6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.2 |
Set in northern Australia before World War II, an English aristocrat who inherits a sprawling ranch reluctantly pacts with a stock-man in order to protect her new property from a takeover plot. As the pair drive 2,000 head of cattle over unforgiving landscape, they experience the bombing of Darwin, Australia, by Japanese forces firsthand.
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, David Wenham, Bryan Brown, Jack ThompsonAdventure | 100% |
Romance | 97% |
Epic | 71% |
Period | 70% |
History | 69% |
War | 60% |
Drama | 49% |
Melodrama | 45% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
English SDH, Portuguese, Spanish, Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin (Traditional)
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Somewhere over the rainbow...
Australia is a bold and ambitious project from Australian-born Writer/Director Baz
Luhrmann, director of 2001's Moulin Rouge!,
recipient of a 2001 Best Picture Oscar nomination.
Certainly, Australia is a film with lofty aspirations and expectations, coming on the heels
of a slew of
Awards-season wins and nominations for the director's previous outing, and starring two of
Hollywood's hottest commodities, Nicole Kidman (Eyes Wide Shut) and
Hugh Jackman (The X-Men trilogy).
Australia is a well-meaning picture that offers something from most every major genre
cramped into its 160+ minute runtime while it consistently tugs at the heartstrings,
eliciting plenty of emotion from the audience, both real and contrived. It's not a perfect picture,
but it certainly receives the highest of marks for effort. Australia borders on being the
epic it desperately yearns to be, but a few blemishes keep it from enjoying a status as a
modern-day
masterpiece.
"Mrs. Boss" finds herself far away from home at Faraway Downs.
20th Century Fox presents Australia on Blu-ray with a stunning 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer. Generally, This is a fabulous transfer, often rivaling the best available on Blu-ray. Colors may be a bit warm with a red push, particularly in flesh tones, but it's incredibly clear and well defined, with a gorgeous color palette that stands out nicely, particularly the blues. The blue of the ocean, the outfit Sarah Ashely wears as she arrives in the Land Down Under, and even the blue of her eyes stand out with vivid precision that allows them to jump off the screen. Detail is often extraordinary; from the sandy, rocky terrain to the musky interiors of a bar, viewers are privy to the very finest of nuances to be seen in the film. It's truly a testament to the power of film, great cinematography, and the Blu-ray format to be witness to the weeds, rocks, and other natural wonders of the Outback with the level of clarity and resolution as found on this disc. The transfer is generally nothing short of beautiful; film grain adds a bit of a cinematic feel to the proceedings. Its presence is never intrusive and it is rarely seen in abundance. On the downside, black levels are sporadically spotty, tending towards a very dark shade of gray, but only in a few scenes. Banding is extremely minimal but noticeable in a few shots. A few scenes also reveal less-than-stellar levels of detail in faces; at times, detail looks washed away in several close-ups. Still, these very minor blemishes are more likely inherent to the film itself rather than some hiccup on the film's way to Blu-ray. There seems no cause for knocking the transfer, and the awe-inspiring imagery seen during the vast majority of the film is worthy of the perfect score the video receives.
Australia features a high quality DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The film's rousing score consistently serves as one of the audio highlights; it plays effortlessly and fills the soundstage with vigor, its reproduction clear as a bell and a joy to behold. The track offers plenty of minor environmental ambience -- blowing winds, for example -- that travel nicely around the listening area. Surrounds aren't put to full use in every scene, but they do come in to support the track when needed and offer the occasional discrete effect, all of which allows for the track to create a nearly seamless environment. The track often features thunderous bass, particularly when herds of cattle or horses pound their hooves on the dusty, barren terrain. No surprise, though, the sonic highlight of the film comes during the war sequences. Japanese Zeros scream across the sky and swoop through the listening area; machine gun fire and explosions rattle the windows and bring a powerful, engaging listening experience to the final act of the film. Dialogue is also strong and accurately delivered. While not quite on the same level of excellence as the film's visuals, this lossless soundtrack delivers the goods and serves as a fine compliment to the Australia experience.
Australia travels to Blu-ray with several bonus features in tow. Australia: The People, the History, the Location (1080p, 7:01) is a brief, dryly narrated, and fluffy promotional piece that looks both at the film and the history of the locations seen therein. Behind the Scenes is a series of nine interesting and informative shorts, presented in 1080p high definition, that examine the various pieces of the production that came together to create Australia. Among them are Photography (4:37), Production Design (5:30), Costume Design (6:58), Locations (6:22), Cinematography (6:44), Sound (11:05), Editing (11:05), Music (10:23), and Visual Effects (8:40). Also included are two deleted scenes -- What About the Drove? (1080p, 2:02) and Angry Staff Serve Dinner (1080p, 0:56). Concluding the supplements are three 1080p trailers for Australia and one for Slumdog Millionaire.
Australia is a fine movie that might have been more. Parts of it feel like the filmmakers tried too hard to make it perfect rather than allowing the story to flow naturally. It is rooted in good ideas and it has its heart in the right place, but it never quite manages to gel into a complete, epic experience. The primary cast delivers, the cinematography inspires wonder at the grandiose scale and wondrous locales, and the score is befitting the narrative. Australia isn't rightly dubbed a "missed opportunity," because the end result is fine and well worth watching, but it might have been more given some additional tweaking here or there. 20th Century Fox's Blu-ray presentation of Australia is exceptional. Although the disc does not include an extensive selection of bonus materials, it does sport impressive video and audio that alone are almost worth the price of admission. Australia seems to be a polarizing picture, but its fans may rest assured that this Blu-ray release is first class.
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Director's Definitive Cut
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70th Anniversary Edition
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45th Anniversary Edition
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Director's Cut
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