5.6 | / 10 |
Users | 3.2 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.2 |
Willie Stark, a small-time Louisiana politico tapped to run for governor as part of a plot to keep the big-money incumbent in office. Realizing he's being used as a pawn, the once idealistic Stark becomes a ruthless, power-hungry political operator obsessed with winning the gubernatorial race.
Starring: Sean Penn, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, James Gandolfini, Mark RuffaloDrama | 100% |
Period | 30% |
Video codec: MPEG-2
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: LPCM 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Time brings all things to light.
It seemed a shoe-in to become one of those critically-adored, Oscar-contending Political dramas
that, regardless of box office returns, was guaranteed to be a success thanks to plenty of "four
stars!" and "two thumbs up, way up!" and "extraordinary!" and "don't miss this film!" sort of
blurbs
that would populate television and radio ads, and, eventually, home video release artwork. It
boasted a
stellar cast full of previous Oscar winners, nominees, and fan favorites. On top of it all, it was
based
on a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel that any self-resepcting high school or college student or
self-proclaimed admirer of fine literature would at least be familiar with. Not so fast. 2006's
All the
King's Men, adapted from the Robert Penn Warren novel, written for the screen and directed
by
Steven Zaillian (Searching for Bobby Fischer), and following in the footsteps of the 1949
filmed adaptation that took home Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role, and Best
Actress in a Supporting role, sputtered at the box office and, more importantly, proved a failure
with
the critics and garnered not a single Oscar nomination. All the ingredients were in place; what
went
wrong?
Stark thrills the crowd.
All the King's Men arrives on Blu-ray with a fairly good 1080p, MPEG-2 encoded, 1.85:1-framed transfer. Though an earlier release in the life of the Blu-ray format, All the King's Men boasts a rather strong transfer that holds up nicely even today. It does lack that last bit of clarity and definition that defines the upper-stratosphere sort of transfers, but all things considered (and the film's intended look in particular), this one's a winner. The color palette appears deliberately toned down throughout. There's often a slightly dull and gray appearance to the film; there are splashes of bright colors, particularly greens, but the tone does well to reflect the film's themes. As a result, flesh tones take on a rather ghastly appearance. Fine detail is suitably good but not overwhelming; chipped paint on a Louisiana home's exterior or the nicely appointed upholstery in a high dollar hotel are nicely rendered. The transfer also exhibits a nice sense of depth, though some backgrounds (and a few foregrounds) occasionally go a bit soft. Black levels are solid throughout, and the transfer is capped off by the retention of a very slight layer of natural film grain. Though this isn't The International, it's a solid release from Sony.
All the King's Men delivers a surpassingly active and sonically satisfying PCM 5.1 uncompressed soundtrack. The primary drawback is that dialogue is sometimes delivered with a bit too much bass; combined with the thick accents and occasionally overly loud background sound effects, the spoken word is sometimes muddled and difficult to make out. Otherwise, All the King's Men sounds exceptional, particularly considering the film's standing as a dramatic political picture. Though the aforementioned atmospherics sometimes play with a bit too much volume in relation to other aspects of the track, they generally sound wonderful and add plenty of lifelike vibrancy to the soundtrack. Chirping insects surround the listener in plenty of outdoor scenes; thunder booms around the soundstage in several scenes; and an interior train scene in chapter three features the sound of the car rattling down the track in the background to wonderful effect, and it does an excellent job of placing the viewer in the train car with Willie, Jack, and Sadie. Stronger effects work nicely, too. An exterior shot shows a train rumbling from left to right in one scene, and later, from front to back. Several gunshots scattered about the film also feature an appropriately heavy thud with each shot. Music is expertly reproduced with a natural tone and clarity across the range. With fine clarity and excellent use of the entire soundstage, All the King's Men represents one of the finer-sounding Dramas on Blu-ray.
Nothing is included.
A wonderful story that falls short thanks to somewhat flawed execution, mediocre acting, and too much self-induced pressure to be better than it needed to be, All the King's Men is a classic example of a film that tries too hard and winds up a lesser film for it. Not a disaster but certainly not the epic and Oscar-worthy picture it should have been and wanted to be, All the King's Men is just a good movie with its heart in the right place but with everything else off-kilter. Sony's Blu-ray release is technically sound. The image quality represents one of the better MPEG-2 encodes out there, and the PCM track delivers a surprisingly robust surround sound experience considering the film's Drama-oriented tone. Unfortunately, no supplements are included. Worth a rental.
Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
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