Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

Heroes Reborn: Event Series Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 11, 2016

Creator Tim Kring's Heroes burst onto the television scene in 2006, capturing the hearts and minds of fans who saw the crazy-good potential of an X-Men-influenced TV show in which ordinary people discover they're special, superhuman in their own way and gifted with powers that can be used for the betterment of the world around them, or for other, darker, more nefarious purposes. Unfortunately, the show grew stale quickly, maneuvering through increasingly disappointing second, third, and fourth seasons that seemed to never quite parlay season one's success, or the concept's strengths, into great television. Cancelled months after season four's conclusion in 2010, it would take more than five years for the show to make a return to television, a hotly anticipated return despite the rather negative note on which it initially left. Heroes Reborn isn't exactly a "continuation" from season four but instead an "event miniseries" that blends new with the old and further explores the world in which those with powers must exist alongside those without, building on the mythos rather than pushing a single story forward and exploring timely themes in the guise of something out of the ordinary.

A new hero.

Humans and "Evos" -- the "evolved" or individuals with extraordinary powers, as they have come to be known -- have been brought together under the umbrella of peace in the otherwise sleepy little West Texas city of Odessa, home of Primatech, a leading research outfit in the study of advanced human abilities. The venue is destroyed in a terror attack, however, furthering the divide between humans and Evos, forcing the latter into hiding. An Evo named Mohinder (Sendhil Ramamurthy) is directly blamed for the attack, but every Evo has become a target for retribution. They're forced underground, to meet in secret, to hide in the shadows, and avoid government registration. Luke (Zachary Levi) and Joanne (Judith Shekoni) Collins, seeking vengeance on Evos, stumble upon a list that reveals the identity and whereabouts of every Evo. Among them are Tommy (Robbie A. Kay), a teenager with the ability to teleport objects (to where he does not know); Miko (Kiki Sukezane), a Japanese girl who finds herself transported to a fantastical world in search of her father; and Carlos (Ryan Guzman), a man who unravels the truth behind his Evo brother and continues his fight. As the world pushes towards armageddon (what else), new heroes and old faces alike will fight for the future of man -- whatever that may mean in the world of supermen.

Heroes Reborn is built for redemption, but doesn't quite remove the bad taste left behind by its predecessors. The series largely clings to formula as it desperately attempts to move forward, forge its own identity, but still operate under the rules, events, assumptions, and characteristics of the original. The 13-episode event series feels overly busy for precious little payoff. It zips through manufactured crises and character revelations. Powers are used to satisfactory, but predictable, effect. With so many characters, angles, convergences, and constructions that push towards a finale that's in some ways both satisfying and mystifying, the show rarely finds its footing, presenting its numerous story lines as a massed jumble that's entertaining in bursts but rarely satisfying along a more comfortably developed narrative arc.

The series is built around the social and political fallout of the humans-vs.-Evos confrontation. Seemingly straight from the pages and film reels of X-Men, the series pummels, but effectively so, the audience with notions of xenophobia in a way that's reminiscent of today's social and political landscapes. The show goes so far as to plop real-world voiceovers on top of the Odessa tragedy in a move that only further solidifies its desperate craving to ooze dramatic relevance and parallels with the real modern world, certainly the classic Science Fiction angle but here feeling a little more manipulated and forced rather than organically flowing, a second-rate knock-off of ideas that have been done better before. The tangible parallels give it a little added realism and weight, but nothing in the show feels so fully fleshed out to make its relevance more than a crude reflection rather than a more pointed and subtly woven commentary.

Below is a list of all season one episodes. Summaries are provided courtesy of the Blu-ray packaging. Spoilers follow.

Disc One:

• Brave New World: After the tragic events of June 13th, the world is hunting those with extraordinary abilities, including Tommy the teleporter and Miko, who has the ability to enter a video game. Meanwhile, HRG returns, as he is pressured by Quentin to investigate a day he's seemingly erased from his memory.
• Odessa: HRG and Quentin discover Primatech is still active, but Luke and Joanne steal their car along with a list of evolved humans. Molly walker, a powerful Evo, who is now a grifter, is caught. Meanwhile, Miko attempts to free her father and is transported into a dangerous trap at Renautas headquarters in Japan.
• Under the Mask: HRG and Quentin race to stop Renautas from using Molly Walker's powers to hunt down Evos, but uncover a shocking truth. Miko's sword is taken by Erica Kravid, head of Renautas, and her clone henchman, Harris. Carlos realizes his late brother's underground railroad might be in jeopardy.
• The Needs of the Many: While HRG breaks in Renautas in search of Molly Walker, Miko travels to America in search of her sword. Tommy puts himself in jeopardy to save his mother's life while Luke struggles to keep his powers secret from his wife.

