8.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.8 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.7 |
An epic 10-part miniseries that delivers a realistic portrait of WWII's Pacific Theatre as seen through the intertwined odysseys of three U.S. Marines: Robert Leckie, John Basilone and Eugene Sledge. The extraordinary experiences of these men and their fellow Marines take them from the first clash with the Japanese in the haunted jungles of Guadalcanal, through the impenetrable rain forests of Cape Gloucester, across the blasted coral strongholds of Peleliu, up the black sand terraces of Iwo Jima, through the killing fields of Okinawa, and to the triumphant, yet uneasy, return home after V-J Day.
Starring: Bob Rumnock, Toby Leonard Moore, Joshua Bitton, James Badge Dale, Joseph MazzelloAction | 100% |
Adventure | 78% |
Epic | 71% |
War | 54% |
History | 52% |
Drama | 32% |
Melodrama | 31% |
Biography | 27% |
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 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: DTS 5.1
Spanish: DTS 5.1
Polish: DTS 2.0
Spanish: DTS 2.0
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Swedish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Six-disc set (6 BDs)
Bonus View (PiP)
BD-Live
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Before director Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan left audiences in silent awe, Hollywood's depiction of war had long been dominated (perhaps rightfully so) by cynicism and anti-war sentiment. As early as 1930, golden age masterpieces like All Quiet on the Western Front turned their attention to entire generations of men haunted by the horrors of combat. By 1957, Academy Award-winning films like The Bridge on the River Kwai were dissecting the hopelessness and futility of the world's most brutal conflicts. In the 1970s, Vietnam ripped opened old wounds, paving the way for several scathing indictments of wartime practices and politics -- Apocalypse Now, Platoon, First Blood, Casualties of War and Born on the Fourth of July, just to name a few -- to examine the atrocity, madness and soul-crushing savagery of it all. Later films delved even further into the abyss, injecting injustice and inhumanity into everything from machismo-riddled '80s and '90s actioners to conspiracy-laden war dramas of the late '90s.
But Saving Private Ryan did something few other films before it had done: explore the impact, enmity and insanity of war without diluting the humble service and innate sacrifice of the ordinary men -- the everyday schoolteachers, teenagers, shopkeepers, fathers and sons -- who gave their all for something more pure and meaningful. In 2001, Spielberg and Tom Hanks took their study of the bonds of battlefield brotherhood a step further with the critically acclaimed, emotionally charged 10-part HBO miniseries, Band of Brothers. Disquieting and engrossing, it remains one of the most distinguished, cinematic, heart-wrenching television productions of all time. Needless to say, their next foray into the trials and tribulations of World War II, The Pacific, arrived earlier this year to tremendous fanfare and towering expectations.
HBO, perhaps more than any other studio to date, has made a habit of delivering absolutely essential television releases. For The Pacific, five BD-50 discs have been devoted to the miniseries' ten episodes, meaning each entry has been given ample room to breathe. The potent, wonderfully proficient result is a fantastic, arguably perfect 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer that, barring one inherent issue, is sure to leave plenty of watery eyes in its wake. Framed with blazing white skies, gorgeous green jungles and rich, inky shadows, the miniseries' bloody battlefields and war-torn theater of operations is a staggering sight to behold. Dirt explodes around advancing Marines, blood spatters across the stone-strewn ground, explosions send shards of shrapnel flying and gunfire reduces dense foliage to powder. The color and clarity of the hotly contrasted chaos is nothing short of amazing and fine detail is as riveting as it is revealing. Magnificently resolved textures bring every sweat-streaked face and grimy uniform to startling life, razor-wire edges are crisp and clean (without any significant ringing to report), skintones are lifelike and precisely saturated, daytime delineation is impeccable and nary a brightly lit scene goes by without something of note to offer its wide-eyed audience.
