The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 )
Film:
Extras:
Audio/Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
88
Studio and Year: The Weinstein Company- 2012
MPAA Rating: R
Feature running time: 165 minutes
Genre: Drama, Action, Western
Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC (MPEG-4)
Video Aspect: 2.40:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French & Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Written by: Quentin Tarantino
Music by: Luis Enriquez Bacalov (Theme)
Region Code: A
Blu-ray Disc release Date: April 16, 2013
"The 'D' is Silent. Payback Won't Be."
Film Synopsis:
With the help of a German bounty hunter, a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner.
My Take:
Django Unchained is Quentin Tarentino’s first film since the 2010 passing of his editor Sally Menke at the age of 56. She had edited all of his films from 1992's Reservoir Dogs to 2009's Inglorious Basterds . I was very curious to see how much of the pacing and control of Tarentino’s non-traditional structure she had. Luckily Menke’s assistant editor for Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2, Fred Raskin, stepped in and did a superb job honoring her talents doing a great job assembling the pieces of this film.
The films plot is a simple one. It is the story of the titular Django (Jamie Foxx), who after getting separated from his wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), gets freed by dentist turned bounty hunter, Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz). After becoming quite the gunslinger under Schultz’s tutelage, Django and Shultz set out to rescue Broomhilda from Mississippi plantation owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio).
As in all Tarentino stories it’s not just the main characters and their story arcs that bring the world to life, it is also a thickly built layer of secondary characters and sub-plots that make his close to 3 hour films so engaging. Django Unchained is one of my favorite Tarantino films, possibly his most mature, and sits at number three behind Pulp Fiction & Inglorious Basterds .
Django Unchained has all the Tarantino requisites like witty banter (actually there are some of his best lines in this one), unrelenting violence and characters so different to what we are used to they just beg to be watched and suck you in as much as his amazingly fresh and well fleshed-out stories. Django opened to and up some controversy surrounding historical inaccuracies as well as criticism on its take on slavery, almost like he wasn’t paying proper respect to the time and the peoples plight. To them I say CHILL OUT and look up the definition of the word Fiction and enjoy this 3 hour escape…you need it.
Parental Guide:
Rated R for strong graphic violence throughout, language and some nudity
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: 86
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Video: 88
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Django Unchained comes to Blu-ray from Anchor Bay featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 22.5 mbps and DTS HD-MA 5.1 sound that has an average bitrate of 3.8 mbps
Anchor Bay delivers yet another high quality new release transfer with its Blu-ray of Django Unchained. The 1080p 2.40:1 image had a fun color palette that was often pushed a bit far, from cold to warm, however it all worked well and the films copious blood spill popped impressively. Great shadow detail and reference black levels coupled with impressive delineation on even the finest details helped enhance the films depth of field, which at times rendered foreground from background with a three dimensional feel. There are moments of intentional softness, which is an artistic choice, as the film does play with many different looks and moods.
The Lossless DTS-HD MA audio track was justifiably aggressive, with noticeable dynamic peaks and some, at times, booty shaking LFE. The surround channels were used heavily, enhancing the world on screen, however, I did notice a few times they seemed to pull me away with too much focus. Dialogue was consistent and the front sound-stage seemed pin-point accurate. This is all-in-all a pleasing track, but not a complete reference experience.
Bonus Features:
Final Thoughts:
Django Unchained was an impressive ride that solidified (if we even needed that) Tarantino’s unrelenting love for exploitation cinema and his knack of taking any genre and throwing it in his own exploitation blender. DeCaprio and Waltz, the latter whom won Best Actor for his role, are amazing here, as are all the performances Mr. Tarantino channels from his actors. My only gripe is the skimpy bit of extras, I wanted more, and of course, wanted a directors commentary. Fans must have seen this by now, and probably have it on Blu-ray, but if you had any question in your mind, go for it…it’s worth it.
Lee Weber
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
Reference Review Systems:
JVC DLA-RS4810 3D 1080p 3D High Definition Front Projector
Screen Innovations Solar HD 1.3 120" 2.40:1 CinemaScope Screen
Onkyo PR-SC5509 Pre/Pro
Sunfire Theater Grand 7201 Amplifier
Sony BDP-S790 Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Triad InRoom Gold LCR's
Triad OnWall Silver Surrounds
2 Triad Silver OmniSubs
Panasonic TC-P65VT30 3D 1080p Plasma
Marantz NR1603 Receiver
Sony PS3 (HDMI Audio/Video)
MKSound MP-7 LCR's
MKSound SUR-55T Surrounds
MKSound SB-8 Subwoofer
The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 )
Film:
Extras:
Audio/Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
88
Studio and Year: The Weinstein Company- 2012
MPAA Rating: R
Feature running time: 165 minutes
Genre: Drama, Action, Western
Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC (MPEG-4)
Video Aspect: 2.40:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French & Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Written by: Quentin Tarantino
Music by: Luis Enriquez Bacalov (Theme)
Region Code: A
Blu-ray Disc release Date: April 16, 2013
"The 'D' is Silent. Payback Won't Be."
