6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Adèle Blanc-Sec is a cynical novelist of popular fiction, who turns to investigative journalism as her research and subsequent adventures reveal further details of the mystical world of crime in Paris during the years before and after World War I.
Starring: Louise Bourgoin, Mathieu Amalric, Gilles Lellouche, Jean-Paul Rouve, Jacky NercessianForeign | 100% |
Adventure | 19% |
Mystery | 12% |
Fantasy | 8% |
Family | 6% |
Supernatural | Insignificant |
Comic book | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.34:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: LPCM 2.0
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: LPCM 2.0
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy (as download)
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Note: Shout! Factory engaged in the relatively rare (and some might argue questionable) approach of releasing
the
theatrical version of The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec in August, only to follow up quickly with this
Director's Cut version
appearing just a few weeks later. Since the content is only minimally changed (another reason this approach may be
questionable), this review will repeat some content from the first review. A discussion of the differences between the
versions is found below.
Luc Besson was not particularly pleased to be lumped in with a movement that a French film critic called cinema du
look, but there’s little doubt that this prolific writer, producer and director offers visual delights by the handful when
he helms features—at least for the most part. As if to prove that he could focus on substance at least as much as style,
Besson’s 2011 biographical film The Lady
, about Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, was a fairly restrained, almost elegiac, account of her long
struggle to achieve democracy and basic human rights for her native country. But even a cursory glance at the bulk of
Besson’s other work indicates that as a director Besson often favors eye candy, which some audience members will love
while others may disparage, claiming it’s a diversionary tactic to draw attention away from a lack of actual content.
Personally, I think that’s at least a bit unfair. Even when Besson is at his showiest—in films like The Fifth Element or even The Messenger: The
Story of Joan of Arc—Besson usually delivers at least a modicum of plot and character, though it’s probably true
that these two elements (no pun intended) tend to fade a bit in the light of Besson’s often overwhelming visual style.
Besson has stated that The Fifth Element was born out of his love of French comic books that he grew up on,
and that same love seems to have inspired his adaptation of the popular comics cum graphic novels by Jacques
Tardi about an early 20th century reporter and adventuress named Adèle Blanc-sec. Basing a film on what is already a
two dimensional inherently cartoonish source has the added benefit of removing any real need to create “realistic”
characters or plots. Perhaps that’s one reason why The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-sec is such a
charming film, at least most of the time. It’s certainly as visually spectacular as many other Besson outings, but it
doesn’t pretend to be anything other than a breezy, semi-comic adventure film that plays somewhat like a distaff
version of Indiana Jones.
The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-sec is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Shout! Factory with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.34:1, one which to my eyes is exactly the same as the theatrical version, save for the extra two minutes of footage. This is a virtually flawless transfer with a sumptuous visual allure, one filled with beautiful amber drenched sequences in Egypt and some cool blue tones in the Parisian segments. Fine detail is exceptional, revealing some fineries in the sets and costumes even in midrange shots. Colors are beautifully saturated and accurate looking. There are some very minor issues with shadow detail in some of the nighttime scenes, and at least one clunky use of CGI (when the pterodactyl picks up Espérandieu from the guillotine), but otherwise this high definition presentation is a real beauty.
As with the theatrical version release, there are four audio options available, listed in the specs above. While The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-sec features a new English dub in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 that might be preferable to those who don't like subtitles, I still recommend sticking with the original French language track, also presented via DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. While the dubbing isn't overly problematical, there are enough glaring differences between lip movements and spoken word to be distracting at times, plus if you're conversant in French, you'll pick up more of the fun wordplay that's involved that doesn't really come through in translation. One way or the other, you can't really go wrong with either of these mixes, both of which offer excellent fidelity and some fun immersive effects. The sequence in the tomb is a great example, where various booby traps spring, with attendant discrete channelization of effects, and then later when Adèle and the mummy go for a crazy ride through a whirlpool when the side and rear channels are fully engaged. The pterodactyl sequences also have some great panning effects. There's a spritely score by Éric Serra that also fills the surrounds quite nicely. Dynamic range is extremely wide, with some nice uses of LFE.
The same supplements which were on the theatrical version release are also included on this release:
My unqualified recommendation of this film remains intact, and so the only real question is, which version is preferable and is double dipping recommended? To the second question I personally give an adamant "no"; if you own the first version, there's no real reason to get this, unless you are really determined to see about a nanosecond of Bourgoin's upper areola (and that is all you're going to see). The first question comes down to taste. If you're a parent who doesn't want a child to see even a pretty non-objectionable shot of a semi-naked female, stick with the theatrical version. If you don't have kids, or aren't that concerned, you may simply want this version since you're ostensibly getting more bang for your buck. Either way, this Blu-ray comes Highly recommended.
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