6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 2.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.3 |
Small-town waitress DG has always felt like an outsider and experienced strange, recurring visions of a magical storm. However, dreams soon become reality when the evil witch Azkadellia transports DG and her parents to the Outer Zone. Set in the spirit of L. Frank Baum's classic.
Starring: Zooey Deschanel, Neal McDonough, Alan Cumming, Raoul Max Trujillo, Kathleen RobertsonFantasy | 100% |
Adventure | 95% |
Sci-Fi | 45% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD HR 5.1
None
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
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
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).
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).
Unfortunately, Tin Man does not offer any supplemental materials.
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.
1988
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