8.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
Sam Winchester grew up hunting unearthly horrors. But now law school and a normal life beckon. That is, until Sam’s estranged brother Dean appears with troubling news: their father has disappeared, a man who’s hunted evil for 22 years. So to find their father, the brothers must hunt what he hunts... and Sam must return to the life he’d rather leave behind.
Starring: Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Misha Collins, Jim Beaver, Mark SheppardAction | 100% |
Supernatural | 99% |
Horror | 73% |
Dark humor | 22% |
Thriller | 20% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English SDH, French
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Four-disc set (4 BDs)
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Let's be honest: Supernatural is the sort of television series the uninitiated have and will continue to brush aside in their search for meatier dramatic fare; a seemingly formulaic genre hybrid that runs the gory, convoluted gamut of horror clichés from week to week in its quest to establish a respectable ongoing mythos. However, anyone who actually gives Supernatural a chance might just be surprised by what they find. I know I was. I had written off the series as a gimmick without having sampled a single episode; a desperate attempt by the CW to fill the profitable void left by Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and its successful WB spin-off, Angel. But after avoiding the series for two full seasons (to the dismay of several close friends who share my particular television tastes), I finally broke down and agreed to see what their collective fuss was all about. Suffice to say, it didn't take me long to realize I had been avoiding something special. Something darker, more absorbing, and more intense than I had first suspected.
If it goes bump in the night, the Winchester boys will take it on...
As grim and grizzled as the series it accompanies, Warner's 1080p/VC-1 transfer is fit, faithful, and full of fire. Those of you who enjoy a slick-n-polished high definition image will no doubt cry foul, but Supernatural fans will rejoice to find every frame of the The Complete Fourth Season has been meticulously rendered, revealing its creators' gritty intentions at every turn. While a moderate veneer of grain and some lowlight noise frequent the majority of episodes, detail rarely suffers -- edges are sharp, textures are refined, and impressive delineation allows viewers to relish in the beasties lurking in the darkest corners. It helps that, despite the show's bleak palette, primaries pop (particularly those oh-so-bloody reds), blacks are deep and well-resolved, and skintones are lifelike and natural. I'm sure some will gripe about intermittent contrast boosting, the errant softness that haunts a handful of scenes, and the appearance of minor edge enhancement, but I found the entire presentation to be as attractive as they come. In fact, nearly every mishap I encountered should be attributed to the original source, not the proficiency of the technical transfer. It isn't hindered by any significant artifacting, banding, aliasing, or noise reduction, and crushing is only apparent in a few fleeting shots.
Make no mistake, any complaints about Supernatural's appearance should be aimed at the series creators, not Warner's impressive efforts. I can't promise everyone will enjoy the image as much as I did, but any fan will be extremely pleased with how wickedly wonderful it all looks in high definition.
Brace yourselves, dear readers. Despite promises to the contrary, Warner has cursed yet another new television release -- this time Supernatural: The Complete Fourth Season -- with a standard Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track (640kbps); one that's sure to initially disappoint series addicts and audiophiles alike. However, those willing to look past the track's underwhelming tech specs and focus on the experience itself might be pleasantly surprised by what they hear. Dialogue is crisp and clean, prioritization is spot on, and dynamics are relatively strong. Sure, the soundscape inevitably suffers from all the symptoms of compression fever, but the results are nevertheless quite satisfying. Be it the heft of thundering shotguns, the stable swell of swirling angelic power, or the hushed whispers of a cowering child, LFE output is commendable, directionality is convincing, and pans are devilishly smooth. More discerning listeners will certainly miss the presence and prowess a more refined lossless track would have lent to the proceedings, but anyone who isn't sporting a grudge against the studio will find the bulk of their complaints will begin to subside before the end of the first three episodes.
Could it be better? Of course. Could it be worse? Without a doubt. As it stands, The Complete Fourth Season sounds pretty good -- even great by some standards -- and makes it easy to forget that a lossless track would have allowed the series' more harrowing episodes to reach truly staggering sonic heights.
Like its standard DVD counterpart, the Blu-ray edition of Supernatural: The Complete Fourth Season is a tad light on supplemental material, particularly for a twenty-two episode television release. Moreover, while The Complete Third Season allowed fans to download digital copies of its episodes, The Complete Fourth Season doesn't venture outside of the Blu-box. Still, the 4-disc set offers nearly four hours of bonus features, all of which are presented in high definition. Not too shabby if you ask me.
I don't even have to trot out the term "guilty pleasure" to admit my love for Supernatural. It isn't a perfect series, but its compelling characters, engrossing storylines, and sharp scripts make it every bit as intriguing as the material and mythologies it draws from on a weekly basis. The Blu-ray edition is worth some attention as well. While newcomers will find it difficult to dive into the middle of an ongoing show, series regulars will be treated to an excellent video transfer, an above average Dolby Digital audio track, and nearly four hours of supplemental content. Yes, lossless audio and some additional commentaries would have made The Complete Fourth Season a more attractive release, but the 4-disc set offers enough value to justify its pricetag. Minor disappointments aside, I'm a happy fan.
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