7.9 | / 10 |
Users | 4.3 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
Mariah Carey, the top-selling female artist of all time with sales of over 160 million units worldwide, took her newest show on the road in 2006 for the first time in more than three years. The Adventures of Mimi, her most successful tour ever, shaped up to be a grand celebration, drawing on songs—many performed for the first time ever—from her 15-year career. Shot in High Definition and recorded in Digital Surround Sound, this large-scale, sold- out arena production, produced by legendary Award Winning Producer Ken Ehrlich, is your all- access pass to see Mariah belt out everything from power ballads to hip-hop tracks. It is a fantasy come true to see and hear an artist of this magnitude touch the hearts and souls of so many with her famous five-octave voice.
Starring: Mariah CareyMusic | 100% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080i
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: LPCM 5.1
English: LPCM 2.0
English, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 CD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Crowned “the third bestselling female artist of all time” by the Recording Industry Association of American Mariah Carey can finally be seen and heard on Blu-ray. “Mariah Carey: The Adventures of Mimi” was shot in high definition during the star’s stop in Anaheim, California in 2006 under the supervision of Award Winning producer Ken Ehrlich.
Meant to be a grandiose celebration of her incredible legacy and a loud statement clarifying to her critics that she is still capable of covering the much publicized five octaves Mariah Carey: The Adventures of Mimi is a show you definitely want to see. It is colorful, terrifically produced, and superbly executed in a manner that will undoubtedly please those of Mariah’s fans who could not make it to Anaheim. It is also a bit nostalgic as it brings back memories of a time when the music scene in America had so much more to offer.
Once again together
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC, and granted a 1080i transfer Mariah Carey: The Adventures of Mimi arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Image Entertainment. The overall quality of this disc is good but not spectacular. The show has been recorded with multiple cameras and I was able to detect a number of inconsistencies with the video treatment. First of all contrast, clarity, and detail are good. The stage decors, lighting, and supporting dancers are all captured rather well allowing one to truly taste the terrific atmosphere. There are a few minor jaggies that you would probably detect when the camera zooms but overall I was pleased with the manner in which everything was transferred to Blu-ray. Second, I was watching closely to see whether or not some of the digital noise I've seen lately on concert BDs (Queen Rock Montreal & Live Aid) is an issue for concern here but generally speaking most everything appears to have been handled well. This being said, however, there must have been something wrong with one of the cameras used to record this show as every time there is footage that we get to see from it there is a very strange wave-like effect that pops up. Fortunately enough, this specific camera is used only a couple of times and within a very limited timespan so the annoying effect is easy to ignore. Nevertheless, it is present on the disc and the more sensitive amongst you will definitely notice it. The rest of the presentation is generally fine with all of the basics intact.
Mariah Carey: The Adventures of MIimi has two audio tracks – English PCM 5.1 and English PCM: Stereo. I opted for the 5.1 mix and had a distinctively pleasurable experience with the show. The producers of this disc have done a very nice job with the audio presentation as it is very well balanced and with a strong use of the surround channels (One Sweet Day where Mariah performs with Blyz II Men is a great example of a terrifically mixed live performance). Furthermore, Mariah's voice comes off the speakers beautifully and there is a terrific range of resonance that you would detect. The blending between the recorded bits (her mix with ODB) and Mariah's live singing once I thought was handled extremely well as it certainly did not feel choppy. Finally, I did not detect any hissings, pop-ups, or cracks either. Optional English, French, and Spanish subtitles are provided for the supplemental materials.
There are a number of interesting extras in this package. On the actual disc with the concert you will find the following supplemental materials: a Jukebox feature where you are given the option of creating your own tracklisting. Next there is a "Behind The Scenes" featurette where Mariah and her supporting team are seen getting ready for the show. The majority of the comments here are rather generic but nevertheless you would get a good feel of what the backstage preparations before the show begins look like. The Adventures of Mimi Tour Documentary is next with plenty of info pertaining to the entire tour. Mariah offers plenty of comments here as to what type of an experience the tour was, what it meant to her career, and how it fares to her past performing history. In my opinion this is the most significant bit on this disc and I strongly recommend that you take a look at it. Lovers and Haters is a funny little spoof where a great deal of the issues Mariah had to deal with in the past are recreated with a good dose of sarcasm. Finally, there is the Karaoke feature where you could effectively mute Mariah's voice and attempt to sing her songs on your own. In addition, this package also offers an interactive disc which you could load on your PC and gain access to free ringtones, exclusive updates on upcoming shows, releases and pretty much everything that has to do with Mariah. Strangely enough I recently loaded up the disc to see what new updates are there and believe it or not some of the ticket offers are still there.
I suppose it was only a matter of time before one of the all-time bestselling artists is introduced on Blu-ray. Mariah Carey: The Adventures of Mimi is a great show where plenty of the star's older hits are mixed with some of her newest material. The guest appearances by Boyz II Men and Trey Lorenz were a great touch and I personally felt a bit nostalgic about the 90s when Mariah was in her prime, there were plenty of great R&B groups, and rap had not yet eliminated mainstream soul music. The Blu-ray disc is of good but not rock-solid quality. Recommended.
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