Austenland (Blu-ray) Official AVSForum Review


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

Film:

Extras:

Audio/Video total rating:

( Max score: 100 )
81





Studio and Year: Sony Pictures Classics - 2013
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Feature running time: 97 minutes
Genre: Romance/Comedy

Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC (MPEG-4)
Video Aspect: 2.40:1
Resolution: 1080p/24


Audio Format(s): English/French/Portuguese DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio, Spanish/Thai Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Chinese, Thai, Portuguese, Indonesian/Bahasa, Korean
Starring: Keri Russell, Jane Seymour, JJ Field, Bret McKenzie, Jennifer Coolidge, James Callis, Georgia King
Directed by: Jerusha Hess
Music by: Ilan Eshkeri
Written by: Jerusha Hess & Shannon Hale
Region Code: A,B,C

Blu-ray Disc release Date: February 11, 2014
"Unlucky in love? Take a trip to Austenland.."


Film Synopsis:


Jane Hayes’s (Keri Russell) adoration of all things Jane Austen is complicating her love life. Determined to be the heroine of her own story, Jane spends her life savings on a trip to Austenland, an eccentric resort where guests experience complete immersion in the Regency era. Armed with her bonnet, corset and needlepoint, Jane strives to avoid spinsterhood … but has a difficult time determining where fantasy ends and real life—and maybe even love—begins.

My Take:


No need for further breakdown of the plot as the synopsis above spells it out well enough so that you get the gist. Based on the novel by Shannon Hale (who co-wrote the script) Austenland is a paint by the numbers romantic comedy with a vanilla flavor that, depending on your taste, is mildly entertaining. The comedy is a bit more slapstick than you’d expect but thanks to Jennifer Coolidge’s spot on timing and quirky antics works nicely. That combined with the elements of trite romance and solid casting choices results in a modest but fun genre entry that isn’t a bad way to spend an hour and a half.


Parental Guide:


The rating is for some suggestive content and innuendo.



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: 78

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

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Video: 84

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

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Austenland comes to Blu-ray Disc from Sony Pictures featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 26 Mbps and lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 3.3 Mbps.


The audio/video presentation delivered very good overall quality. Images exhibited clean lines, crisp detail and warm flesh tones. Sharpness was not as acute as the best I have seen on Blu-ray disc but it never looked soft or dull. Colors looked natural with ample saturation and vivid textures. Black levels were above average and shadow delineation revealed good visible detail in backgrounds during low light sequences and within dark areas of the picture. I would describe the video as being in the middle of the pack and perfectly acceptable for the format.


The lossless audio presentation was essentially the same in that it wasn’t exemplary but sounded just fine. Dialogue was well articulated with clear tonal distinction. Dynamic range was never really tested by the film’s elements however the variety of sounds within the track had ample depth. Surround activity was limited to light spatial dimension that occasionally broadened the soundfield and seamlessly bridged the space between the front and rear sound stages. This is a dialogue driven film that doesn’t require extensive use of the surround platform. In that regard it does a commendable job and sounds great.

Bonus Features:

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• Audio commentary with director/co-writer Jerusha Hess and producer Stephenie Meyer
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• (HD) Q&A with the cast of Austenland – 32 minutes

Final Thoughts:


Based on the novel by Shannon Hale Austenland is a paint by the numbers romantic comedy with a well-placed cast and quirky vanilla flavor that makes for a modestly entertaining way to spend and evening when you’re in the mood for light rom/com fun. It comes to Blu-ray from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment featuring gratifying high definition audio/video and a lackluster supplemental offering that will leave fans wanting. If you’re interested Austenland is easily worth the cost of a rental.










Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews





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Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier

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Oppo BDP-103D Universal Disc/3D capable Blu-ray Player (With Darbee video processing)

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