5.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
No one knew if the fabled tomb existed. Those who have searched for it never returned. It’s been said that whoever finds it will become the richest soul on the face of the earth—some say, the most cursed. Now, one brave man, renowned safari hunter Allan Quatermain (Patrick Swayze) has been hired to find out what is true, what is myth, and what is really buried in the darkness of King Solomon’s Mines.
Starring: Patrick Swayze, Alison Doody, Roy Marsden, John Standing, Hakeem Kae-KazimAdventure | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (448 kbps)
Own this disc: Verified with MakeMKV.
None
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
In the Old Testament book of 1 Kings, Solomon, son of David, requested wisdom from God and was granted that request, and because he chose his gift selflessly, he was also granted the gifts of great honor and incalculable wealth. From Solomon's wisdom comes much of the book of Proverbs while the Bible's romance poetry book Song of Songs is often accredited to Solomon as well. Solomon greatly enriched Jerusalem, and himself, throughout his reign and his wealth has since been the fascination of treasure hunters everywhere. Be that as it may, King Solomon's Mines isn't overly concerned with much of anything to do with King Solomon, his treasures, or anything else about one of the Bible's more fascinating OT characters. Director Steve Boyum's miniseries is instead something akin to an overlong, not-as-good Indiana Jones adventure-type film in which dueling parties, with disparate motives and methods, find themselves on the same path that may lead to legendary treasure. The heroes are in it to save a life. The villains to find fame and fortune, a dichotomy reflective, perhaps, of the opposing possibilities for Solomon's own wish for wisdom over power and wealth. For the film, there are no surprises in the end, but it does make for an agreeable little diversion, anyway, with Patrick Swayze making for a fine rough-and-tumble hero with a conscience and a heart.
The picture is quite impressive all things considered. The grain structure is steady though to be sure a little on the spiky, hard-edged side. There are
often small compression artifacts swirling about as well, disrupting the natural flow but not to such a degree as to render the picture ineffective in
conveying its essential filmic structure. More breathing room on the disc by way of a higher bitrate would have certainly allowed for a more perfect
picture, but as it is the presentation isn't sorely wanting for a vastly superior presentation. A fine-tuning, absolutely. But no major overhaul is needed.
Essential detailing is usually quite strong. Whether period clothes and guns, complex environments with unique local flavors, arid African exteriors, or
skin close-ups (which range from basic pores and hairs to complex applied paints), the picture rarely struggles to bring a quality spread of sharp,
dependable, filmic details to the screen. It can range from extremely impressive to slightly troubled but it far more often than not favors the former;
look at a sequence around the 25-minute mark for a great example of the image's textural command. Colors are pleasantly neutral, appropriately lively
and bold, and rarely appearing overly flat or faded, even when the picture is dominated by earthy browns and beiges. Lower light interiors as the team
travels down into a subterranean locale in part one's final minutes can be a little more challenged for both color output and textural richness, and
understandably so. Black levels here hold up well enough. Skin tones appear accurate for the duration. The picture does show some spots and speckles
and random vertical lines as well as some scattered lower resolution shots and some jagged edges in digital inserts (look around the 24-minute mark
for a few examples) but Mill Creek's presentation is otherwise in fine shape. It's actually impressive in sum, much of the time, as its issues remain
apparent but never overtly detrimental to the overall viewing experience.
King Solomon's Mines features a Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack. Of course, this track lacks the finer finesse a lossless track would provide, but even as it's limited in its tech specs the presentation is not at all poor. It's quite capable, in fact, in all facets: music, action, ambience, and dialogue. Music finds a good bit of body and spacing along the front. Mill Creek's track is not shy about spreading it wide and finding all the right little touches to amplify instrumental detail. Action scenes, often blended with music, feature robust spacing and good movement. Gunshots aren't lifelike but do hit with some authority and depth. Natural world atmosphere is pleasantly integrated and surprisingly spaced and nicely detailed. Dialogue is clear and images to the front-center stage area.
This Blu-ray release of King Solomon's Mines contains no supplemental content. The main menu screen only offers the option to play parts one and two. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This release does not ship with a slipcover.
This is not a poor movie by any stretch of the imagination. It's just pointless. It plays well enough at a very baseline level but never stretches the content -- story, production, performances -- even a mite beyond a safety zone. There's little reason to watch, particularly at three hours, to slog through a film that is at best a forgettable time killer, albeit one with enough essential elements in working order to get by as a "decent" movie altogether. Mill Creek's featureless Blu-ray delivers surprisingly decent video and audio. Final verdict: ehhhh...
(Still not reliable for this title)
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