Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

Tin Man Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 11, 2008

A distinctively contemporary take on Frank Baum’s classic “The Wizard of Oz”, set in the mysterious OZ (the Outer Zone), “Tin Man” (2007) is a Sci-Fi Channel production in three parts. Boasting strong production values, the show is likely to attract the attention of a diverse pool of viewers. Courtesy of UK-based distributors Brightspark Productions.

A group of unusually colorful characters – Glitch (Alan Cumming), a brainless man with a zipper on his head, a demoted cop (Neal McDonough) with a cowboy hat and a tin badge, and Raw (Raoul Trujillo), a hybrid lionman – set out to help Dorothy Gale a.k.a DG (Zooey Deschanel) deal with the evil sorceress Azkadellia (Kathleen Robertson). They embark on a treacherous journey to the heavily guarded Central City where a terrible surprise awaits them.

The Outer Zone

Fans of sci-fi cinema will surely get a kick out of Tin Man, Nick Willing’s bizarre rendition of the classic "The Wizard of Oz". Beautifully photographed, imaginatively told, and well acted this, divided into three large episodes, made for TV, production is certainly quite impressive. It blends successfully the moody and claustrophobic atmosphere of Alex Proyas’ Dark City (1998), with the bold creativity of Jim Henson's Labyrinth (1986). Obviously, Tin Man does not match the richness and detail of either of the two films, but it certainly comes close to replicating the best of the fantastic atmosphere they are known for.

The story is rich and full of interesting twists, but it isn’t truthful to Frank Baum’s classic “The Wizard of Oz”. This, however, might well be the reason why Tin Man actually works. Its characters are unpredictable and, excluding a few obvious clichés used to enhance their strengths and weaknesses, a joy to follow. More importantly, for a story that runs at well over 260 minutes, Tin Man does not fall victim to repetitiveness.

Tin Man follows a simple scheme – the action switches between the Real World and OZ, also referred to as The Outer Zone. The Real World is where we are first introduced to DG. She experiences strange dreams, which later on we learn are actual memories from her forgotten home in OZ. Eventually, she is sent to the other side where she must confront her past. That being said, DG’s awakening is probably the weakest link in Tin Man, as the manner in which she begins to deconstruct her dreams is marred by more than a few overused clichés.

The footage from OZ, however, is where Tin Man truly shines. Glorious looking castles, strange creatures, evil knights dressed in black leather, and a sorceress determined to rule over everyone else add a strong flavor to the story. As DG embarks on her journey to Central City, she befriends some quite amusing characters with histories of their own. We learn about them through flashbacks, similar to DG’s dreams from the Real World. Tin Man comes to an end when DG confronts the evil Azkadellia.

I mentioned earlier that Tin Man could pleasantly surprise those of you who enjoy sci-fi cinema. I also believe that it will resonate well with those of you who appreciate original TV shows brave enough to experiment with popular stories in an unpopular fashion. I certainly liked the adult-oriented tone of Tin Man, which coupled with the bizarre visuals pushed it as far away from being predictable as possible. Sure, there are a few rough spots that could have been polished a little bit better, but in the grand scheme of things Nick Willing and team have done a very good job of retelling a favorite, and very well known, story in a distinctively contemporary fashion.

Tin Man Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Tin Man arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of UK-based Brightspark Productions.

I was unfamiliar with this production, which apparently aired on the Sci-Fi Channel not too long ago. I am, however, quite pleased with the transfer the Blu-ray discs boasts. First of all, sharpness and detail are very strong. The creators of Tin Man have definitely spent a great deal of time experimenting with different locations for its exotic story and, suffice to say, the 1080p transfer truly does justice of their work. During the daylight scenes, especially those in the giant forest, clarity is striking. Furthermore, the lush colors – greens, browns, blues, and blacks – are so impressive that a few times they came fairly close to what we've seen in Mel Gibson's Apocalypto. I also wish to point your attention to the terrific CGIs. As I mentioned earlier, the producers of Tin Man must have experimented with a number of different locations, and then added the colorful graphics. I was very impressed with them and believe that you will appreciate the heavily atmospheric look of this production as well (those of you who have seen Dark City, and have been impressed by its imaginative, but somewhat claustrophobic, imagery will discover plenty of similar overtones here). This being said, I wasn't disturbed by heavy patterns of edge-enhancement or macroblocking. On the contrary, on my system Tin Man looked solid. Finally, the actual print is not plagued by debris, dirt, or specks. (Note: Even though this release is marketed as Region-B, it is in fact Region-Free. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your location).

Tin Man Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Somewhat surprisingly, the back cover for Tin Man claims that the Blu-ray disc offers only an English Stereo track. Well, this is incorrect. The Blu-ray release of Tin Man actually boasts a very pleasing English DTS-HD 5.1 track. In fact, since the entire production runs at well over 260 min. it took me nearly three days to see it, and quite frankly I am very pleased with what the UK distributors have managed to put together. Given the variety of audio effects Tin Man utilizes (there are all sorts of fantastic creatures here that produce unique noises) the DTS-HD 5.1 track really does a spectacular job of enhancing the "outer" elements – large flying insects, space traveling knights, mini-warriors, etc. On the other hand, the dialog is very easy to follow. Also, I did not detect any hissing, pops, or cracks to report here. My only complaint stems from the fact that the producers of the Blu-ray disc have not provided optional English subtitles. (Note: The disc does not offer an individual audio menu).

Tin Man Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Unfortunately, Tin Man does not offer any supplemental materials.

Tin Man Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Tin Man is a wild and truly avant-garde take on the classic "The Wizard of Oz". Visually, it is undoubtedly one of the more original shows I've seen in recent years. The special effects are, without a shadow of a doubt, very pleasing. This being said, the Blu-ray disc is solid. The transfer is in pristine condition and the powerful DTS-HD mix quite potent. Highly Recommended.