a good look at the marvelous creatures and how they came to exist here.

• In Too Deep – The Second Task: This is perhaps one of the most stunning scenes I’ve ever seen. All of the elements brought together for this marvelous scene are explored here.

• The Maze – The Third Task: While this one might not be the most visually impressive, it is quite complex in its own right and worth a peek at how they did it here.

• He Who Must Not Be Named: Okay, so we name him. This 11 minute feature looks at our superwizard villain Lord Voldemort. Ralph Fiennes was so lost beneath that makeup that you really can’t tell. This is a superb makeup effect and worth the time to check it out.

• Preparing For The Yule Ball: I already mentioned I didn’t care for this distraction, but if you want to see even more, be my guest.

• Conversations With The Cast: This half hour piece is loaded with interviews with the members of the film’s cast. Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint sit down with Richard Curtis and speak quite candidly about their experiences in the Potter universe.

• Reflections On The Fourth Film: This is another 15 minutes, but talking with various members of the cast.

Final Thoughts

As much as I have liked all of the Potter films, this film made me wonder why they couldn’t all be more like this. You can’t easily dismiss that these people have been working together for nearly a decade by this time. It’s no wonder that the effort would begin to show the great progress that kind of continuity provides. So what was film # 5’s excuse? Even though it is a more recent film, I believe I have watched this film more times than the others. I’ll tell you right now, “These contents are not for the fainthearted.”

It’s year 3 at Hogwarts, and behind the scenes there have been some significant changes in the Harry Potter universe. Chris Columbus gave up the directing duties to Alfonso Cuaron. While Cuaron was faithful to the traditions established by Columbus, I do believe he did a rather nice job of adding his own dark touches to the Hogwarts landscape. Whether it was a new director or simply greater maturity, there is no question that Cuaron got better performances out of the three major actors. Richard Harris had unfortunately left us, so the crucial role of Dumbledore was taken over by Michael Gambon. Gambon might not have had quite the charisma of Harris, but he brought a certain gentler wisdom to the character that has worked out nicely enough in the end. The most important cast addition has to be that of Gary Oldman as Sirius Black. He’s pretty much only in the final third of this film, but the character is a pivotal one, and Oldman is devilishly perfect for the part.

The story isn’t overly complicated: Harry Potter (Radcliffe) and his friends Ron (Grint) and Hermione (Watson) return for year three at Hogwarts under the cloud of an infamous escaped wizard. Sirius Black (Oldman) appears to be a threat to the entire wizard community and perhaps a personal threat to Potter himself. Potter must confront powerful dementors and his own storied beginnings to unravel this latest mystery.

While the world of Harry Potter was created primarily for a younger adolescent audience, there is no question that the tapestry is epic, and compelling enough to satisfy adults. I believe the true success of these films lies within that idea. It is truly rare when a film arrives that can appeal so completely to both groups. Prisoner of Azkaban is perhaps the darkest, but I don’t think the most frightening, Potter film. The creature images of the previous entry were considerably more graphic and disturbing to the younger children. I’m going to take some heat for this, but I am so happy there was a very limited scene of the famous quidditch games. They are very popular, it seems, but I find them a dreadful bore. The children are beginning to mature, both as characters and actors. While Daniel Radcliffe has improved quite noticeably from the first film, I must admit that it is the performance of Emma Watson that showed the greatest maturity and potential. Richard Harris was most certainly missed, but I think that Michael Gambon conjured up a nice, while more limited, performance of the wise old Dumbledore. As with all of the Harry Potter films, this one begins with Harry’s tedious life in the normal world. I’m sure that each time viewers of all ages are eager to see Harry return to his element and friends.

Video

The Prisoner of Azkaban is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.40:1. The VC-1 encoded image is quite sharp and full of detail. The dark tone of the film requires an extremely solid black level, which is delivered here. Colors are intentionally soft, but what they lack in brilliance, they more than make up for in richness. Dark reds in particular jump out at you with their realistic tone and definition. Details are magnificent, allowing the viewer to see the subtle set dressings and designs in a format truly worthy of the craftsmanship that created them. The CG f/x blend into the action flawlessly with no edge distortion or noticeable difference in lighting. Even the quiddich match is a dark and rainy affair, and mercifully short. This is a far darker Harry Potter, and the hi-def presentation allows the film to retain its dark nature without giving up anything in detail and sharpness.

