4.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Comedy | 100% |
Adventure | 10% |
Nature | 8% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Soooo. . .I’ve been away for a while, I assume nothing much has happened vis a vis the Robertson family
in between seasons of Duck Dynasty. I jest, of course; unless you’ve been living under a rock, or been
squirreled away in an isolated duck blind, you’ve no doubt been buried in the avalanche of publicity following
paterfamilias Phil Robertson’s unvarnished comments about his perceptions of the sins of homosexuality and the
happiness of pre-Civil Rights era American blacks, an interview which caused A&E to suspend the elder Robertson and
which then brought the expected outrage from left leaning
groups and an equally expected glut of defenses from conservatives. Actually, some of the responses to
Robertson’s comments have been rather surprising. A completely non-scientific survey of various news pundits which I
sampled in the immediate aftermath of the furor saw some Fox heavyweights, people like Charles Krauthammer and
Bernard Goldberg, coming right out and saying Robertson’s verbiage was offensive, but that he had every right to say
what
he thought. These two august pundits were also quick to add that he had no First Amendment right to a television
series, and that A&E also had every right to suspend him, opinions which made them rather strange bedfellows with
many of the progressives who offered very similar views on MSNBC. It’s to the Robertsons’ credit, whatever one may
think about Phil’s particular choice of words, that when they were recently given several opportunities to bash
A&E on Fox’s New Year’s Eve broadcast, they took the high road, with son Willie saying he was glad the conflict was
over and that all the Robertsons were looking forward to making more “funny” shows in 2014.
Several days after
that initial "scandal", older video was unearthed of Phil urging men to marry young, "pure" girls (as in
teenagers), something that
again raised some hackles in expected quarters. On one level, these recent
brouhahas have probably only reinforced what many fans of the show probably at least subliminally realized, namely
that
the elder Robertsons at least are “old school” personalities, one whose belief in faith and family and a certain way of
doing things is as intrinsic as their
perhaps now questioned attitudes, which some at least are labeling as prejudice. It will actually be interesting to see
how Duck Dynasty ends up dealing with the controversy, for my hunch is the show will indeed choose to confront
the issue(s) head on, rather than just pretending nothing ever happened. One undeniable aspect in all of this is that
these events have perhaps provided a window into an unscripted Robertson universe, something that is miles away
from the prefab world of Duck Dynasty. As I mentioned in Blu-ray.com's Duck Dynasty: Seasons 1-3
Collector's Set Blu-ray review , the "reality" of this so called reality series is highly questionable, with more and
more reportage surfacing of just how scripted this show really is. Just within the last few days, a glut of online
information, including numerous pictures of completely clean cut (i.e., beardless) pictures of the Roberstons have
surfaced to support the contention that just about everything in Duck Dynasty is a fabrication. This
probably comes as no great surprise to the more cynical among you, but it may also highlight just how canny the
Robertsons have been from an image making and business perspective. With all of this "news" now swirling around the
series, it may be make or break time for the show, which is now revving up its fifth season. In the meantime, viewers
can enjoy these
“PP” (Pre-Phil) episodes from the series’ fourth season, which ran from August to December 2013.
Duck Dynasty: Season 4 is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. This latest season of the series is very much in line with the progressive presentations on Blu-ray of the second and third seasons of the show (Duck Dynasty: Season 1 was interlaced). While some of the establishing shots still suffer from relative softness and occasional niggling artifacting concerns, the bulk of this series looks nicely sharp and well detailed. Colors continue to be accurate looking and are nicely saturated, and fine detail is often quite good, revealing things like the scraggly, unconditioned beards of the Robertson males in all their "glory".
Duck Dynasty: Season 4 features an adequate if not overwhelmingly sonic DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mix. The show really doesn't have huge ambitions from a sound design perspective in any case, so this stereo mix suffices perfectly well for what tend to be largely narrative or dialogue driven episodes. Some of the outdoor footage manages to subtly open up the soundfield, with good rendering of ambient environmental sounds. As with previous seasons, there is no damage of any kind to report on this perfectly acceptable track.
Can supposed backwoods guys who specialize in crafting duck calls jump the shark? Duck Dynasty has had its fair share (maybe more than its fair share) of publicity lately, but it's notable that none of it has been directly about the show. That may be the most salient sign that whatever pop culture phenomenon the Robertsons have become may have peaked and is on its way into the dusky twilight of "whatever happened to…." status. This fourth season will almost certainly please longtime fans of the show, for it offers little if any new twists or turns, and instead almost delights in simply rehashing ideas and plot conceits that have already been covered in previous seasons. Maybe it's time to send Phil on a lecture tour. That would probably end up being much more provocative and ultimately entertaining than much of Duck Dynasty tends to be. Still, when all is said and done, the Robertsons continue to be affable enough for at least an occasional check-in, and for fans of the series if for no one else, this fourth season comes Recommended.
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