Rating summary
| Movie |  | 2.5 |
| Video | | 2.5 |
| Audio |  | 3.5 |
| Extras |  | 0.0 |
| Overall |  | 2.0 |
The Poseidon Adventure Blu-ray Movie Review
Reviewed by Martin Liebman September 11, 2017
Mill Creek has released the 2005 miniseries 'The Poseidon Adventure' to Blu-ray more than nine years after an Echo Bridge release. This version ditches the supplements found on the previous
release and several of the audio options. 1080p video papers the same, though with a few instances of increased wear-and-tear.
She's gonna...capsize...
For a full program review, see the original Blu-ray.com coverage
here.
The Poseidon Adventure Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality
Both the older Echo Bridge and this newer Mill Creek releases of The Poseidon Adventure share in common an MPEG-2 encode, a bit more
acceptable then and the Mill Creek standard now. The images appear otherwise more or less identical. Color timing, detail, and all of the basics appear
unchanged from one transfer to the next. There is at least one instance of additional speckling on this new release; a shot of Adam Baldwin at the
41:35 mark shows significant white speckles and splotches that aren't present on the old release. There may be some additional minor changes like
that one, but so severe are they on this release that they stood out as an obvious scene for deeper comparison. Otherwise, there's no significant
movement between this one and that one. Please see the original Blu-ray.com review of the Echo Bridge release here for more information.
The Poseidon Adventure Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality
The Poseidon Adventure, as distributed by Mill Creek, features a 384 Kbps Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. The older Echo Bridge Blu-ray, by
contrast, delivered no less than four English tracks, including DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0, and LPCM 2.0. The closest direct comp to this release is Echo
Bridge's Dolby Digital 5.1 track, there clocking in at 448 Kbps. The Mill Creek track is certainly no slouch, perhaps technically "lesser" but certainly a
robust, often lively, satisfying track, particularly given its inherent limitations, including lossy audio and its made for television roots that didn't afford
the track the
sort of whiz-bang Hollywood intensity that would be found on a major blockbuster. Regardless of any technical specs or details, the track more than
satisfies. It's wide, roomy, and impressively capable. Whether opening-sequence gunfire or flooding waters pouring into the ship as she capsizes, the
track finds a robust bit of definition and punch in its acton scenes. Music is well spaced, focused up front but not shying away from engaging the
surrounds and the subwoofer as the situation warrants. The track offers a steady diet of impressively positioned and immersive din, such as computer
bleeps and bloops on the bridge, chatter in the dining room, or various forms of electronic entertainment in the casino. Dialogue is enjoyable clear,
center-focused, and well prioritized.
The Poseidon Adventure Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras
This Blu-ray release of The Poseidon Adventure contains no supplemental content, whereas the 2008 release offered around 25 minutes worth
of extras.
The Poseidon Adventure Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation
Beyond the absence of supplements, Mill Creek's release of The Poseidon Adventure makes for a fair replacement on the marketplace for the
Echo Bridge version. Video is largely unchanged (and still encoded at MPEG-2). This release dumps several of the superfluous audio options and retains
only a solid enough Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. The movie isn't a loss; it's a fun enough little escape, a decent retelling of an old tale. Worth a look,
though people who already own the Echo Bridge release can pass without worry.
