Charmed: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

Charmed: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Movie Review

The supernatural fun of Charmed returns with the fourth season of the hit television series from the WB network. Created by Constance M. Burge, Charmed is a powerhouse production with a terrific concept (beautifully executed by the creative team). The series is compelling entertainment with a supernatural twist. Charmed is executive produced by Brad Kern, Aaron Spelling, E. Duke Vincent, and Constance M. Burge. Featuring the hit theme song “How Soon Is Now?” (as performed by Love Spit Love). Time for some magic!

The Power of Three isn’t what it used to be (and that’s a good thing). The drama of Charmed finds new and exciting thrills with the arrival of a new half-sister, Paige Matthews (Rose McGowan). The original trio is no longer united following the loss of sister Prue (Shannen Doherty). With the arrival of Paige, brand new and exciting drama unfolds with the Halliwell sisters.

Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) and Piper (Holly Marie Combs) must learn to confront their fears and move past the loss of their dearly departed sister. With the help of Paige, the Charmed ones recreate the “Power of Three” and a new era begins. The stakes have never been higher with new enemies and unexpected evils. The season becomes even more intense as Cole (Julian McMahon) finds his demon side. The sisters embark on new and exciting adventures filled with witchcraft and suspense.

The fourth season changes things up: the original Power of Three cast has changed (with Rose McGowan joining the cast). The absence of Shannen Doherty doesn’t go unnoticed. However, Rose McGowan is an exceptional addition to the series cast. McGowan is a wonderful actress and she is a great addition to the series. Fans of the Planet Terror actress will cherish her addition to the cast of characters. With a knack for comedy and a undeniable charisma, McGowan steals the spotlight. Alyssa Milano and Holly Marie Combs continue to impress as Phoebe and Piper respectively. There is a sense of cohesion to the cast. The performances are great.

Charmed manages to have an outstanding production aesthetic. There are many outstanding elements to the series production. The design on the series is exquisite and there is a lot to appreciate about how the series creative team brings the setting to life. These elements help to make the witchcraft elements all the more convincing and integral to the season.

A rose arrives on scene.

The series manages to find a nice balance between comedy and drama while integrating action-packed fun. The series has a compelling use of special effects for a genre television series. While the special effects aren’t as big-budget or impressive as some genre fare, it still holds up well. The demons and otherworldly creature effects are part of the fun.

The costumes are central to the success of Charmed as well. The costume designs are enormously impressive and each leading actress has a lot of costume changes to make the series all the more engaging. The hair and make-up styling is equally effective and is arguably one of the most important aspects of Charmed: the characters all have distinctive personalities reflected within their unique styles.

The cinematography is surprisingly cinematic and engaging. Charmed is more involving in appearance than one might expect for a genre television series. The style finds a wonderful balance between the darker components of the story (demons and the like) with the more realistic drama backdrop. The visuals certainly help enhance the storytelling. Audiences are in for a treat.

The original score composed by Jay Gruska and J. Peter Robinson is a fun aspect of the series. The music adds a sense of whimsy to the storylines and the dramatic twists and turns. The score provides a nice backdrop to the experience and helps to enhance the production aesthetic. Jay Gruska and J. Peter Robinson ably aid the series with their compositions.

One of the most entertaining components of the production is the screenwriting. Charmed has well written characters. The unique explorations of the central cast members is one of the elements to celebrate: the writing keeps the storytelling engaging. The addition of Rose McGowan to the cast certainly yields plenty of new screenwriting opportunities for the staff. The end result is a season brimming with new ideas.

Charmed is well-directed entertainment. The series highlights each of the lead actresses and their respective talents within the series production. The fourth season certainly brings some new elements to the table and from a directorial standpoint, it continues to explore the supernatural with a nice tonal balance. The series directors provide whimsy and adventure in good measure. Fans will be pleased with the new direction of the series in Season 4.

Charmed: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Paramount Pictures, Charmed: Season 4 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in a 1.78:1 widescreen aspect ratio. The release provides fans with a greatly improved high-definition presentation. The resolution uptick is phenomenal and makes the series so much more entertaining. The presentation appears crisp and clear on the release – highlighting the series visuals with ease. The special effects even hold up surprisingly well. While there may be some occasional scenes with standard-definition footage (such as transition shots of the city), the results provided on the fourth season continue to showcase the benefits of the high-definition release. A wonderful release which easily benefits from the widescreen presentation.

Charmed: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Charmed: Season 4 is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo. The high-resolution audio manages to help enhance the viewing experience. The lossless fidelity audio tracks are a nice element: providing more depth and resolution to the soundstage. While there are some sequences that benefit from the increased resolution more than others (such as club/dance scenes), the entire production benefits. A good improvement over standard Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo. The Blu-ray will also easily out-perform the standard DVD release and streaming.

Charmed: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Charmed: Season 4 provides no supplemental features. The release is sans-extras and won't provide fans with any new audio commentaries or exclusive making-of featurettes. The release might have benefited from including some behind-the-scenes documentaries – alas, there are none.

Charmed: The Complete Fourth Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The fourth season of Charmed is another successful entry in the supernatural and bewitching saga. The season adds Rose McGowan to the cast and she becomes one of the most integral parts of the entire series production. Fans of McGowan will especially appreciate the fourth season for bringing her into the series lore. The Blu-ray release features a worthwhile video-audio presentation. It is difficult to imagine anyone being disappointed by the quality of the release. Recommended.