8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
The adventures of a Ragnar Lothbrok: the greatest hero of his age. The series tells the saga of Ragnar's band of Viking brothers and his family as he rises to become King of the Viking tribes. As well as being a fearless warrior, Ragnar embodies the Norse traditions of devotion to the gods: legend has it that he was a direct descendant of Odin, the god of war and warriors.
Starring: Travis Fimmel, Katheryn Winnick, Clive Standen, Jessalyn Gilsig, Gustaf SkarsgårdAction | 100% |
History | 99% |
Adventure | 90% |
War | 67% |
Drama | Insignificant |
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
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Three-disc set (3 BDs)
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
While it’s been perhaps easy to write off Vikings as a Game of Thrones wannabe, it also may be too facile to think of the series in that context. Even
I have drawn comparisons between this series and the venerated HBO spectacle in my reviews of the two volumes of the series' fifth season
(see below for links), but over the course of
the years I’ve been watching Vikings, I’ve become increasingly aware of its own strengths. Yes, the two shows are probably going to be
unavoidably linked in some viewers’ minds for any number of reasons, even though Vikings purportedly is more fact based (more about
that later). But as Vikings reaches its endgame (this sixth season has already been announced as the series’ last, though, again as in
the case of Game of Thrones, a follow up series is evidently in development), the series continues to develop the interrelationships
between its gaggle of characters rather smartly, and this first half of the final season delivers a few surprises. Those surprises include yet another
link to Game of Thrones in a way, since fans of that series and this series have probably learned through experience that even ostensible
major characters can "depart" (to use a euphemism). Without posting any spoilers in that regard, my best advice is to not get too
attached to anyone as Vikings marauds its way to its finale.
Due to the vagaries of changing labels and/or distributors, as well as to our various reviewers assigned to them, unfortunately we've only covered
the first season and then the fifth, before this final sixth
season. For the volumes we have reviewed, please click on the following links:
Vikings: The Complete First Season Blu-
ray review
Vikings: Season 5, Volume 1 Blu-ray
review
Vikings: Season 5, Volume 2 Blu-ray
review
Vikings: Season 6, Volume 1 is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Metro Goldwyn Mayer and Warner Brothers Home Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. This is very much in line with the video presentation in both volumes of Season 5 on Blu-ray, and that's a very good thing. While once again the show understandably utilizes a surplus of icy cold blues and grays, there are also a number of much warmer looking sequences (often interior scenes) that tend to be almost sepia toned, with nicely burnished browns, taupes and even oranges. Fine detail continues to impress even in some of the more heavily graded scenes, with fabrics on costumes and textures of various structures looking precise and often virtually palpable. CGI can occasionally look slightly soft, but a lot of the most impressive set pieces here look like they were done with practical props, and as such can often look remarkably sharp and well defined.
Vikings: Season 6, Volume 1 features an often powerful DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that regularly engages the surround channels. There's some really interesting music in several of the episodes in this volume, including tunes by some contemporary Norwegian and Danish groups that evoke chant like sensibilities, and some of the percussion effects can also be quite forceful. A glut of outdoor material, as well as the expected battles that erupt, provide excellent use of the side and rear channels for various effects. Dialogue is presented cleanly and clearly throughout this problem free track. Optional English subtitles are available.
Disc Two
- All the Prisoners Episode, Scene 412 (1080p; 00:43)
- All the Prisoners Episode, Scene 432 (1080p; 00:25)
- Death and the Serpent Episode, Scene 621 (1080p; 2:08)
Note: All of the deleted scenes have timecodes both under the image and in the actual frame at the top center. These have been authored separately but there is a Play All option.
- Valhalla Can Wait Episode, Scene 813 (1080p; 1:08)
- Resurrection Episode, Scene 914B (1080p; 1:04)
- The Best Laid Plans Episode, Scene 1003 Part 2 (1080p; 00:40)
- The Best Laid Plans Episode, Scene 1003 Part 3 (1080p; 2:30)
Note: All of the deleted scenes have timecodes both under the image and in the actual frame at the top center. These have been authored separately but there is a Play All option.
Vikings is apparently going for the gusto as it approaches its finale, and while the body count may strike some as disturbingly high, the overall story is nicely detailed and often quite compelling. How Michael Hirst and his team are going to wrap this thing up without approaching near Hamlet-esque levels of mortality is anyone's guess, but I for one am anxious to see them try. Technical merits are solid, and the supplements, while pretty slight, enjoyable. Recommended.
2013
2013
2013
2014
2015
2016
2016
2017
2018
2020-2021
Director's Cut
2004
2003
Director's Cut
2005
2006
2010
2010
2006
The Final Cut
2004
2001
2007
2011
2012
1995
2011
Director's Cut
2004
2000
2010-2013
2019
Aoki Ôkami: chi hate umi tsukiru made
2007
Red Cliff Part II / Chinese Theatrical Version
2009