Atlantis: Season Two Part One Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.5

Atlantis: Season Two Part One Blu-ray Movie Review

Still sinking...

How a series like Atlantis is thrown a life preserver while others are left to drown is beyond me, but so it goes. There's a fanbase out there, gods be praised, and they enjoy all the camp, cheese and bad costuming the Supernatural Saturday series can muster. Season Two is a wee bit better than Season One, I suppose -- in some ways at least -- but rather dull by comparison as well. It's a toss up really. The characters are somewhat more compelling. Or perhaps it's the drama. Or the scripts. Or dumb luck. (Who can tell?) Alas, poor Jason, the story drags, ditching much of the first season's adventure-of-the-week trappings (yay!) in exchange for a more cohesive but far less exciting plot involving treachery, betrayal and plenty o' melodrama. (Boo!) Is there redemption in Atlantis' future? Not so far as I can tell, but then, I've yet to drink the fantasy punch on the comedically challenged action/adventure series, or really to enjoy a single episode. Six chapters into Season Two, I still haven't been snagged by the show's hook, whatever that might be. After "The Grey Sisters," I'm beginning to wonder if there is one, other than the cast's sincere efforts and lingering Merlin nostalgia...

• A New Dawn, Part 1: A year has passed and much has changed. With her father dead, Ariadne is Queen and finds herself at war with her old adversary Pasiphae. As the kingdom stands on the brink of collapse, the struggle for power is both bloody and brutal. With the future looking bleak, there is only one person Ariadne dare turn to for help: Jason. The time has come for the young warrior to fulfill his destiny; the battle for Atlantis has begun.


• A New Dawn, Part 2: Pasiphae lays siege to Atlantis and without the Palladium to protect it, the city looks set to fall. The last remaining hope rests with Jason, Hercules and Pythagoras, but far from home they are fighting a desperate battle of their own. As the conflict reaches its thrilling climax, nothing could have prepared Hercules for what he discovers; it throws into doubt everything he once knew to be true and is set to change the course of the future forever.


• Telemon: Ariadne is formally crowned Queen, but with Pasiphae still at large and the city struggling in the aftermath of battle, Atlantis remains vulnerable indeed. So when an enigmatic stranger arrives offering salvation, he proves hard to resist. But his proposal is far from straightforward. Will the cost be too much for Ariadne to bear?


• The Marriage of True Minds: As plans progress for the royal wedding, Ariadne must undertake a journey to Telemon’s homeland of Aegina. With the kingdom still beset by Colcheans, Jason is not the only one who fears for the Queen’s safety. Determined to do what is best for her people, Ariadne continues regardless. But as the voyage progresses, it becomes clear that the royal retinue faces enemies at every turn. Has the young Queen’s luck finally run out?


• The Day of the Dead: As the dust settles, the gang find themselves dispersed around the ancient necropolis. And they soon realize they are not alone…the space is crawling with a magical army of the undead. The race is on to find Jason before he falls prey to the flesh eating monsters. As Jason battles for his life, he finds an unlikely ally in the mysterious Medea, but can he really trust her?


• The Grey Sisters: As Ariadne lies suffering, Jason’s guilt is almost too much to bear. He resolves to do all he can to save her and embarks on a dangerous quest into the unknown. After a daring encounter with the ancient Grey Sisters, Jason’s mission brings him face to face with Medea and Pasiphae once more. Can he thwart their powerful magic to save his love, or do they have other plans?

Atlantis: Season Two Part One Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Like the Blu-ray release of Season One, Atlantis: Season Two, Part One features a solid 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation that doesn't deviate from the showrunners' intentions. The glossy digital photography is ideal for daylit exteriors, fire-bathed temples and hot deserts; not so ideal for starless night skies, dank caves, midnight missions and after-dark assaults. Murkiness prevails and crush and increased noise are minor distractions, but, of course, it's all within the bounds of the series' aesthetic. Fortunately, skintones are lovely, primaries pop and black levels are reasonably satisfying (muted though they often are), and detail is largely excellent, with crisp edges and refined textures. Again, as the sun sets, clarity takes a hit, but not enough to warrant concern. There also isn't any significant macroblocking, banding or aliasing to document, even if a few visual effects don't quite make the grade. Ultimately, fans will be pleased.

Atlantis: Season Two Part One Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Once again, Atlantis arrives on Blu-ray sans a 5.1 lossless track. In its place is a serviceable DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo mix that, nevertheless, does a fine job with its workload. Dialogue is clean, intelligible and well prioritized throughout, effects and music are balanced nicely within the soundscape, and there aren't any real mishaps to report. Naturally, low-end support and rear speaker activity would have brought the series' sword battles, skirmishes and supernatural elements to more convincing life, but as lossless two-channel tracks go, you could certainly do worse.

Atlantis: Season Two Part One Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Blu-ray release of Atlantis: Season 2, Part 1 doesn't include any special features.

Atlantis: Season Two Part One Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Atlantis' second season rights a few wrongs from Season One, but commits a new slew of sins that prevent it from rising above its camptastic roots. The showrunners aim for the same blend of comedy, adventure and drama as Merlin, sure. Hitting that target is another matter. Atlantis is no Merlin, and Merlin already struggled with flaws of its own. Perhaps with a bigger budget, better casting, more striking visual effects, sharper writing, more polished dialogue, less generic music... basically if it was an entirely different show, Atlantis might warrant attention. As is, it merely panders to its fanbase, content to feed on their approval without taking a hard look at what would drastically improve matters. Thankfully, BBC Home Entertainment's Blu-ray edition is more satisfying, with a solid AV presentation. However, breaking the season into two separate releases -- not to mention offering up the first half sans any supplements -- will irritate a number of loyal fans. But at this point, if you're interested in Atlantis: Season Two, you've already bought in. Disagreeing with this review and adding the Blu-ray release of Part One to your cart is merely a formality.