Read that last sentence carefully though and you'll guess what comes next. Sequences that take place in the US, particularly those filmed at night or in low-lit interiors, aren't nearly as dazzling. Detail is still apparent, mind you, but not to the extent that it is during the sun-bleached scenes abroad. Delineation takes a hit, contrast is a bit flat and primaries are slightly muted. (The same quote-unquote shortcoming affects the moonlit battles that take place overseas, but I found these instances were far easier to overlook. If anything, the reduced visibility enhanced the tension and horror of the midnight skirmishes and dropped me in the middle of the murky madness.) All that being said, it's clear the presentation accurately reflects the intentions of the miniseries' masterminds and the darkness, dismal as it can be, rarely becomes a distraction. Otherwise, HBO's encode is immaculate. Artifacting, banding, smearing, aliasing, halos, crush and aberrant noise are nowhere to be found, and the miniseries' faint veneer of grain, though a tad uneven at times, remains natural and unobtrusive from episode to episode. As was the case with Band of Brothers, HBO has treated The Pacific with tremendous respect and honored its filmic efforts with an outstanding, true-to-its-source presentation worthy of the most discerning videophile's high praise.
Wow. One more time: wow. As if it weren't already difficult enough to watch The Pacific without feeling a deep, emotional connection to its fallen heroes and steadfast soldiers, HBO's jaw-dropping, chest-splitting, hair-raising DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track makes every bullet, every death, every sacrifice, every act of selflessness a resonant, heart-wrenching experience. The LFE channel bombards the listener with earthy, at-times thundering thooms and booms, infusing explosions, roaring planes and blaring battleships with profound power and presence. The weight of each sound effect, be it subtle or earth-shaking, is convincing and intense; the impact of each rifle shot and artillery salvo won't soon be forgotten. Likewise, rear speaker activity is bold and arresting. Gunfire whizzes across the soundfield, rocks skitter from channel to channel, voices cry out in the distance, wind snakes through the jungle, waves advance up the beaches and the whole of the soundstage peppers the rear speakers as much as the front. Through it all, directionality boasts pinpoint accuracy and pans are as close to invisible as they come. Dialogue never wavers in the face of the sonic storm and voices are crystal clear regardless of the passive or aggressive nature of any particular scene. Shouts and whispers are given equal footing, barked orders mingle perfectly with the fury and the only lines that are consumed by the soundscape are those meant to be consumed. As it stands, I don't have a single criticism to level against HBO's lossless mix or the miniseries' sound design. And yet "perfection" seems like an understatement.
The 6-disc Blu-ray edition of The Pacific comes bundled in a sturdy metal case with rounded corners; a classy tin that looks right at home when sitting next to the Blu-ray release of Band of Brothers. The two sets share the same height and width, and the only notable difference between the two is that The Pacific case is a half-inch thinner. The Pacific's guts are quite different though as HBO has made a number of smart changes to the interior packaging. Jettisoning Band of Brothers' somewhat cumbersome, permanently attached accordion-style digipak, The Pacific features a much-improved seven-page digipak that lifts out of the tin case, houses all six discs in individual plastic trays and makes for a more practical, accessible and attractive package. Other than the fact that the metal box is still larger than a standard-sized Blu-ray case, I would be shocked to learn anyone has any serious complaints.
The Pacific's supplemental content is also comparable to those included with Band of Brothers, and that's a very, very good thing. Ten picture-in-picture experiences, ten interactive Field Guide tracks and an entire disc of special features will keep history buffs and casual viewers captivated (and quite busy) for a few weeks. Oh, did I mention all of the material is utterly engrossing, incredibly informative and presented entirely in high definition? Look for this excellent 6-disc set to make a well-deserved appearance on my list of the Top Ten Releases of 2010.
The Pacific, like Band of Brothers before it, represents a milestone in television miniseries. It not only realistically depicts the horrors of a little known theater of World War II, it honors the heroes of the Greatest Generation, features amazing performances and a moving story, and educates as readily as it engrosses. HBO's 6-disc Blu-ray edition is another must-own studio release. With a striking video transfer, a enthralling, pitch-perfect DTS-HD Master Audio track (one of the best of the year) and a bountiful supplemental package (that boasts ten PiP experiences, ten Field Guide tracks and more than an hour of additional content), The Pacific is easily one of the best releases of the year and comes with my unconditional recommendation.
2001
2012
Director's Cut
2005
2010-2013
2003
The Ultimate Cut
2004
2016
Commemorative 20th Anniversary Edition
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Director's Cut
2004
Director's Cut
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