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Love Actually - 10th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray) Official AVSForum Review

2K views 2 replies 2 participants last post by  Ralph Potts 
#1 ·


The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 )

Film:


Extras:


Audio/Video total rating:

( Max score: 100 )
87





Studio and Year: Universal - 2003
MPAA Rating: R
Feature running time: 135 minutes
Genre: Romance/Comedy

Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC (MPEG-4)
Video Aspect: 2.35:1
Resolution: 1080p/24


Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio, Spanish/French DTS 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
Starring: Alan Rickman, Bill Nighy, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Laura Linney, Liam Neeson, Martine McCutcheon, Rowan Atkinson
Written & Directed by: Richard Curtis
Region Code: A,B,C

Blu-ray Disc release Date: October 15, 2013
"All you need is love"


Film Synopsis:


Feel the love this holiday season with the Love Actually 10th Anniversary Edition! Funny, charming and heartwarming, this delightful romantic comedy follows eight couples whose lives intersect shortly before Christmas. Headlined by an incredible roster of stars, this beloved film also features early movie appearances by Martin Freeman (The Hobbit), Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead), January Jones (Mad Men) and Thomas Sangster (Game of Thrones). From the makers of Bridget Jones’s Diary and Notting Hill, it’s the perfect companion for every Christmas.


My Take:


Written and directed by Academy Award nominee Richard Curtis Love Actually, is a holiday themed romance/comedy/drama with a syrupy flavor that revolves around the lives and loves of eight couples. I am a bit of a romantic so I have no trouble with the whimsical scale of the narrative and its overt message about love and the romantic, humorous and bittersweet consequences for anyone lucky (or unlucky) enough to be under its spell. I thoroughly enjoyed the ensemble cast and in general found the film to be charming despite a slightly bloated runtime. I wouldn’t say that it falls into the category of a holiday classic but Love Actually has an endearing quality that manages to strike the right chords especially for those that enjoy its thematic tone.


Parental Guide:


The rating is for sexuality, nudity and language.



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: 84

(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: 90

(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)

  • Resolution/Clarity:

  • Black level/Shadow detail:

  • Color reproduction:

  • Fleshtones:

  • Compression:


Love actually comes to Blu-ray Disc from Universal Studios Home Entertainment featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 32 Mbps and lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 3 Mbps.


Universal digitally restored the film for this 10th anniversary release and the result is a beautiful high definition transfer that looks great on Blu-ray. Images are transparent with notable detail and a perceivable sense of depth. Close ups and mid level shots are sharp and revealing of subtle nuance within facial features, clothing, and objects/backgrounds within the frame. Colors are rich as both primary and secondary hues are vivid and natural. Skin tones are vibrant and tonally divergent. Blacks are deep, gradational and quiet which enlivens them during sequences that contain both light and dark elements. Detail in uneven light and darkened environments reveals discerning shapes and structure in backgrounds. I didn’t observe the over application of artificial sharpening or deleterious digital noise reduction. I found this to be a gratifying high definition video presentation from Universal.


The DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack yields crisp, well textured dialogue that renders even subtle variances in tonal character or vocal inflections clearly. The blend of music featured throughout the film exhibits high level detail, strident free treble and excellent soundstage presence. The audio presentation is delivered across the front soundstage with intermittent splashes of ambience through the rear channels that broaden the sound field. Surround use isn’t prevalent but atmospheric effects and occasional panning sequences create a believable listening environment that blends well with the front three channels. There isn’t a lot of bass associated with this soundtrack but the mix reproduces appropriate low frequency response in support of the recording’s elements.


Bonus Features:

  • 37 minutes of deleted scenes with introduction by Writer/Director Richard Curtis

  • Exclusive The Storytellers – 10 minutes

  • The music of Love Actually with introduction by Writer/Director Richard Curtis

  • Exclusive Billy Mack (Bill Nighy) “Christmas is all around” music video

  • Kelly Clarkson “The trouble with love is” music video

  • Feature length commentary with Richard Curtis, Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy and Thomas Sanger

  • Exclusive *Limited time only* – Collectible Holiday Ornament

  • Bonus DVD

  • Ultraviolet Digital Copy




Final Thoughts:


Written and directed by Academy Award nominee Richard Curtis Love Actually, is a holiday themed romance/comedy/drama that has an endearing quality that strikes the right chords for those with a soft spot for its whimsical charms. It comes to Blu-ray featuring digitally restored high definition video and crystal clear lossless sound and a complimentary supplemental that include exclusive content and for a limited time a collectible holiday ornament. This is well worth picking up for fans. If you haven’t seen Love Actually I can’t think of a better introduction than this Blu-ray offering from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.












Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews





Reference Review System:



JVC DLA-RS55 3D Ready 1080p High Definition Front Projector

(Calibrated with Calman 5 & C6 Meter from Spectracal )

Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16x9 Screen
Carada Masquerade Horizontal Masking System

Marantz AV8801 11.2 Channel Audio/Video Processor

Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier

B&K Reference 200.7 Series 2 Seven Channel Amplifier

Oppo BDP-103 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

Love Actually [Blu-ray]

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#2 ·
Ralph,


Did you compare the 10 anniversary version with the older release? Any improvements?
 
#3 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by gonzalc3  /t/1495007/love-actually-10th-anniv...y-official-avsforum-review/0_20#post_23841981


Ralph,


Did you compare the 10 anniversary version with the older release? Any improvements?

Greetings,


Chris, I don't have the original for comparison. Sorry...



Regards,
 
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