Film Synopsis:
With the help of a German bounty hunter, a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner.
My Take:
Django Unchained is Quentin Tarentino’s first film since the 2010 passing of his editor Sally Menke at the age of 56. She had edited all of his films from 1992's Reservoir Dogs to 2009's Inglorious Basterds . I was very curious to see how much of the pacing and control of Tarentino’s non-traditional structure she had. Luckily Menke’s assistant editor for Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2, Fred Raskin, stepped in and did a superb job honoring her talents doing a great job assembling the pieces of this film.
The films plot is a simple one. It is the story of the titular Django (Jamie Foxx), who after getting separated from his wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), gets freed by dentist turned bounty hunter, Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz). After becoming quite the gunslinger under Schultz’s tutelage, Django and Shultz set out to rescue Broomhilda from Mississippi plantation owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio).
As in all Tarentino stories it’s not just the main characters and their story arcs that bring the world to life, it is also a thickly built layer of secondary characters and sub-plots that make his close to 3 hour films so engaging. Django Unchained is one of my favorite Tarantino films, possibly his most mature, and sits at number three behind Pulp Fiction & Inglorious Basterds .
Django Unchained has all the Tarantino requisites like witty banter (actually there are some of his best lines in this one), unrelenting violence and characters so different to what we are used to they just beg to be watched and suck you in as much as his amazingly fresh and well fleshed-out stories. Django opened to and up some controversy surrounding historical inaccuracies as well as criticism on its take on slavery, almost like he wasn’t paying proper respect to the time and the peoples plight. To them I say CHILL OUT and look up the definition of the word Fiction and enjoy this 3 hour escape…you need it.
Parental Guide:
Rated R for strong graphic violence throughout, language and some nudity
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: 86
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Dynamics:
- Low frequency extension:
- Surround Sound presentation:
- Clarity/Detail:
- Dialogue Reproduction:
Video: 88
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Resolution/Clarity:
- Black level/Shadow detail:
- Color reproduction:
- Fleshtones:
- Compression:
Django Unchained comes to Blu-ray from Anchor Bay featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 22.5 mbps and DTS HD-MA 5.1 sound that has an average bitrate of 3.8 mbps
Anchor Bay delivers yet another high quality new release transfer with its Blu-ray of Django Unchained. The 1080p 2.40:1 image had a fun color palette that was often pushed a bit far, from cold to warm, however it all worked well and the films copious blood spill popped impressively. Great shadow detail and reference black levels coupled with impressive delineation on even the finest details helped enhance the films depth of field, which at times rendered foreground from background with a three dimensional feel. There are moments of intentional softness, which is an artistic choice, as the film does play with many different looks and moods.
The Lossless DTS-HD MA audio track was justifiably aggressive, with noticeable dynamic peaks and some, at times, booty shaking LFE. The surround channels were used heavily, enhancing the world on screen, however, I did notice a few times they seemed to pull me away with too much focus. Dialogue was consistent and the front sound-stage seemed pin-point accurate. This is all-in-all a pleasing track, but not a complete reference experience.
Bonus Features:
- (HD) Remembering J. Michael Riva: The Production Design of Django Unchained
- (HD) Reimagining the Spaghetti Western: The Horses and Stunts of Django Unchained
- (HD) The Costume Designs of Sharen Davis
- (HD) Tarantino XX Blu-ray Collection Promo
- (HD) Django Unchained Soundtrack Promo
- DVD Copy
- Digital Copy
- UV Copy
Final Thoughts:
Django Unchained was an impressive ride that solidified (if we even needed that) Tarantino’s unrelenting love for exploitation cinema and his knack of taking any genre and throwing it in his own exploitation blender. DeCaprio and Waltz, the latter whom won Best Actor for his role, are amazing here, as are all the performances Mr. Tarantino channels from his actors. My only gripe is the skimpy bit of extras, I wanted more, and of course, wanted a directors commentary. Fans must have seen this by now, and probably have it on Blu-ray, but if you had any question in your mind, go for it…it’s worth it.
Lee Weber
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
Reference Review Systems:
JVC DLA-RS4810 3D 1080p 3D High Definition Front Projector
Screen Innovations Solar HD 1.3 120" 2.40:1 CinemaScope Screen
Onkyo PR-SC5509 Pre/Pro
Sunfire Theater Grand 7201 Amplifier
Sony BDP-S790 Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Triad InRoom Gold LCR's
Triad OnWall Silver Surrounds
2 Triad Silver OmniSubs
Panasonic TC-P65VT30 3D 1080p Plasma
Marantz NR1603 Receiver
Sony PS3 (HDMI Audio/Video)
MKSound MP-7 LCR's
MKSound SUR-55T Surrounds
MKSound SB-8 Subwoofer