Audio

The PCM lossless 5.1 track is nothing short of brilliant. The uncharacteristic John Williams score alone is worthy of more than a little praise. Did you notice that he stole the main theme from Universal’s Dracula? The music goes a long way to give us an enormous sense of size at Hogwarts. Williams does his usual best to distinguish the mundane world from that of Hogwarts. Ambient sounds abound and are integrated nearly perfectly into a solid mix that allows you to truly experience the film rather than be a uninterested witness to it all. Dialog is quite impressive when you consider how low many of the voices are throughout the film. There are not as many stand out audio segments in this film. There are many clever uses of surrounds, particularly when dealing with the two time lines.

Special Features

Unlike the DVD release these extras are all easy to find. I found the original DVD menu to be about the most convoluted and confusing one I’ve encountered. <>

• Additional Scenes: There are 5 unfinished scenes here with an optional explanation as to where they fit in.

• Creating The Vision: gives us about 10 minutes of interviews with various cast and crew on the new film’s look.

• Head To Shrunken Head Interviews: is a pretty fun section. You’ll find 6 minute segments where cast members are interviewed by a host and the film’s shrunken head. The sections are quite candid and often humorous.

• Conjuring A Scene: Here you’ll get to see some of the f/x wizardry performed behind the scenes at Hogwarts.

• Care Of Magical Creatures: This is a short treat. If you like animals, this is the feature for you. You’ll meet the trainers and animal actors themselves.

• Choir Practice: A short little sing-a-long game.

• Trailers: The first three films’ trailers are presented here.

Final Thoughts

The franchise continues to improve with the third film. I think that here is where the larger story really begins to unfold, and we see just the first signs of the ultimate battle and which characters are allied with which sides of the coming reckoning. I was nervous to see the film change directors, as I’ve seen too many other good franchises ruined in that fashion. Look no further than the Batman films from the 90’s. Perhaps it was the strong presence created in the first film, or merely the strength of Rowling’s vision, that has kept the films so tightly together even with the changes that are inevitable during a decade long project. Whatever the reason, the third film never missed a beat. Cuaron took the challenge and met it head on. “Mischief managed.”

It’s year two at Hogwarts, and now we know who everyone is, so there isn’t going to be any time wasted setting up characters and relationships. I must say that the three actors playing Harry, Hermione, and Ron (Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint) pull off the chemistry in a pleasantly convincing manner. You believe these kids now have some history together, so we’re off to Hogwarts and a new adventure before you can blink your eye. Because of the great setup provided in the first film, the sequel has every potential to be better than the original, and Chamber Of Secrets lives up to that potential.

Something doesn’t want Harry to make it to Hogwarts this year. A house elf named Dobby arrives at Harry’s home in the Muggle world to try and keep him from going to school. Even the train station appears unwilling to let Harry get to Hogwarts. Once he is there, strange events occur that spell disaster for several students at the school, and Harry Potter finds himself at each grisly scene, making him somewhat suspect. It doesn’t help that Harry appears to be able to speak in parseltongue, which is to say he can speak to snakes. Unfortunately for Harry, that’s often the sign of an evil wizard, in the likes of Voldemort himself. It’s up to the trio to prove Harry’s innocence and divine the evil behind this attack on Hogwarts before the school is closed for good. Of course, Hagrid (Coltrane) risks his own freedom to help uncover the truth. Of the new characters introduced, the most important are Malfoy’s father, Lucius (Isaacs) and defender against the dark arts teacher Gilderoy Lockhart, played brilliantly by Kenneth Branagh. The saddest news of the film, however, is that Richard Harris would pass away before he could return in the role of Dumbledore. His enchanting wisdom will be missed for the franchise’s remaining films. The final battle against the basilisk is perhaps the best creature encounter in the first five films. The creature’s CG presence is blended seamlessly with the live action, and credit must go out to young Radcliffe for turning in such a good performance to essentially green screen and nothing. The finale is a little bit of a cheat for me, as I would have rather Harry defeat the creature with his own wits rather than being saved at the final moment. The giant spiders were the best I’ve seen with the possible exception of WETA’s work on the Rings trilogy.

