6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The multi-generational phenomenon that has inspired millions to embrace their inner-Gleek will soon bring them together to experience Glee a whole new way.
Starring: Dianna Agron, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Chris Colfer, Darren CrissMusic | 100% |
Documentary | 59% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 MVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
German: DTS 5.1
Italian: DTS 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 2.0
English SDH, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy (on disc)
DVD copy
Blu-ray 3D
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Let’s start with the obvious: If you’re not a diehard Gleek—the portmanteau code-word for geeky fans of Fox’s hit musical (or musical hit) TV series
Glee—then Glee: The 3D Concert will seem like little more than a rousing 84-minutes of top-40 karaoke and hot-stepping
choreography. You may wonder who these fresh-faced twentysomethings-posing-as-high-school-kids are, and why the throngs of tweeners, teens, and
middle-aged gay couples in the audience are going positively gaga for them. You’ll be confused by the sudden appearance of Gwyneth Paltrow—who
sings a radio-friendly version of C-Lo’s “F—k You”—and baffled when one performer, who had previously been confined to a wheelchair, suddenly stands
up to give a rendition of Men Without Hat’s “Safety Dance.” If you’re not schooled in all things Glee—if you don’t know Artie from Puck or Finn
from Quinn—you’d do best to pick up season one and start from the beginning.
On the other hand, if you’re a Sue Sylvester-quoting, Warblers-adoring, Cheerios cos-play costume-wearing Glee superfreak—with a crush on
pretty-boy Blain, an affection for Mr. Shue’s sweater vests, and mad envy for Mike Chang’s dance moves—then you’ve come to the right place.
Glee: The 3D Concert is for you.
Glee: The Concert Movie was shot using Red Epic and Arri Alexa high definition digital cameras mounted on 3D rigs that held pairs of each
camera side-by-side to create a stereoscopic view. (For the 2D version, I assume only the feed from one "eye" was used.) On Blu-ray, the 1080p image
looks like it's been put through some occasionally heavy post-processing to make it sharper and cleaner. Outdoor shots of fans being interviewed often
look oddly smoothed out—perhaps to hide pimply complexions and give the pubescent kids a shiny glow?—and there are times when it appears that
some slight edge enhancement has been applied to the concert footage. You'll also spot some heavy noise and low-light artifacts during many of the
performances and crowd shots. Color is realistic and nicely saturated, but you will notice that blacks sometimes take on a milky grayish quality during
some scenes, possibly in order to save shadow detail.
In the 3D version, however, all of these issues seem less apparent, mostly because your eyes are otherwise engaged with processing the extra visual
information. The 3D rarely adds anything to the experience besides sheer spectacle, but it is handled well. There's a satisfying sense of dimensionality as
the camera sweeps over the crowd, looking toward the stage, and the tighter shots of the performers look wonderful, especially when the singers are
staggered to create multiple levels of depth. (Brittany makes a joke backstage about how her boobs will look great in 3D, but I'll leave it up to you to
decide if you can notice much of a difference.) The pyrotechnics and other effects—like spraying confetti and streamers—also make for some delicious
eye candy.
Fox recreates the aural experience of the Glee concert on Blu-ray with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that's far better than merely acceptable but just shy of great. In the concert films with the very best audio presentations, you get a distinct sense of being right in the middle of the audience, dead center and several rows back, with the cheers of the crowd surrounding you and the music coming at you forcefully from the front. You rarely get that sensation here. The rear channels could definitely stand to be used more effectively. You'll hear the clapping and screaming of the fans and notice that some of the music has been bled into the back speakers, but the mix just isn't as aggressive as it could be, immersion-wise. The songs sound good—don't get me wrong—but they're sometimes a bit distant and uninvolving, with vocals boosted cleanly at the top but instrumentation that sits too shyly in the background. That said, there are a few numbers that sound fantastic when turned up loud, specifically "Fat Bottomed Girls" and "Firework," both of which are considerably punchy and dynamic when they really kick in. Vocals are always clear and easy to understand, and there are no hisses, pops, crackles, or sudden dropouts. The disc also includes numerous dub and subtitle options for those who want or need them.
The 3D version contains identical features to the 2D release, and you can also choose to watch the 2D version from the menu. The one extra exclusive to the 3D release is a replica of the 30-page tour booklet that fans could pick up at the actual concert.
The Glee concert movie bombed at the box office due to poor marketing and a public unwilling to shell out extra bucks to see it in 3D, but I suspect many a Gleek will find this Blu-ray release nestled in a stocking or under a Christmas tree. This is most definitely a "for fans only" film, but it does cater nicely to the show's followers, who will appreciate seeing these songs performed in a new setting. And while the use of 3D isn't what I'd call essential—it's just spectacle and doesn't add much to the experience—I do think it looks better than the 2D version, where noise and other artifacts seem much more visible. Recommended for Finn-o-philes, Rachel-wannabes, and Kurt-oholics.
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