Disc Two:

• The Lion's Den: HRG, Quentin and Taylor escape from Renautas and confront Erica for answers. Malina, who can control earth, wind and fire, is left to continue her journey alone after Renautas eliminates her protector. Tommy is forced to register his powers and is rocked by a startling revelation. Jose discovers the truth about El Vengador. Meanwhile, Erica solidifies her plan.
• Game Over: Tommy and Emily travel to Paris. Malina collides with the grief-stricken Luke and enlists him in her quest. Carlos goes on a rescue mission to save Jose and Father Mauricio. HRG, Quentin, Ren and Miko team up to free Hiro.
• June 13th -- Part One: HRG is reunited with Hiro as they travel back in time to the June 13th summit to find Claire, but Hiro is unable to stop the explosion. With the help of Phoebe's power, Erica uses Harris to set off an explosion at the summit.
• June 13th -- Part Two: Quentin demands that Erika show him his sister. Meanwhile, Otomo realizes he's been betrayed and creates Miko. Angela recruits Farah to watch over Malina. HRG returns to present day, unaware that his actions have changed Quentin's allegiances.
• Sundae, Bloody Sundae: Taylor is recruited by Hero Truther to save their leader, Micah. Carlos infiltrates Sunstone Manor and comes face to face with the Director and his own past. HRG and Anne reveal Tommy's true heritage to him. Joanne takes Emily hostage in order to snare Tommy, but a chance encounter with Luke saves their lives. Quentin betrays HRG.

Disc Three:

• 11:53 to Odessa: Luke, HRG and Malina continue their search for Tommy. Erica shows Tommy a post-apocalyptic future and he agrees to help humanity survive using his ability. Miko finds another master of time and space — Tommy. Malina uses her power to battle a massive storm.
• Send in the Clones: With HRG missing, Luke and Malina must continue their journey without him in order to stop Erica. Tommy questions his destiny. Miko has a final showdown with Harris. Parkman takes Taylor hostage as leverage. Meanwhile, Jose and Carlos free Micah and expose Erica's deception to the world.
• Company Woman: Hours before the end of the world, Erica recalls her past as she's confronted by her daughter. Tommy has doubts about Erica's plan. Malina and Luke hatch a plan to find Tommy. Carlos, Jose and Micah race with Farah to Odessa, Texas to save Malina where Farah will make the ultimate sacrifice.
• Project Reborn: The epic conclusion, with Tommy imprisoned, Erica harnesses his powers to travel into the distant future. Emily and Ren discover a way to free Tommy. Carlos races to save Farah's life. Luke makes a sacrifice to protect Malina who must face the H.E.L.E. alone. Quentin is forced to make a desperate decision in order to save the world and HRG's fate is revealed.

Heroes Reborn: Event Series Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Heroes Reborn: Event Series features a 1080p transfer that holds up well enough but that's not without a number of drawbacks. Noise prevails throughout, modestly hovering for much of the runtime but spiking severely on occasion. Banding, macroblocking, and aliasing -- the latter mostly present in the digital video game sequences -- are also intrusions. The digital source leaves the program looking rather flat and shiny. Details rarely soar. Even clothing lines and intimate facial features struggle to explore the absolute finest points. Basic stability and clarity are fine. There's just rarely a real, tangible sense of lifelike transparency. Colors are often bright and cheery but greatly influenced by lighting, pushing extreme red and warm here, yellow and pasty there. Consistency is certainly not in the show's vocabulary. A car dealership and other very well and neutrally lit locations fare best. Black levels hold up well enough, however.

Heroes Reborn: Event Series Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Heroes Reborn: Event Series arrives on Blu-ray with a decent, but hardly memorable, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. It rarely stretches the sound system in any way, not in terms of total stage saturation, not in terms of low end prominence, and certainly not in terms of raw musical clarity. Music largely hovers along the front, producing satisfying definition throughout the range but little in the way of surround immersion. Modest atmospherics, such as school hallways and city streets, are better defined as "present" than "recreated." Action scenes find a little bit of heft and movement around the stage, with commendable bass, definition, and stage separation as needed. Gunfire never enjoys the sort of impactful prominence it deserves. Dialogue is at least well prioritized and clear with a consistent center placement.

Heroes Reborn: Event Series Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Heroes Reborn: Event Series contains deleted scenes on all three discs and additional bonus content on disc three. A UV digital copy voucher is included with purchase.

• Deleted Scenes (1080p): Disc One: Scenes from "Brave New World" (2:46), "Odessa" (3:52), "Under the Mask" (1:52), and "The Needs of the Many" (1:30). Disc Two: Scenes from "Game Over" (1:30), "June 13th, Part One" (0:27), "June 13th, Part Two" (2:24), and "Sundae, Bloody Sundae" (1:06). Disc Three: Scenes from "11:53 to Odessa" (2:08).
• Heroes Reborn: Reliving the Legacy (1080p, 10:49): A look at continuing the series, story details, themes, the international cast, new and returning characters, and more.
• Heroes Reborn: Dark Matters (1080p): A collection of six "webisodes" that further explore the Heroes universe. Included are Chapter One: Where Are the Heroes? (5:37), Chapter Two: Phoebe (7:58), Chapter Three: Registered (7:23), Chapter Four: June 13th (5:00), Chapter Five: Renautas (11:33), and Chapter Six: Where the Truth Lies (5:59).

Heroes Reborn: Event Series Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Heroes needed a second chance, but this 13-episode special run doesn't rekindle the fire that burned so strongly during its incredible debut season. It goes through the permutations and machinations with too many interconnecting characters and too little creativity in its social commentary. It's entertaining enough but doesn't take the series in any new, meaningful direction. Universal's Blu-ray release of Heroes Reborn: Event Series offers decent enough video and audio. Supplements are limited to a few deleted scenes, a handful of webisodes, and a featurette. Rent it.