7.8 | / 10 |
Users | 5.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
Emma Swan gets the surprise of her life when Henry, the son she gave up 10 years ago, arrives on her doorstep. Returning the boy to his adoptive mother becomes complicated when Henry reveals a stunning theory to Emma. Everyone in Storybrooke, Maine is a fairytale character under a curse, and Emma - as the long lost daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming - is the one who can save them all. The story unfolds; interweaving scenes of the drama in the sleepy New England town and the the inhabitants' past lives in the world of fairy tales. The timeless battle of good vs evil is ready to begin again.
Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, Lana Parrilla, Josh Dallas, Jared GilmoreFantasy | 100% |
Adventure | 65% |
Romance | 60% |
Supernatural | 30% |
Imaginary | 18% |
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
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Five-disc set (5 BDs)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Fairy tales are a Hollywood staple and they're certainly a Disney staple. The studio's history with them is unmatched -- Walt Disney got the ball
rolling
with the animated classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs -- but in recent years the studio
has looked to the live-action realm to retell the classics in a brand new way. And with the advent of more-or-less seamless digital technology
(though some of this show's effects are a bit lacking compared to Disney's live-action films) capable
of recreating all of those magical moments and fantastical characters before reserved only for and able to be realized in the animated realm, why
not? Movies like Maleficent and Cinderella are the cinematic standard-bearers in the early goings,
but Disney's live-action
television show Once Upon a Time takes the "fractured" (see the Shrek films) approach, jumbling various characters, places, and
events
into a single, cohesive narrative. Season four adds even more new fairy tales to the twisted adventures in both Storybrooke and the Enchanted
Forest, and with a healthy dose of live-action Frozen, it's sure to be one of the biggest seasons yet.
For reviews of previous seasons, please click through the appropriate links below:
Sisters.
Once Upon a Time: The Complete Fourth Season's 1080p transfer yields excellent results in every category. Detailing is superb, certainly not quite up to the growing familiarity and expected complexity of a good UHD presentation, but for a Blu-ray this comes close to best-case scenario. Clothing textures are terrific. Whether very fine fabrics or heavier leathery garments, viewers will note and enjoy intimate little qualities that give the materials a very tactile appearance. Beads and other accentuating elements stand nicely apart, too. Facial features are deeply revealing, showing finer pores, makeup, and general imperfections with striking accuracy. Environmental clarity shines as well. Whether more materialistically diverse Storybooke locations or welcoming woodland environments, the Blu-ray showcases pavement, brick, wood, grasses, and leaves with appreciable, tangible clarity. Colors sparkle. Elsa's blue dress is a standout in the season. Natural greens show plenty of lively vitality and punch. Color nuance is obvious, and the palette never wants for greater punch or diversity. Black levels hold firm and deep. Flesh tones appear accurate. Light source noise intrudes in a few places and banding is a minor concern, but the image otherwise appears free of any significant source or encode blemishes. This is yet another first-class Blu-ray release from Disney.
Once Upon a Time: The Complete Fourth Season's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack isn't bad, but it's in a bit of need for refinement and added depth. Musical clarity is fine, as is front-end space, but there's not often significant wrap around the stage. It's nevertheless smooth and highly detailed, just not completely immersive. Environmental elements, too, often seem to stay largely along the front end of the stage, occasionally finding more stage-filling depth but clarity is strong enough to at least replicate the environment, just not always immerse the listener in it. Action effects are likewise a little dull. Marshmallow's (would-be) booming growls and footfalls, for instance, yield decent low end drive but come up lacking in terms of room-filling depth and stage presence. The same could be said of a frenzied storm that opens the season. The track just lacks the sort of serious, complimentary oomph it needs in so many key scenes. On the flip side, surrounds occasionally carry some quality goods, like heavy blowing winds and collapsing ice in episode five. Dialogue does drive much of the experience, and the track doesn't fall short in that regard. It's front-center stable, well prioritized, and naturally lifelike and clear. The track holds its own, carries the material well enough in a raw technical manner, has its moments, flashes potential, and has all of its foundational pieces in place. It's just too underwhelming -- too frustrating -- at times to rank very highly: it can't decide if it's great, good, or merely adequate, with a numerical score that could range anywhere between 3.0-4.5.
Once Upon a Time: The Complete Fourth Season contains supplements on several of the included Blu-ray discs.
Disc One:
Once's fourth seas goes Frozen. Need any more be said? While season four may not enjoy the fantastical reach of its predecessor, it finds the show settling into a groove and expanding on its base in some interesting ways, narratively and from a character perspective alike. There's plenty happening around Storybooke this season, enough to keep fans interested and, with Frozen added to the mix, sure to draw in new viewers who will probably push back to the beginning after just a few episodes. Once Upon a Time: The Complete Fourth Season's Blu-ray release features Disney's usual high-yield video but a somewhat lacking audio presentation. A smattering of quality extras are included across several discs, including commentaries, deleted scenes, and featurettes. Recommended.
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