5.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
Clashing swords, ferocious spells, and fire-spewing dragons collide in this medieval epic. When dragons take hold of England, only a young wizard by the name of Merlin can stop the devastation.
Starring: Nia Ann, Simon Lloyd-Roberts, Iwan Benneyworth, Ceri Bostock, Carys EleriAdventure | 100% |
Fantasy | 74% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 1.5 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
You must kill him, this Merlin, before he is the death of us all.
Another day, another miserable low-budget Merlin movie. As if Merlin and the Book of
Beasts wasn't bad enough, Merlin and the War of the Dragons is enough to turn
even the most ardent Merlin fan against the famous wizard and give up entirely on the lore, magic,
and appeal of Arthurian times. Though both films are radically different in tone, style, story, and
see
Merlin at different stages of his life (in Book of Beasts he's apparently reverse-aging, sports
long hair, and looks and sounds like he's high through the whole movie, while in War of the
Dragons he's a young 20-year-old and winner of the James Van Der Beek
look-alike
contest), they're both equally abysmal in just about every facet of the filmmaking process.
Surprisingly, though,
both films prove somewhat superior next to many of their SyFy (Beasts) and Asylum
(Dragons) brethren, but they still rate poorly next to more substantial and
bigger-budgeted
fare.
Gorbachev ain't got nothin' on Merlin.
Echo Bridge brings Merlin and the War of the Dragons to Blu-ray with a surprisingly good 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. Though the image appears quite smooth, it doesn't lack in fine detail; faces come alive with well-rendered wrinkles, pores, bumps, scars, moles, and other small nuances. Likewise, textures on clothing, walls, and terrain are consistently sharp. Colors are slightly dulled and reflective of the film's cold, gray nature, but blacks are rather strong with only minimal crush evident. As to the transfer's minuses, moderate banding is apparent in places, contrast sometimes wavers, and flesh tones appear rather pasty. Though it has a few problems, Merlin and the War of the Dragons looks rather good on Blu-ray.
Merlin and the War of the Dragons does have one positive surprise up its sleeve. Rather than the Dolby Digital 5.1 track advertised on the back of the box, the disc actually features a DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Likely due to its low budget, this is not the most engaging, clear, or luxurious lossless track in existence, but it's hard to complain too much about a surprise like this. Unfortunately, this one is far too loud at reference volume; make sure to keep the knob turned down well beyond the normal level and work up from there. Though it doesn't lack in raw power, it is absent some finer nuances that would have made this a more complete listen; surrounds aren't as engaged as one might hope, and the low end, while aggressive and defined, isn't all that potent. Music and dialogue are both suitably crisp. While not a memorable track, Merlin and the War of the Dragons' DTSD-HD MA 5.1 mix probably represents about the best anyone could hope for out of a budget Asylum title.
Merlin and the War of the Dragons offers no supplements.
Merlin and the War of the Dragons is one of The Asylum's better efforts, but even a blind squirrel sometimes finds a nut and the Pittsburgh Pirates manage to win a game or two every now and then. The moral of the story: even bad things can look reasonably good at-a-glance, and while Merlin looks great next to other Asylum movies and isn't a total travesty, it's still no better than a routine made-for-TV or direct-to-video dud. Echo Bridge's Blu-ray release sports a surprisingly decent 1080p transfer and a DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack that's not advertised on the packaging. Unfortunately, no extras and a decent technical presentation can't mask what is a fairly bland movie. For a really dull night in front of the television, rent this one alongside Merlin and the Book of Beasts.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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