8.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
When the newly regenerated doctor arrives in Victorian London, he finds a dinosaur rampant in the Thames and a spate of deadly spontaneous combustions.
Starring: David Tennant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi, Jodie Whittaker, Christopher EcclestonAdventure | 100% |
Sci-Fi | 88% |
Fantasy | 82% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
When the Doctor arrives in Victorian London he finds a dinosaur rampant in the Thames and a spate of deadly spontaneous combustions. Who is the new Doctor and will Clara's friendship survive as they embark on a terrifying mission into the heart of an alien conspiracy? The Doctor has changed. It's time you knew him. Directed by acclaimed director Ben Wheatley and written by lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat, the beginning of the Twelfth Doctor's era stars Peter Capaldi as the Doctor, Jenna Coleman as his companion Clara Oswald, and sees the return of Madame Vastra (Neve McIntosh), Jenny Flint (Catrin Stewart) and Strax (Dan Starkey).
Deep Breath features a crisp, proficient 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation; one that leaves little doubt that the upcoming Complete Eighth Series set, due this December, will be another worthwhile Doctor Who release. Colors are warm but carefully saturated, with lovely Victorian hues, lifelike fleshtones, strong primaries and deep, satisfying black levels. Contrast and clarity are consistent and impressive too. Edges are nice and sharp (without any ringing or aliasing to report), fine textures are refined, close-ups pop, and delineation is revealing. FX shots are home to a few minor eyesores, but none trace back to the quality of the encode. Artifacting, banding and other issues are nowhere to be found either, and the grain-like noise that was such a component of the Series 5-7 visual aesthetic, though still in play, has been reigned in. (The grain didn't bother me -- Deep Breath almost looks too pristine by comparison -- but others found it slightly distracting.) All told, the eighth series' opening episode is striking. I can't wait to see how the rest of the season's episodes fare.
Deep Breath's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track delivers a solid (albeit somewhat unremarkable) lossless experience. Dialogue is clean, clear and intelligible, without any lines being buried beneath the action. LFE output does well with dinosaur stomps and roars, heavy clockwork gear clunks, mechanized elevators, collapsing ceilings and other elements. And the rear speakers do a good job of making the adventure more immersive, with touches of light ambience that give the various environments and interiors a sense of fullness and real space. The only slight knock? Prioritization is decidedly decent, with nothing in the way of technical issues, but the episode's sound design tends to slightly favor front-heavy conversations over other more enveloping effects, low-end power and the series' score. No matter. Fans will be pleased.
Deep Breath is bumpier than it should be, but try and look past its flaws. Capaldi is well on his way to forging his own path as the Doctor, Coleman is stronger than ever, and as Doctor Who season openers go, this one is both compelling and fun. The eighth series only gets better from here(minus a few weaker episodes), so there's plenty more to enjoy on the horizon. BBC Home Entertainment's Blu-ray release delivers too, with a terrific video presentation, a solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, and a small but appreciated supplemental package. (A commentary would have been great, but I'm guessing we'll get those with the Complete Eighth Series set this December.) It's probably best to wait for the full season to be released, but if you can't hold off till winter, this standalone release of the first episode will serve as a nice appetizer.
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