4.9 | / 10 |
Users | 2.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 2.7 |
The adventures of teenager Max McGrath and alien companion Steel, who must harness and combine their tremendous new powers to evolve into the turbo-charged superhero Max Steel.
Starring: Ben Winchell, Josh Brener, Maria Bello, Andy Garcia, Ana VillafañeAction | 100% |
Adventure | 77% |
Sci-Fi | 59% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 1.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
With great popularity comes the great flood of wannabes. The Superhero genre has not just exploded, it's become a mainstay of cinemas, dating back many decades with movies like Superman and Batman but really taking off with the release of X-Men in 2000 and, well, the story is widely known from there. Max Steel is the latest with aspirations of raking in Uncle Scrooge-levels of moolah, but even in this day and age of über-popularity, it seems audiences still have standards of excellence, standards the movie just could not meet. Sourced not from DC or Marvel properties but rather a toy and cartoon series from Mattel, the movie flopped in theaters, failing to recoup even its measly $10,000,000 budget and crawling in and out of multiplexes in the cinematic equivalent of a blink of an eye. And it's not hard to see why. Not a torturously bad movie but incredibly generic one and seemingly incapable of finding even a sliver of creativity, the film is an ungainly repurposing of the entire Superhero genre that's not only unoriginal, but poorly put together, too, a far cry from the technical excellence of the genre's best.
Wings Not Included.
Max Steel's 1080p transfer is technically fine. The image yields nothing remarkable or out of the ordinary, featuring a straightforward, digitally sourced picture. Detailing is fine, unexceptional by the highest standards but perfectly acceptable by average standards. Basic clothing and skin textures yield satisfactory textural definition. Colors are likewise fine, boasting pleasant neutrality and handling one of the more aggressive monochromatic moments well enough. Black levels produce pleasing depth and flesh tones show no signs of stray from natural. No source or encode flaws are blatantly obvious.
Max Steel's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack packs a healthy punch and plenty of surround information. The presentation yields quality musical definition and spread around the stage, a balanced and nicely integrated surround structure that wraps the listener in the notes. There are no gaps in coverage, delivery is smooth, and clarity is as-expected of a new release film. A positive low end support lifts it higher, and that bottom end also delivers a satisfying punch and rumble during action scenes. The stage further springs to life with great intensity as various battles unfold. Cracks, crashes, and other effects pummel the stage with regularity and a fair bit of ferocity. Atmospherics are nicely defined as well, whether light school hallway clatter or more aggressive gusting winds and booming thunders. Dialogue is clear and well prioritized. Natural reverberation occurs when the environment allows.
Max Steel contains four featurettes. A DVD copy of the film and a voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy are included with purchase.
Max Steel follows formula to a fault. The story of a boy who makes a discovery about himself, tries to run from it, and ultimately accepts and harnesses his power -- with a little help from a friend and while trying to get the girl -- hardly makes for creative storytelling or movie watching, but if nothing else Max Steel has its heart in the right place. It's just completely unnecessary and almost humorously devoid of original content. Small children might enjoy it, but those seeking serious Superhero moviemaking should search elsewhere (it's not hard to find). Universal's Blu-ray is routine, featuring excellent audio, honest 1080p video, and a few brief featurettes. Skip it.
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