7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 5.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Sci-Fi | 100% |
Family | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.33:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Six-disc set (6 BDs)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
With the recent announcement that The Muppets are returning to prime time this fall, broadcast television can once again proudly offer puppeteers some meaningful employment. The fanciful worlds and characters brought into existence by the legendary Jim Henson are incredibly unique, but perhaps Gerry (and Sylvia) Anderson deserve a kudo or two for their “Supermarionation” technique, which combined highly articulated marionettes (which included some electronically controlled features) and incredible scale model work that sought to provide a suitable environment for the stringed characters. Probably the best remembered Anderson offering was Thunderbirds, a mid-sixties outing that didn’t actually last that long in its original broadcast run, but which has gone on to achieve near legendary status due to both incessant rebroadcasts, but also feature film adaptations, reboots and playful homages like Team America: World Police. Niche label Twilight Time released a double feature of Thunderbirds Are Go / Thunderbird 6 almost exactly a year ago (as this review is being published), and now Timeless Media Group (an imprint of Shout! Factory) has upped the ante by bringing the entire original series to high definition.
Thunderbirds: The Complete Series is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Timeless Media Group, an imprint of Shout! Factory, with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.33:1. That original aspect ratio should be good news for the show's fans, as a cropped 1.78:1 version has been circulating for a while. Even better news is the fact that the elements are in near pristine condition, with a healthy, well balanced palette which offers the sometimes bright, vivid primaries (especially blues) with exceptional pop. Sharpness and clarity are quite good throughout the presentation, while occasionally being just slightly variable (as should be expected) in some opticals. Grain is also quite healthy looking, at times again slightly variable, with some "outdoor" scenes having a bit more visible grain field than "interior" moments. Though the show is remembered of course for its marionettes and exceptional miniatures, Anderson wasn't shy about occasionally using stock live action footage, as in one episode which includes a bunch of sometimes funny footage of various beasts in a jungle, all from highly disparate source elements which offer vastly different overall color temperatures and states of disrepair. The increased resolution of this high definition presentation often makes the puppets' strings more than visible, but that only kind of adds to the show's already considerable charm, as far as I'm concerned. Those understandable anomalies aside, the bulk of this effort offers a beautifully colorful, precise looking transfer which should please the series' many fans.
While Thunderbirds: The Complete Series offers a bombastic repurposed lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, purists may want to stick with the also included DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track which offers a better rendering of the series' original sonic virtues. While the 5.1 mix certainly adds enormous "oomph" to the show's low end effects (like rocket thrusters), it can also tend to overpower dialogue slightly at times, leading to occasional prioritization issues. While the mono track has considerably less force (and even amplitude), it can sound a bit more focused at times, with dialogue ringing out cleanly and clearly. That said, Barry Gray's iconic music helps to make the 5.1 mix extremely enjoyable, offering sterling clarity and great punch to the fantastic brass drenched cues.
It's been a second childhood of sorts for me over the past few days as I've revisited Thunderbirds after so many years. There are so many wonderful little touches in virtually every episode, along with completely odd choices (why does the portal transporting Jeff to the "batcave" necessitate him being upside down for part of the journey?). Technically still incredibly impressive, the show's story deficits therefore become more easily overlooked, and the pure whimsy of seeing these almost animatronic characters moving through such highly detailed miniature sets and props continues to be an eye popping experience. Technical merits are generally very strong on this release, and Thunderbirds: The Complete Series comes Highly recommended.
1966
1967-1968
2017
2011
20th Anniversary
2003
1995
2018
1968
2007
2009
1982-1986
2013
2019
2011
The Remastered Collection
1978-1980
1971
Definitive Edition
1980
1998
2013
2007