7.8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
TV mini-series starring Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton as the head of two families caught up in a bitter feud in 19th century America. The series is based on the real life feud between a West Virginia family and their rivals from Kentucky, which lasted almost 30 years and became a byword for the dangers of family and tribal loyalties. 'Devil' Anse Hatfield (Costner) and Randall McCoy (Paxton) fight side by side in the Confederate army. The two men return home from the Civil War exhausted and seeking peace. However, courtesy of a series of misunderstandings, a civil war abruptly breaks out between the two families that promises to be almost as deadly and divisive as the nationwide war...
Starring: Kevin Costner, Bill Paxton, Matt Barr, Tom Berenger, Powers BootheWestern | 100% |
History | 97% |
War | 84% |
Period | 72% |
Epic | 47% |
Romance | 14% |
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 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English, English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
I fight only for my own.
"Hatfields" and "McCoys" may not be an indelible piece of the American experience like "baseball" and "apple pie," but it is a part of the American
vernacular; even those with only a cursory history of the quarrel know the names to be synonymous with "hate," "fight," and "feud." Indeed, of all
the familial sagas in American history, theirs may be the most infamous and certainly readily-identifiable for its breadth, depth, and body count. It's
notable for, well, its notability as perhaps the most widely-known family-level event in the nation's history, a national history largely defined by
wartime, politics, sports, even organized crime. But the Hatfield-McCoy feud is something far different, involving but the common man engaged in a
decidedly uncommon endeavor, a relentlessly bloody chapter in two family histories that not only shaped generations of Americans, but threatened to
spill over into something larger and further beyond the scope of a West Virginia-Kentucky border skirmish. Their battles have become American legend
and a source of unquenchable fascination. "Hattfields & McCoys" is the latest filmed recount of the feud and one of many fictional and nonfictional
histories of America's two first families of violence. It's a detailed, lengthy, bloody retelling, a fascinating glimpse into the people, places, and times that
have transfixed Americans for more than a century.
The casualties pile up quickly in "Hatfields & McCoys."
"Hatfields & McCoys" arrives on Blu-ray with a stunning 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. Sony's image dazzles from start to finish. The series plays with a deliberately drained palette. Dim colors and a push to a pale gray is the norm, but the image does enjoy splashes of brilliant hues -- red, white, and blue pennants at a festive get-together and lush natural greens, for instance -- to offset the rather grim proceedings. The HD video photography yields a precisely detailed and consistently crisp but rather inorganic, sterile look; a grittier, grainier appearance might have worked better, and the flat video façade seems out of place early on. As the series progresses, however, audiences are apt to accept the look as-is and revel in what are some startlingly good details. All of the old wooden planks, chipped paint, frayed clothes, strained facial lines, and fuzzy hairs look absolutely spectacular. Even dust floating in the light against darker interiors will startle audiences with the precision and real-life accuracy. There are some close-ups that are so impressive that the image is worth pausing to examine just how good they looks, even with the drained palette. Black levels are superb throughout, and while flesh tones sometimes favor a pale, ghastly appearance, they're in-line with the rest of the show. Light banding does creep in from time to time, and low-light color transitions can struggle, but this is otherwise an exemplary transfer through and through.
"Hatfields & McCoys" delivers a startling DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack experience. The series open with an immersive wartime sequence. Listeners will feel as if a part of the action, dodging shots and explosions, feeling exploding ground and crackling gunfire erupting from every corner of the listening area. Screaming soldiers and the general din of battlefield chaos create a complete surround sound experience in the opening minutes. comparable action scenes later in the series may be described similarly. Individual gunshots or smaller skirmishes likewise allow listeners to identify distinct pistols shots and rifle cracks. The track delivers wonderful, accurate ambience throughout; Sony's audio presentation works in every speaker in the delivery of drenching rain, buzzing crickets, light breezes, rolling wagons, falling trees, and other environmental atmospherics in the effort to submerge the listening audience in the West Virginia and Kentucky border locales. Bass is tight and deep, strong and accurate in both action and atmospheric support. Music plays evenly and smoothly, focused up front but enjoying just the right amount of rear support. Dialogue is smooth and accurate, balanced and flowing from the center. This is everything a top-rate modern track should be, no surprising coming from Sony.
"Hatfields & McCoys" contains two extras, both located on disc two, highlighted by an entertaining making-of overview feature.
"Hatfields & McCoys" is a spectacular miniseries. If there's a fault it's that it's a bit overlong and repetitive in stretches and there are times when it's difficult to sort out the tertiary players who, though not front-and-center throughout the series, still shape the dynamics as much, if not sometimes more so, than the primary cast. But those minor complaints aside, this is riveting, remarkably well-made historical entertainment. The acting is superb, the cinematography wondrous, the direction steady, and the story absolutely captivating. This is the miniseries as polished and enthralling as ever, up there with the best of its kind, including "Roots," "Lonesome Dove," "Band of Brothers," and "The Stand." Sony's Blu-ray release of "Hatfields & McCoys" features dazzling video and audio. Sadly, the extras are rather slim. Nevertheless, this is one of the year's better Blu-ray releases and is a must-own. Highly recommended.
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