Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

Endeavour Blu-ray Movie Review

Every saga has a beginning.

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf March 10, 2013

A prequel to the popular British television series “Inspector Morse,” which enjoyed a healthy run between 1987 and 2000, “Endeavour” intends to restart the franchise in a younger direction, hoping to entice a new generation of viewers willing to be sucked into fussy behaviors, dire crimes, and extended sequences of clue gathering. To be completely fair to “Endeavour,” I’m not familiar with the original “Inspector Morse” program; however, to the production’s credit, they’ve managed to create a story that doesn’t require complete fandom to figure out and embrace, managing to reintroduce the beloved character without leaving outsiders in the dark, while admirers will still be able to detect familiar pieces of personality.

The year is 1965, and Endeavour Morse (Shaun Evans) is about to pull away from his career plans and education, only to be sucked into duty when a teen girl turns up dead in a nearby town. Rubbing his superiors the wrong way with his specialized methods of detecting, Morse works his way through the case one suspect at a time, developing his instincts and patience for the process, while finding his focus blurred by crush Rosalind (Flora Montgomery), a beloved opera singer caught up in the investigation.

Created to reboot the world of Inspector Morse, “Endeavour” is careful to map out a mystery worthy of the revival. It’s a long road of questioning for the lead character, with the screenplay using every opportunity it has to solidify traits and tease future habits (a teetotaler at the start of the show, Morse is downing beer by the gallon at the end), also establishing the detective’s masterful way of deduction, albeit genius in its early stages of exercise. “Endeavour” isn’t a radical relaunch, more interested in a comfort food viewing experience for mystery maniacs, boosted by a comfortably fidgety performance from Evens, while Roger Allam provides sublime support as mentor Detective Inspector Thursday.

Endeavour Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation carries a sharp, crisp appearance befitting a television production. A mild amount of banding and ghosting is detected, but fine detail is excellent, registering the subtleties of reaction and the textures of period costuming, while also providing rich HD life to highly decorated interiors. Colors are accurate and stable, displaying greenery with confidence, while more brownish tones are communicated with authority. Skintones are purposefully drained and accurate. Shadow detail is somewhat solidified but not impenetrable, as most of the effort is captured during the day, fully illuminating the frame.

Endeavour Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is a basic television track that doesn't challenge but also doesn't lessen the listening experience. Dialogue exchanges are clean and tightly arranged in the front stage, a necessity when dealing with such a meticulously scripted effort, offering voices that sound deep and meaningful. Scoring isn't pronounced, but quite capable in support mode, never sounding tinny. Opera selections register in full, adding to the ambiance of the program. Low-end isn't ultilized. No distortion was detected.

Endeavour Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There is no supplementary material on this disc.

Endeavour Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A whodunit all the way to its unexpectedly theatrical conclusion, "Endeavour" entertains with its switcheroo atmosphere and attention to character detail. I'm sure those addicted to Inspector Morse will be pleased with the results, but that an average viewer with no history with the program can jump right in and enjoy the ride of deceptions and discoveries is quite an achievement.