6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
A mysterious stranger and a random act of violence drag a town of misfits and nitwits into the bloody crosshairs of revenge
Starring: Ethan Hawke, John Travolta, Taissa Farmiga, James Ransone, Karen GillanWestern | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
German: DTS 5.1
French: DTS 5.1
Spanish: DTS 5.1
English SDH, French, German, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
UV digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
It does seem like the Western is making a hard push into comeback territory. It's certainly not the movie factory genre that it once was decades ago (that role has been given to the Superhero movie) but there's no mistaking the thirst for the dusty slice of Americana on both sides of the screen. Writer/Director Ti West's (The Sacrament) In a Valley of Violence is one of the latest in the slow-drip turned seemingly steady-drop genre offerings to hit the screen, right on the heels of Antoine Fuqua's fantastic The Magnificent Seven. A smaller picture in scope and scale but still every bit as clingy to classic genre motifs, the film stars Ethan Hawke (also one of the "Magnificent Seven") opposite John Travolta and James Ransone as a loner out for revenge against the men who did him wrong.
In a Valley of Violence was photographed on film and features a readily evident grain structure. It's nicely filmic, absent extraordinarily sharp detail and pushing even a touch soft in places, but the basic textural quality of the image impresses as basic surface-level details reveal enough complexity to please. Whether simple skin and clothing textures or more interesting dusty woods, worn bricks, or dirt pathways through town, there's always enough textural wonder to catch the eye. The 1080p transfer does its best to squeeze as much detail from it as possible, but it's not quite up there amongst the most ruggedly complex and tactile on the market. Colors are a touch desaturated and the palette a little bright and washed out, favoring something of a dusty look that doesn't necessarily deemphasize brighter colors but that pushes them down a notch to better blend with the earthy environment. Black levels are dense and prone to a bit of crush; a key nighttime outdoor sequence partway through the film is the best example. Skin tones are a touch pasty. On the plus side, no print wear is evident and no encode flaws are readily apparent.
In a Valley of Violence features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack that effectively presents every element in the movie's audio space. Musical presentation pleases, with all of the instrumental and effects-driven pieces blending nicely together and finding plenty of small detail clarity even in the most aggressive moments. Music generally lingers across the front, widely spaced along that axis but not pushing too hard into the rears. Back channel activity is reserved for supportive environmental details and action pieces. Gunshots boom and bullets often zoom through the stage and impact in various places, surrounds included. Low end response is tight and detailed, with a series of continuous pulses in chapter nine delivering a satisfying punch-punch-punch effect that deeply penetrates every inch of the listening area. Dialogue is focused on the front-center and reverberates in a couple of environments that allow.
In a Valley of Violence contains one extra. Behind the Scenes of 'In a Valley of Violence' (1080p, 2:00) offers a quick plot recap and character examination. A UV/iTunes digital copy code is included with purchase.
In a Valley of Violence doesn't reinvent the Western or do all that much novel or interesting with it. It's engaging and entertaining, well paced, nicely acted, smartly constructed...and just sort of unassuming at the same time. It's a good movie, hardly a great one, but it satisfies the itch for Western entertainment, even if it lacks anything all that memorable. Universal's Blu-ray is practically featureless, but video and audio qualities are fine. Worth a look.
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