6.4 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A high-school Spanish teacher becomes the director of the school's Glee club, hoping to restore it to its former glory.
Starring: Lea Michele, Jane Lynch, Chris Colfer, Matthew Morrison, Kevin McHaleComedy | 100% |
Romance | 95% |
Musical | 65% |
Teen | 58% |
Drama | Insignificant |
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
English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Four-disc set (4 BDs)
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. No, not A Tale of Two Cities; I'm talking about high school, those four influential years of
BFF-forming and deep insecurity, budding sexuality and utter emotional stupidity. For those of us who've already lived through it, we look back with a
weird mix of nostalgia and thank goodness I don't ever have to do that again relief. If you're still right in the thick of it—eking through
trigonometry, partying on the weekend, maybe falling in love—enjoy it while it lasts, but know that the true best is yet to come.
Few TV shows have captured the glories and crushing melodrama of youth as well as Fox's Glee, the odd drama/comedy series that appeals to
both sentimental adults and in-the-moment teens. When the show premiered in 2009, there was nothing like it on television, and three years later it
still stands alone—an ambitious overarching story about high school kids discovering themselves, and a weekly musical peppered with current top-40
hits, classic Broadway tunes, and songs from the entire back catalog of 20th century pop. That's not to say it doesn't have its problems, from crater-
sized plot holes and inconsistently developed characters, to a sometimes annoying over-indulgence in "teachable moments" and somber, after school
special-style lesson learning. After a strong first season, the show's focus wavered somewhat in the second, and the third has trouble finding its
direction too, although the last few episodes dramatically set up some potentially interesting life-changes for the main characters. Despite its narrative
issues, Glee is infectiously fun and buoyed by an unusual-for-the-times optimism—this is a show that knows there's a difference between
snark and cynicism, and almost always chooses the former over the latter.
If you're familiar with the Glee season one and season two sets, you'll notice no significant changes in picture quality with The Complete Third Season. Along with Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and a small handful of others, Glee is one of the few remaining TV series still shot on film—Super 35, specifically—and this sets it apart from slicker, glossier, digitally-shot shows. You'll definitely notice the grain, which can be a bit chunky during darker scenes, but this is an inherent part of Glee's look. Each episode has been given a 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer—framed in the intended, screen-filling 1.78:1 aspect ratio—and these look true to their filmic source. 20th Century Fox has left the image untouched by digital noise reduction, edge enhancement, or other forms of filtering, and aside from some rare and barely noticeable compression artifacts—some infrequent banding, splotchiness in fine color gradients—there are no issues to report here whatsoever. The picture is a little soft—likely because of the spherical lenses used—but the difference between the Blu-ray and the DVD season sets is easily noticeable, with the high definition version sporting finer textures, cleaner lines, and an all-around tighter presentation. The film's color palette is realistic and nicely saturated, with bright and vivid colors in the stage lighting and costumes. Black levels are as dense as they need to be, and contrast is balanced. Some fans have expressed dissatisfaction at Glee's graininess, but on the whole I think the show looks great.
Likewise, if you've got the first two seasons on Blu-ray, you already know what to expect from The Complete Third Season's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 presentation. Glee is obviously all about the music, and the pop song and show tune covers generally sound fantastic here, especially if you're rocking a capable multi-channel home theater set-up. Crank the volume up a few notches above your normal listening level and you'll be treated to real presence, clarity, and dynamic punch, with solid subwoofer output and a balanced mix. Most of the time—but especially during the bigger "spectacle" numbers—the music is pumped out of every channel, with discernible separation of instruments and voices, filling the room with sugary top-40 guilty pleasure goodness. Back in the "real" world of school, the mix is decidedly less immersive; you'll hear some hallway ambience, auditorium clamor, and applause filling the rear channels, but there are also times when you'd expect to hear more environmental noise or directional effects and there just aren't any. No big deal, though. When it comes down to the nitty-gritty essentials, the mix has what it takes—clear dialogue and a soundtrack with kick. For those that may need or want them, the disc includes optional English SDH, Spanish, French, and Portuguese subtitles, all appearing in easy-to-read white lettering.
Glee's third season is even more unfocused than the second, and would've been a disappointment if the writers hadn't pulled the main strands together in the last few episodes for an emotional conclusion that opens some intriguing possibilities for season four. It looks like we'll be following at least a few of the characters post-graduation, which should come as a relief to fans of the New Directions' original lineup. Although the overarching story sags and sputters, the musical performances are as energetic as ever, and those whose tastes skew towards top-40, classic rock, and show tunes will find much to love. 20th Century Fox once again delivers a solid Blu-ray set, with strong audio/video quality and a decent assortment of extras, so gleeks shouldn't hesitate to pick this season up.
2009-2010
w/ Bonus Disc
2009-2010
2009-2010
2010-2011
with Vudu eCopy Of Season One Finale
2010-2011
2010-2011
2012-2013
2013-2014
Rockin' Rydell Edition
1978
2009
2018
2-Disc Shake and Shimmy Edition
2007
Sing-Along Edition
2018
10th Anniversary Edition
2008
Extended Dance Edition
2009
20th Anniversary Limited Edition Packaging
2004
2010
2006
2015
2005
2011
2008
15th Anniversary Edition
2006
2010
2016
Remastered
1984
1999
2015