The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 )
Film:
Extras:
Audio/3D Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
93
Studio and Year: Disney - 2012
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Feature running time: 143 minutes
Genre: Action
Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC (MPEG-4)
Video Aspect: 1.85:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Starring: Robert Downey Jr. Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Renner, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hiddleston, Clark Gregg, Mark Ruffalo, Stellan Skarsgard, Cobie Smulders
Directed by: Joss Whedon
Music by: Alan Silvestri
Written by: Joss Whedon
Region Code: A,B,C
Blu-ray Disc release Date: September 25, 2012
"Avengers Assemble!"
Film Synopsis:
Marvel makes cinematic history as it unites the Super Hero team of a lifetime. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) assemble together for the first time ever in this epic, action-packed blockbuster - alongside Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Director Joss Whedon creates an unprecedented masterpiece that has become a global phenomenon. Packed with awesome special effects, Marvel's The Avengers is the must-own movie sensation your family will watch over and over!
My Take:
I reviewed Ironman, Thor, and Captain America the first Avenger when they came to Blu-ray. I have decided to incorporate some of my comments from those reviews as those films lead us to The Avengers.
I used to love reading comics and seeing some of my favorite figures from their pages brought to life on the big screen has been well executed and pretty thrilling. I dabbled a little bit in DC comics but my heart belonged to Marvel. Spiderman was my first Marvel favorite, followed by Thor and then I picked up an Iron man comic. There was always something about Iron man that I found intriguing. I can’t say for certain whether it was Tony Stark’s money/fame/brilliance or Iron man’s vulnerable side that showed that underneath the armor was a man who was fallible but couldn’t show it. I guess it might have been the idea that potentially anyone could be Iron man once they donned the armor. For me I always thought that his armor was just so freakin’ cool.
Captain America isn’t among the more dazzling superheroes however he has been a Marvel staple that has continued to thrive. I always liked the character but didn’t collect/read his comic on a consistent basis. I was familiar with his origins, powers etc. and appreciated the attention to detail that went into developing the character for the purposes leading up to his connection with The Avengers. My connection with Thor started from reading about his exploits with The Avengers and then sporadically catching issue of his own comic. I initially tried to keep up with his extended battles/adventures that took place away from Earth but eventually lost interest. He remained a personal favorite though and I was anxious to see how he would translate to the big screen. I enjoyed Thor and the integration of the elements that would carry over into this film.
For fans the handwriting was on the wall as in addition to Thor, Captain America The first Avenger and Ironman, other Marvel films like Hulk and Ironman 2 introduced characters that would play a part in their plans to release The Avengers. Now that the pieces of the puzzle where effectively brought to life I wondered how well combining them would come off. When I heard that Joss Whedon was brought in to direct and authored the screenplay I felt that this had a shot at being something special that just might do justice to the Marvel Universe. I went to see The Avengers in the theater on opening weekend with my son and absolutely loved it.
The storyline essentially flows from the conclusion to Thor which involves his brother Loki seeking revenge on Thor by striking a bargain with the Chitauri (aliens) and attacking the earth hoping to exercise dominion over it and afterward turning over the Tesseract (a unimaginable source of power) to them. The earth’s only hope for survival is to assemble its mightiest heroes, get them to work as a team and thwart the invasion. That of course proves easier said than done for S.H.I.E.LD leader Nick Fury and his team. Come together it does and the result is an exciting, well crafted, sci-fi action/adventure that pulls together the essential components that made the best superhero films so much fun.
The production elements are everything you would expect from a big budget film and Whedon’s script is spot on with just the right touches of drama and levity to mate with the action. There are a variety of memorable moments several involving the Hulk. I won’t spoil them but if you have seen the film you know which I am referring to. My favorite character remains Ironman. Much of this is owed to Robert Downey Jr. who has made the character his own which successfully compliments the others. That isn’t to suggest that he alone carries the ball as I enjoyed Clark Gregg’s reprisal of Agent Phil Coulson, Sam Jackson’s Nick Fury and newbie Cobie Smulders’ (“How I met your Mother”) Agent Maria Hill who stole every scene she was in. Is The Avengers a perfect film? No, but in reality who cares? It takes us back to our youth via a visual experience that draws us into the world we imagined through reading the comics of our favorite superheroes. I can’t remember the last time I went to see a movie more than once in the theater but The Avengers holds that distinction. It turned out that my wife decided that she wanted to see it (she loved it too). You can’t get a more glowing endorsement than that!
The Avengers comes to Blu-ray in standard Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy combo and 3D/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy combo offerings. This four disc set comes in a standard amaray style keep case that has an unusual disc storage configuration that uses a steeper center push button/spindles (one of each side of the case) to house two discs stacked one on top of the other. It seems to work well enough although I am not crazy about having the discs directly in contact.
The Avengers is a rousing success where the coolness and entertainment factors run high. As a fan I look forward to the next installment and hope that whatever they have in store continues in the same vein.
Parental Guide:
The rating is for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, and a mild drug reference.
AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100 / EXCELLENT = 83-91 / GOOD = 74-82 / AVERAGE = 65-73 / BELOW AVERAGE = under 65
**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**
Audio: 100
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Dynamics:
- Low frequency extension:
- Surround Sound presentation:
- Dialogue Reproduction:
3D Presentation: 86
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Depth (Onscreen):
- Dimension (Beyond the screen):
- Realism:
- Clarity/Detail:
- Color reproduction:
The Avengers 3D comes to Blu-ray Disc from Disney featuring 1080p MVC encoded video and lossless DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 5.2 Mpbs.
I didn’t see the 3D version of The Avengers in the theater and kept my expectations of it on Blu-ray in check. Overall it was good 3D experience but not among the best that I have seen in my theater. Detail is well preserved as the image retains its high level of clarity as objects within the frame are delineated and sharp. Depth is appreciable as evidenced by the notable separation of objects or people layered in the foreground/background. There are a variety of sequences that provide a fun reach out and touch level of dimension as well as a bit of screen popping wizardry. This primarily revolves around the action that takes place during the last acts battle sequences and features protruding objects, flying arrows and descending aliens. Comparing contrast, color and skin tone reproduction I found that the 2D presentation appears a tad washed out but the difference isn’t glaring. The rendering of detail and clarity is similar and I didn’t observe any overt instances of crosstalk/ghosting.
This 7.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is reference quality and among the better surround sound experiences I have had in my theater room. This is an impeccably detailed, powerfully dynamic, and demonstrative surround sound presentation infused with multi-layered sound effects and bolstered by a mix that makes effective and aggressive use of the surround and LFE channels to elongate the front soundstage to reproduce the spatial, discrete sounds low frequency detail of this demanding soundtrack. The front and rear sound fields are integrated with precision which enables a seamless transference during panning sequences. The listening position is submerged into a revolving web of sound that bombards the senses with a combination of well placed effects and enveloping ambience. Dialogue is supremely articulated with excellent focus, clarity and descriptive intonation. The extended dynamic range renders the bombastic nature of battle with superlative high level sonics and authoritative bass transients that are deep, powerful and potentially timber rattling. I love deep, clean, powerful bass and this track delivers it in spades. This one is all that you might expect and won’t disappoint those with systems capable of maximizing its potential.
2D Video Quality:
Video: 90
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Resolution/Clarity:
- Black level/Shadow detail:
- Color reproduction:
- Fleshtones:
- Compression:
The Avengers comes to Blu-ray Disc from Disney featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 26 Mbps.
This is a superb looking and faithful Blu-ray presentation that delivers high level detail, razor sharpness and resolute definition that brings out the lifelike textures captured by the camera lens. Detail perception is nearly flawless with lucid visual acuity and fine rendering throughout. Colors are vividly pleasing with satisfying primaries and warm tonality. Flesh tones are a bit pallid but appear natural with appreciable delineation among the varied complexional types in the cast. Spot on contrast and inky blacks enhance sequences containing mixed content. Shadow detail is discerning which adds depth to the film’s variety of sequences shot in low lighting. On occasion the nature of the photography softens some shots but its effects are innate as fidelity appears unaffected. From what I could see there are no compression related video artifacts or noise present in this whistle clean high definition video transfer that looked superb on my big screen.
Bonus Features:
Disc 1:
- The Avengers 3D Blu-ray
Disc 2:
- The Avengers 2D Blu-ray (plus the following bonus content)
- Audio commentary by director Joss Whedon
- (HD) Marvel One-Shot: Item 47 – 11 minute short film (connected to the Avengers post attack/battle storyline)
- (HD) Gag reel – 4 minutes
- (HD) 8 deleted/extended scenes
- (HD) A visual journey – 6 minute featurette
- (HD) Assembling the ultimate team – 8 minute featurette
- (HD) Sound Garden “Live to rise” music video
- The Avengers Initiative: A Marvel Second Screen App - Downloading this onto a secondary Apple device or PC, consumers will be able to gain access to exclusive content
- Bonus DVD
- Digital Copy
Final Thoughts:
Any expectations that I had for The Avengers were easily met thanks to solid casting, apt writing/direction and big budget production values that added up to the most exciting film experience of the year. This review marked the third time I have seen it and it hasn’t lost any of its luster. It thunders onto Blu-ray in a four disc set that includes 3D/2D Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy (the subject of this review) and a standard Blu-ray/DVD combo set. It features resplendent high definition video quality and bombastic 7.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio sound. I wasn’t blown away by the 3D presentation but it has its share of involving moments that effectively draws you into the action, especially during the last 45 minutes of the film. The supplemental offering isn’t comprehensive but offers a good mix of content that is worth exploring. If you’re set up for 3D that is the way to go but you can’t miss with either version as this is a must own Blu-ray release that will thrill fans and enthusiasts. Enjoy!
Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS55 3D Ready 1080p High Definition Front Projector
Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16x9 Screen
Onkyo PR-SC5508 THX Ultra 2 Audio/Video Processor
Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
Oppo BDP-93 Universal Disc/3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Panasonic DMP-BDT310 3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule Pro HD Universal Remote Control
Canton "Ergo" Series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SV Sound PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
APC AV S15BLK Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Wireworld, Better Cables (Silver Serpent) - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package
