8.1 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.7 |
Kenny Powers, an arrogant, burned-out, former major-league pitcher takes up residence in a small Mexican town; there, joined by his lackey Stevie Janowski and a new love interest, Vida, he fashions a comeback scenario that involves a local baseball team, the Charros, and its filthy-rich owner, Sebastian Cisneros.
Starring: Danny McBride, Steve Little, Katy Mixon, Elizabeth De Razzo, John HawkesDark humor | 100% |
Comedy | 88% |
Sport | 40% |
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
Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
French: DTS 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
You won't like Kenny Powers. Brash, cocky, insensitive... you wouldn't want to run into him at a bar, ask him for an autograph, or have dinner with the guy, much less count him amongst your friends. So how is it that Eastbound & Down works? Simple. Danny McBride. You may not like Kenny Powers, the flailing egomaniac and former Major League Baseball pitcher he plays, but it's hard not to like McBride. The HBO series' manchild comedy and cast of eccentric losers might get under your skin, its spittle slinging jabs and deadpan barbs might leave you cold, and the first season may very well wear out of its welcome long before its six episodes run their course. But McBride? The hair. The slack jaw. The scowl. The timing. The sweet, chewy nougat at the center of all that rage. Come for Kenny Powers, have a good laugh at his expense even. But stay for Danny McBride, and laugh at the impossibly likable unlikability he hurls across the plate, pitch after pitch after pitch.
When Eastbound & Down isn't baking in the Shelby summer sun, its 1080p/AVC-encoded presentation delivers. When the clouds part, though, and the sun comes out to play, the image takes a turn for the problematic. Crush flourishes, noise erupts, skintones drift off course, and contrast ratchets up to eleven. It's all part of the chosen Eastbound aesthetic, mind you, but it isn't without its shortcomings. That said, the series holds its own, with warm colors, passable primaries, stark black levels, and decent saturation. Detail fluctuates from shot to shot and scene to scene, and isn't always as well-resolved as some might prefer, but HBO's encode isn't to blame. Closeups exhibit an array of fine textures, and only wider, more hotly contrasted shots suffer. It helps that artifacting, banding and smearing sit the bench, and edge halos and ringing are really the only troublemakers to contend with. Does The Complete First Season look like a winner? Not exactly. Nevertheless, it represents a significant upgrade from its DVD counterpart and will continue to satisfy newcomers and fans of the show alike.
I didn't expect much from Eastbound & Down's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, but like its second-season brother in sonic arms, The Complete First Season's lossless mix doesn't disappoint. The crack of a bat, the roar of a crowd, the drunken slurs of a steroid-fueled pro baseballer, the stale echo of a luxury car dealership, the hollow ring of shattered dreams... all present and accounted for. The rear speakers rarely slack off, rallying solid support for every environment and directional effect (if only to adequate ends at times). The LFE channel throws its weight around as well -- more than expected actually -- and dynamics are quite good, despite the fact that the series flaunts a down and dirty sound design that's more man-on-the-street than man-in-the-suite. And dialogue remains clean and clear throughout, without too many lines falling by the wayside. All in all, HBO's lossless mix delivers a fit and faithful experience, even when the source shrugs its shoulders and drops the ball every now and then.
The 2-disc Blu-ray release of Eastbound & Down: The Complete First Season recycles the 2009 DVD extras, among them three audio commentaries, an HBO featurette, deleted scenes and a series of outtakes. Thankfully, all of the video content is presented in high definition.
Eastbound & Down isn't for everyone, but if you warm up to McBride's punch-drunk ex-pro, if his cocky man-child fractures your funny bone without fail, the HBO series' first six-episode stretch will break a few bones itself. If McBride's shtick grows tiresome, though, brace yourself. The Complete First Season does well on Blu-ray, even if its video presentation isn't anything special. That said, it still holds the line along with a dependable DTS-HD Master Audio mix and a nice selection of extras. Is Eastbound & Down worth a purchase? If you enjoy the series, absolutely. As a blind buy? You might want to take things a bit slow until you know what you're getting into.
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