Charmed: The Complete Seventh Season Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

Charmed: The Complete Seventh Season Blu-ray Movie Review

The penultimate season of Charmed has arrived. The conclusion of the series is underway and the events of the preceding seasons builds to this entertaining chapter of Charmed. The series rides an adrenaline rush of magic towards the ultimate finish line. The smash-hit WB television series was created by Constance M. Burge. Executive produced by the team of Brad Kern, Aaron Spelling, E. Duke Vincent, and Constance M. Burge, Charmed: Season 7 is a pre-farewell magic show. Supernatural fun awaits.

The Halliwell sisters are a force to be reckoned with. Paige (Rose McGowan), Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), and Piper (Holly Marie Combs) are tough- and-sweet witches with plenty of kick-ass attitude. The trio find themselves continuing to fight down the evil hordes of demons as they continue to fulfill their roles as the Charmed Ones.

Never underestimate the Power of Three. Paige, Phoebe, and Piper face off against new threats – including evil Avatars from the land of Egypt (who seek to rule the entire world for nefarious reasons). Can the witches be the heroes everyone so desperately needs? The trio must also fight to protect the Book of Shadows – at any cost.

The performances continue to make Charmed a successful television series. The cast is at the core of the series success. There is no doubt that the wonderful cast of leading actresses is behind the success of Charmed. First and foremost, Rose McGowan is exceptional as Paige Matthews.

McGowan provides Charmed: Season 7 with an energetic style all her own. McGowan bubbles with her wonderful personality and gorgeous looks. Alyssa Milano and Holly Marie Combs also return (as the original Halliwell sisters), providing long-time series fans with all-the-more reason to continue the journey towards the finish line.

Charmed has excellent production values. The entire production benefits from superb set designs. The props department also deserves a nod for the wonderful effort (after all, the Book of Shadows is as wonderful a proper-piece as one can expect to find). The entire production team brings forward excellent attributes to the series.

Witches Brew.

The special effects continue to be one of the areas which is most intriguing. The effects are often goofy and over-the-top by nature. However, the special effects are above-average for genre television fare, providing the series with a compelling style that fits the entire production nicely. A nice effort from everyone involved in the effects team.

Then there’s the costume designs: one of the essential elements of the entire series run. The costumes remain a vital component in season 7. Each character (from the leading witches to the supporting cast members) benefits from excellent costuming. The hair and make-up department on Charmed did an excellent job with the production as well.

Perhaps the most standout element of Season 7 is the cinematography. Season 7 continues to highlight the wonderful aesthetic of the series and its genre storytelling roots. Yet one episode of Season 7 is a particular standout, a noir-infused episode which is partly in black-and-white. The juxtaposition was impressive and the use of black-and-white cinematography to create the noir atmosphere is such a dream. These elements make the season stand out even more than expected – and fans will find the creative energy of the cinematography to be rewarding.

Featuring original music by Jay Gruska and J. Peter Robinson, Charmed: Season 7 once again showcases the vital importance of the composers to the inherent charms (pun intended!) of the series. The music provides eloquent background compositions for the drama and heightens the series tension with an abundance of mood-appropriate music during the darker sequences.

With an impressive staff of writers and directors involved on the production, Charmed: Season 7 has another worthwhile run. Fans of the franchise will undoubtedly want to continue the journey as the penultimate season brings audiences closer to the grand finale that awaits in the eighth and final season. What chapter awaits in the concluding season? The series inches closer to the finale.

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

Arriving on Blu-ray from Paramount Pictures, Charmed: Season 7 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in a 1.78:1 widescreen aspect ratio. The series looks better than ever in the high-definition presentation provided by Paramount. The release retains film grain and the season doesn't suffer from egregious DNR (digital noise reduction). The detail on the release is superb. A wonderfully detailed presentation, the crisp high-definition visuals capably handle the series. A impressively encoded release from dependable Paramount. Color reproduction is excellent too. Nitpicking-wise, the release does have some occasional moments of standard-definition footage intertwined in with the film footage. These moments are fleeting and are usually reserved for the transition shots (such as location establishing shots). Nonetheless, a fantastic looking presentation overall.

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

The Blu-ray release of Charmed: Season 7 is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo. The lossless, high-resolution audio tracks impress in spades. The release benefits from superb dialogue clarity and detail. The audio imaging is impressive as well (especially for a stereo audio mix). The music – songs alongside score – provides the release with jubilant buoyancy which makes the presentation sound better than expected. A wonderful lossless encoding.

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

Continuing a trend with the Charmed season sets, Charmed: Season 7 includes no behind-the-scenes material. The release doesn't provide new interviews, documentaries, or making-of reels. Fans will certainly be disappointed by the underwhelming supplemental package.

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

The end of the road is nearby. The penultimate season brings audiences one step closer to the series finale in season eight. The seventh season packs a mightily wallop of a punch with more hauntingly worthwhile charms in "witchville" – the land of magic. The magic charms of the series continue to impress.

Actresses Rose McGowan, Alyssa Milano, and Holly Marie Combs are excellent in their respective roles. The Blu-ray release of Charmed includes a superb video-audio presentation (which is sure to impress). Unfortunately, Paramount hasn't provided Season 7 of Charmed with any new and exclusive bonus features (such as behind the scenes footage and audio commentaries). Nonetheless, series fans have reason to celebrate. Recommended.