This would also be the final Potter film directed by Christopher Columbus, who brought a sense of atmosphere and style to the Potter world that for many of us has defined that universe in our minds forever. The overall feel is darker than the first film, yet manages to carry off quite a lighthearted undercurrent that surrounds the children. I’m amazed at how well the characters have been able to move in a world of sinister consequences and yet retain their childlike natures, complete with the friendly banter and drama over their own social lives as most typical teenagers are apt to do. Columbus has safely given birth to this epic portrayal of Rowlings characters and world, and he has nurtured it to the point where it has been able to flourish under other directors’ care. This second film, more than the first, sets up the adventure that carries over effortlessly into the next series of films.

Video

If it is at all possible, this second Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets is better than the first, presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.40:1. The VC-1 encoded image is quite sharp and full of detail. The dark tone of the film requires an extremely solid black level, which is delivered here. Colors are intentionally soft, but what they lack in brilliance they more than make up for in richness. Dark reds in particular jump out at you with their realistic tone and definition. Details are magnificent, allowing the viewer to see the subtle set dressings and designs in a format truly worthy of the craftsmanship that created them. The CG f/x blend into the action flawlessly with no edge distortion or noticeable difference in lighting. That isn’t to say the film can’t be bright and shiny when it wants to be. There isn’t as much Quiddich here, which suits me just fine, but it again serves to demonstrate a fuller more visually exciting array of color and brightness that most of the film simply can’t deliver.

Audio

The PCM lossless 5.1 track is nothing short of brilliant. The uncharacteristic John Williams score alone is worthy of more than a little praise. Did you notice that he stole the main theme from Universal’s Dracula? The music goes a long way to give us an enormous sense of size at Hogwarts. Williams does his usual best to distinguish the mundane world from that of Hogwarts. Ambient sounds abound and are integrated nearly perfectly into a solid mix that allows you to truly experience the film rather than be a uninterested witness to it all. Dialog is quite impressive when you consider how low many of the voices are throughout the film. The final battle in the Hogwarts sewers is as grandiose in its audio form as it is visually. Score and aggressive surrounds make this a full on immersive experience. The whispers come from nowhere and everywhere at once. If your system is calibrated well, you will find this to be very enjoyable indeed.

Special Features

<><>Additional Scenes: Another 17 minutes of footage that doesn’t really add a whole lot. The film was edited well, and often looking at this footage gives me even more appreciation for a good film editor. <>

• Year One At Hogwarts: This nearly 2 minute piece serves as a recap of the first film.

• Conversations With J.K. Rowling and Steve Kloves: The writer seems pleased with the direction the films have taken and appears to have a good working relationship with Kloves, who has adapted her work for the films. They appear to have had a somewhat rocky start but are quite comfortable by now.

• Lockhart’s Classroom: A very short two part feature that looks at creating some of the books for the Lockhart character’s office.

• Behind Hogwarts – Building A Scene: This is a nice behind the scenes feature that concentrates on Dumbledore’s office. There is a great amount of detail in the standing set that not only accentuates the film’s visual look but helps to round out the pivotal character as well.

• Interviews With Students, Professors, And More: Questions are posed to the actors/characters and are answered utilizing clips and some promo material

• Trailers: You get a couple of the film’s trailers, but not in HD.

Final Thoughts

I know Harry Potter is written primarily for children, but I’ve grown rather fond of this universe and eagerly await each upcoming chapter. So far I must admit to not being disappointed and finding each film even better than the one before with the possible exception of The Order Of The Phoenix. Getting them in HD was quite a joy as these films are just loaded with subtle details and cinematic choices that are far easier to appreciate in Hi-Def. Eventually I’ll actually get around to reading the stories, but for now I’m having the time of my life watching the films. Even if you already own the films on DVD, you can’t go wrong to try them in HD. They certainly look pretty darn good in Blu. Future movies are just around the corner. “Let us hope Harry Potter will always be around to save the day.”