7.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Supernatural | 100% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Fantasy | Insignificant |
Mystery | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1, 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1, 1.78:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Three-disc set (3 BDs)
Digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Note: If you're not already familiar with some of the conceits of American Gods, my advice is to skip this review until you've
watched at least the first season. This review assumes just such a familiarity, and so may contain spoilers not just with regard to the debut season
itself but also its follow up year,
as well as with regard to more
general ideas behind the entire series which are in fact kind of slowly doled out throughout the first two seasons.
Fans of the television adaptation of Neil Gaiman's American Gods who have followed some of the backstage drama of the series may find
it either intentionally or unintentionally hilarious when a
featurette included with this release which purports to give an overview of the third season begins with a snippet of a scene where a relatively
minor
character tells Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle), "You're aware we've been having issues with staffing." American Gods: Season 1 came out of the (star?)gate unabashedly
strongly,
quickly establishing both an appropriately visceral visual style while also being rather cheekily provocative in its depiction of a "war" between "old
gods" like Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane) and "new gods" like mass media. Unfortunately, for reasons that have either been consigned to the oft
repeated "creative differences" or been brushed aside with relatively little comment, a number of notable cast and crew departed after the first
season, and American Gods: Season Two
arguably suffered as a result, and in fact only got to the small screen some two years after the premiere season of the series. That perceived
sophomore slump actually continued behind the scenes in the second season as well, with staffing changes put in place after the first season
changing yet again, and with a perhaps gossip fueled amount of bad press resulting, including "made for TMZ" moments like co-star
Orlando Jones going very public over being let go from the series. Now two years after the second season aired,
American Gods is back for its ostensible final go 'round, with yet another showrunner in place and with another slew of cast changes on hand.
The result is arguably a step up from the second season, but perhaps not enough of a step up to make fans feel like the show had
attained its former first season glory.
With an understanding that, as per the note above, there may be some spoilers at play, those wanting a recap of events in the series thus far are
encouraged to click on the following review links:
American Gods: Season 1 Blu-ray review
American Gods: Season Two Blu-ray
review
American Gods: Season Three is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Starz and Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1 with 2.39:1 interstitials, as has been the tradition with this series from the get go. Also a tradition with this series has been some pretty spectacular looking high definition presentations, and that continues apace with this supposed final season. Once again, blacks can tend to look boosted at times, something that can, for example, give Wednesday's craggy face a somewhat gritty, almost dirty, look, but detail levels are generally excellent throughout, and fine detail is able to more often than not survive any number of lighting, grading and special effects choices. There are some especially interesting grading choices this season, in both aspect ratios, with some of the 2.39:1 material looking almost desaturated (see screenshot 7) and some of the 1.78:1 scenes almost drenched in buttery yellows (see screenshots 2 and 8). The CGI looks rather crisp for the most part throughout this season, and some moments, like the totemic buffalo that has shown up, look remarkably well rendered.
This is another recent Blu-ray release from Lionsgate where audiophiles might momentarily blanch when they see the menu lists only "5.1 Dolby" in English, thinking that perhaps there's only lossy audio on the discs, but indeed the release offers a substantial and robust Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track. The show is often a whirlwind of supernatural activity, and the soundtrack is often very immersive as a result (it's especially immersive in Lakeside, where an underwater aspect comes into play). Though some of the more hallucinogenic moments offer the best swirling and panning effects, quieter scenes regularly feature well placed ambient environmental effects. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout the series, though there is at least one kind of cheeky use of a "dead" language, with "dead" subtitles which have English subtitles superimposed over them. In the "real" subtitles category, optional English and Spanish subtitles are available.
Disc One
My wife is a huge fan of the original Neil Gaiman novel, and is not shy about detailing how the series has departed, evidently at times rather radically, from the story Gaiman told (which may be one reason for the season one mishegos, but does not account for the subsequent two seasons' detours, where Gaiman was ostensibly more in control). This third season definitely kicks at least partially back into high gear after the lackluster sophomore year, but my personal feeling is too much time elapsed in between all three seasons for momentum to be sustained. The revolving door in both the cast and crew departments probably didn't help matters. Still, this is an often arresting show that has Big Ideas and a very distinctive presentational ambience. Technical merits are solid, and with caveats noted, American Gods: Season Three comes Recommended.
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