6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.4 |
Dante journeys through the nine circles of Hell as he travels through limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, anger, heresy, violence, fraud and trachery in search of his true love, Beatrice.
Starring: Mark Hamill, Victoria Tennant, Vanessa Branch, Graham McTavish, Steve BlumAction | 100% |
Anime | 61% |
Fantasy | 57% |
Horror | 45% |
Animation | 42% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Abandon hope all ye who enter here.
Much like Dead Space:
Downfall before it, Dante's Inferno is a feature-length animated film,
distributed by Starz/Anchor Bay and released in advance of an Electronic Arts video game release
of the same name (scheduled for release on the Playstation 3 and Playstation Portable on
February 9, 2010). Whereas Dead Space served as something of a prequel to the
events depicted in its video game counterpart, Dante's Inferno seems instead to parallel
the classic story that's, presumably, of the same path the game will follow, seeing the film's and
game's title character battle his way through the nine circles of hell in search of his true love,
Beatrice. Though the quality of the film itself is paramount to this review, it's still pertinent to
ask one additional relevant question: does Dante's Inferno engender in its viewers a
desire to play the game? In a word, yes. Dante's Inferno breaths some new life into an
old tale, and while the movie is entertaining and nicely produced, it does offer great potential for a
novel and fun video game adventure that allows players to battle an onslaught of demons and
historical figures sentenced to damnation in a fairly unique digital environment.
Another one bites the dust.
Dante's Inferno traverses the depths of hell in style, making the trip in a 1.78:1-framed 1080p high definition transfer. The film offers both a harsh, red-and-black dominant visual style within the hellish realm, but also features a more surreal and serene visual tone during the film's open that gives it the look and feel of a dreamy painting rather than an animated film. However, it is the drab look of the underworld that dominates the picture, where only shades of red seem the only companion to an otherwise darkened picture that does lend to it a strong uninviting tone that reinforces both the locale and themes wonderfully. The 1080p presentation allows for all of the fine details of the animation to jump to life; the textured rock faces, stone floors, frayed clothing, glossy armor, and the bumps and ridges on Dante's demonic weapon are all nicely rendered. Additionally, lines are sharp and the image is well-defined, with the only soft or hazy shots seemingly appearing as a result of deliberate filmmaker intent or present in support of some thematic context. Unfortunately, some unsightly banding appears sporadically throughout, but it's the only major drawback to an otherwise fine presentation of an admittedly and deliberately drab animated film.
This Blu-ray release of Dante's Inferno features a quality Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The film's opening narration is excessively bass heavy, each syllable sending a palpable rumble through the soundstage, but dialogue is otherwise cleanly and suitably reproduced throughout the remainder of the picture, even bouncing about the soundstage in several scenes featuring the spoken word reverberating about more cavernous locales. The soundtrack delivers a full, satisfying, and fairly immersive experience; effects swoop about the listening area -- with a hefty back channel presentation -- with ease, and while some effects seem a bit more pronounced than others, there's generally an engaging and satisfying feel that does well to compliment many of the movie's larger-than-life visuals, enemies, locations, and combat sequences. Ambient effects such as a driving rain are also well-represented, the sound naturally enveloping the listener to fine effect. Bass, while not excessive, is smartly implemented throughout, giving the picture and visuals a heft that only adds to the grandiose scope of some of the film's people, places, and things. A fine soundtrack all around, this one probably won't win any best-of-year awards, but it's a very good offering nevertheless.
Dante's Inferno features a collection of five animatics, presented in 1080p: Beatrice Chase (3:12), Charon (2:17), Dante Stabs Farinata (1:21), Francesco Fight (2:51), and Lust Minions (1:51). Also included is a trailer for the upcoming video game (1080p, 2:15).
All told, Dante's Inferno is a solid but not exceptional movie, the film a bit sluggish and certainly taking liberties with Dante Alighieri's original poem but providing more of an audience-accecssible and action-oriented story that, most importantly, makes for a fine companion piece to the upcoming video game adventure. The animation is sound if not a bit repetitive, a forgivable trait considering the lack of opportunity to expand far beyond the basics of what each circle of hell might have to offer. With sturdy voice acting, a fine score, and plenty of blood-soaked action, fans of animated fantasy or those eager to catch a glimpse of what the upcoming game from Electronic Arts may have to offer will want to give this one a spin. This Starz/Anchor Bay release sports a decent 1080p picture quality, a strong lossless soundtrack, but only a couple of scattered extras. Dante's Inferno is worth a rental by those fascinated with the subject material, eager to see a unique perspective on a classic poem, or anxious for the video game release.
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+ Unrated cut on the Blu-ray
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Director's Cut
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