7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
In a world where thought and faith are controlled, one man fights to set knowledge free. The secret history of Leonardo Da Vinci's tantalizing life reveals a portrait of a young man tortured by a gift of superhuman genius. He is a heretic intent on exposing the lies of religion. An insurgent seeking to subvert an elitist society. He finds himself in the midst of a storm that has been brewing for centuries. A conflict between truth and lies, religion and reason, past and future. His aspirations are used against him by the opposing forces of the time—luring him into a game of seduction where those who despise his intellect need him most.
Starring: Tom Riley, Laura Haddock, Elliot Cowan, Tom Bateman (III), Allan CordunerHistory | 100% |
Period | 64% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Three-disc set (3 BDs)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Forget historical fiction. Da Vinci's Demons is unapologetic quasi-historical escapism, with little concern for real history or the man who inspired creator David S. Goyer's occasionally silly, often melodramatic Renaissance romp. But that doesn't mean the Starz series isn't a lot of fun, particularly in its second season where its ambition is matched only by its willingness to do whatever it takes to keep fans watching. The scale is grander. The scope broader. The sets and locales expansive. The characters pushed to their breaking points. And the adventure in full, guilty pleasure swing from start to finish. Fence-sitters will find much of it unintentionally funny, with brooding seriousness clashing with gold-clad Incan warriors, wild on-the-fly inventions (good God there are some doozies this season), muddy action, muddier plotting, and McGuffins with names like "The Vault of Heaven," "The Book of Leaves" and "The Labyrinth." Snickers may abound but addicts know the chilling grip of a semi-decent, cliffhanger-riddled cable series all too well. Great TV? Depends of your definition. Entertaining? It's 15th Century MacGyver. Da Vinci builds a submarine in the third episode to board a slave ship. A submarine. Entertainment (for better or worse) is a given.
Like the Blu-ray release of The Complete First Season, Da Vinci's Demons: The Complete Second Season features an excellent 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation every bit as sharp and snazzy as the series' ultra-clean, hyper- crisp digital photography. Reds are often muted but other colors -- lush jungle greens, bright ocean blues and rich Incan golds - - pierce the at-times bleak palette. Moreover, skintones are beautifully saturated throughout, contrast is vibrant and consistent, black levels are deep and satisfying, and there isn't any significant macroblocking, noise, aliasing or banding to spoil the proceedings. (Minor crush is present in darker episodes, but it never proves distracting.) Detail isn't hindered in any way either. Edges are precisely defined and free of ringing, fine textures are nicely resolved, and close-ups look terrific. Fans will be most pleased.
Da Vinci's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround track benefits from the second season's wide expanses and grand vistas, delivering a more convincing and enveloping experience than its first season counterpart. (Not that its predecessor was a slouch in the lossless audio department.) Rear speaker activity is engaging and effective, with neck-craning directional effects, slick cross-channel pans, and an immersive soundfield that further sells the illusion of each exterior environment and elaborate interior set. LFE output is strong and reliable too, throwing its support behind battles, death-defying feats, and Leonardo, Lorenzo and Riario's greatest challenges. Better still, dialogue remains intelligible, well-grounded and perfectly prioritized from start to finish, without being buried beneath action, suspense or the clatter of da Vinci's wild inventions. All told, The Complete Second Season's AV presentation delivers the goods.
Da Vinci's Demons may earn a shoulder shrug and a "too each his own" from me, but it isn't hard to spot all the elements fans find so deliriously fun and incredibly addicting. Goyer and company throw history out the window, proudly embracing the nuttier aspects of their premise while stocking the series storeroom with plenty of drama and character-driven intrigue. It's all rather uneven and over-the-top, particularly given its penchant for taking itself so seriously, but it's also a blast from time to time, making it an easy guilty pleasure to plow through a season at a time on Blu-ray. Fortunately, Anchor Bay's BD release is a strong one, with a wonderful AV presentation that isn't about to disappoint anyone. There's a distinct lack of substantive extras, which is a shame when it comes to any television release, but fans of the show will still be left itching for Season Three, no matter how flawed Season Two might be.
2013
Fox Studio Classics
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Il Primo Re
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