7.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
After being recruited to a secretive academy, a group of students discover that the magic they read about as children is very real-and more dangerous than they ever imagined.
Starring: Jason Ralph, Stella Maeve, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Hale Appleman, Arjun GuptaFantasy | 100% |
Supernatural | 47% |
Teen | 26% |
Horror | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
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 SDH, French
Blu-ray Disc
Three-disc set (3 BDs)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
The Magicians enters its fifth and final season radically transformed from the events that finished off season four. The show maintains that same essential cadence and narrative drive, but season four, itself something of a soft reboot that maintained characters and core elements but took the show in a fresh direction, certainly changed the landscape from start to finish. As such it's vital that the audience start back at the beginning with season one and, of course, follow on through to seasons two, three, and four before delving into season five. For newcomers just wanting to jump in and big time binge, Universal has also released a fifteen disc complete series boxed set that offers all five seasons in one place and at a discounted price.
The digitally photographed The Magicians: Season Five delivers a perfectly good 1080p, 1.78:1-framed presentation that is essentially in-line with previous season outings on Blu-ray. The picture is sharp and clear, refined up-close and more than capable at medium and long distance. Facial features are robust, showing hair, pores, and makeup with format impressive depth and density. Environments are also crisp and well defined, and with a myriad of locations under numerous lighting parameters, the image holds firm even in the most challenging low light scenes but shines brightest when the light allows the camera to reveal the most information. Colors and contrast are all over the map depending on shot, scene, and sequence demands but the palette is quite capable of capturing tones as the lighting allows and the content provides with stalwart depth and reliability. Black levels are of a deep quality and flesh tones are necessarily reflective of character complexion and influencing light. Noise is modest in darker shots but rarely problematic. There are precious other source or encode flaws of note.
The Magicians: Season Five's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack delivers a capable and balanced listen. Music engages with superior fidelity and excellent spacial immersion across the five main channels. Subwoofer support comes regularly. The low end belts out plenty of well regulated power as any sonic event demands, and the more powerful and potent moments are also of aggressive surround implementation, too. Action scenes are impressively robust, but the track is just as much at home in delivering precise atmospheric elements, too. Essentially, the track is well capable of meeting any and every audio demand, from light ambience to heavy chaos. Dialogue is clear and center focused. It is well prioritized for the duration.
No supplements are included on any of the three discs. No DVD or digital copies are included, either. This release does ship with a non-embossed slipcover.
For its final season, The Magicians reflects the true-life spirit it so frequently strives to recreate. It's one of loss and emotional hardship: the grieving process. But it's also about moving forward, returning to life, and beginning anew. It's a curious juxtaposition in some ways, a story of recovery even as the season begins with loss and finishes with the end. But isn't that just about the way life really works, anyway? For a great show it's a fitting final tribute. Universal's three-disc set is disappointingly featureless, but the video and audio qualities are just fine. Season five, and the entirety of the series run, comes highly recommended.
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