8.1 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
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
French: DTS 5.1
Spanish: DTS 2.0
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Eastbound & Down takes a turn for the worse in its third season, which doesn't come so much as a shock as it does an inevitable disappointment. (The same sinking disappointment most fans have been bracing for since the HBO series' shaky 2009 premiere.) And while it might seem a heartfelt "such a shame" is in order, I have to ask: is it? McBride and his cohorts have struggled valiantly to keep the crude, self-destructive misadventures of former MLB superstar Kenny Powers side-achingly funny, but with an increasing number of strikeouts and a dwindling number of hits, it was only a matter of time before people started to take notice. Eastbound is past its prime. Viewers have drifted, critics have grown cold, diehards have become mere casual fans, and HBO even went so far as to kindly inform McBride and co-creators Ben Best and Jody Hill that the third season would be their last. Which it was... until someone planted in a plush, cushy chair decided to give Eastbound & Down one last shot at the premium cable majors. But if the series' near-awful third season is any indication -- with its tiresome manchild-raises-baby gags, best-friends-in-turmoil subplots, and young-upstart-jealousy rivalries -- Eastbounders may not want a fourth season, much less tune in to watch it.
Bringing Up Baby: Wildly Inappropriate Edition
Already own Eastbound & Down: The Complete First and Second Seasons? Then you know what to expect from The Complete Third Season's overcooked 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation. Exteriors are daylit interiors are often too hot, with crushed whites and blacks, oversaturated colors, and plenty of noise. Evenings and low-lit interiors, by unfortunate contrast, are sometimes dull and flat, with little in the way of vibrancy beyond some punchy primaries and relatively natural skintones. But such is the series' photography, making HBO's Blu-ray presentation the victim of an already unsightly source. Thankfully, artifacting and ringing are kept to a reasonable minimum (even though both make a few too many appearances), aliasing and banding are nearly non-existent, and detail is quite good, particularly when it comes to closeups and midrange shots. All things considered, it gets the job done. If you didn't have any complaints with the series' first two BD releases, its third won't disappoint.
The highlight of the latest Eastbound & Down Blu-ray release is, once again, its DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. While the third season doesn't feature as explosive a soundscape as Season Two, it still gets most everything right. Dialogue is clear, nicely prioritized and rarely subject to clarity issues. LFE output is hearty and strong -- Schaeffer fires a civil war cannon at Kenny's truck, and it hits as hard as it should -- and rear speaker activity is assertive and pleasantly involving. Directionality pitches a good game, pans are slick and dynamics deliver. Add to that a soundtrack that fills the soundfield, all without detracting from a scene's ambience or atmosphere, and you have a lossless track that impresses even when the show is struggling to do so.
Eastbound & Down loses its edge in Season Three. McBride all but checks out, Hill and Best lose creative steam, and unlovable loser Kenny Powers falls into a rut. None of it feels fresh, more jokes hit the dirt than breeze across home plate, and the cast looks as disinterested as the baby McBride neglects for the better part of the season. There are laughs to be had, I'll admit. But they're few and far between, and retread old ground covered in Seasons One and Two. HBO's Blu-ray release is better thanks to a faithful (but unattractive) video presentation, a decidedly reliable DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track and a generous helping of extras (among them eight commentaries and 50-minutes of deleted material, some funnier than the scenes that actually made it into the episodes). If you already own the first two seasons, picking up The Complete Third Season certainly won't hurt. Much. The sting of a lesser season always hurts a little; even more if you're a big fan.
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