Director Ridley Scott is no stranger to the historic film genre. After dazzling audiences with
Kingdom of Heaven (Director's Cut, of course) and the modern classic
Gladiator, Scott decided to tackle the legendary story of
Robin Hood – a tale that has been told many times before in many different flavors. Similar to his other works, Scott enlisted his favorite leading man in Russell Crowe and followed a similar format to
Gladiator in hopes of having similar success.
Unfortunately, moviegoers weren't impressed. Pulling in just over $100M in domestic receipts against a $200M budget, the film failed to re-ignite interest in the legend. Staff reviewer Jeffrey Kauffman commented in his
Blu-ray review of Robin Hood, "If you don't mind the muddle of the screenplay, there are dribs and drabs of an exciting action feature here. What could have elevated this film is a less relentlessly dour take on its subject. The medieval era may in fact have actually been like this, but that doesn't mean filmgoers are going to want to spend two and a half hours experiencing it, however vicariously."
Not to be outdone by other premium channels, Starz introduced
Spartacus: Blood and Sand, The Complete First Season to paying viewers in hopes of matching offerings from HBO and (to a lesser extent) Showtime. Unfortunately, the show ends up feeling like a teenage boys dream – a mixture of violence and sex to the absolute extreme. Start with a base of
Rome, add a dash of
Gladiator and a sprinkle of
300, and bake until the violence and sex are border on offensive. Entertaining, yes, but make sure set your brain to "vegetate" before hitting play.
In the
Blu-ray review of Spartacus: Blood and Sand, staff reviewer Martin Liebman comments, "Once it finds its footing, "Blood and Sand" plays out as an entertaining and interesting series that weaves its story through the political inner-workings of ancient Rome and the dominance that gladiatorial combat played in the lives of all citizens, from the lowest of slaves to the highest of officials. The series certainly builds its main elements through political intrigue, sex, and ultra-violence, with the latter two seeming to define the series' visual and thematic direction and serving as its raison d'ętre." He continues, "This Starz/Anchor Bay Blu-ray release features exceptional video and audio presentations as well as a nice array of bonus materials."
The latest addition to Paramount's Sapphire Series is the 1999 Academy Award winner for Best Picture
American Beauty, and its already cause for concern. The early days of Blu-ray are stained with the blood of releases that didn't live up to the level of presentation that Blu-ray promised, so when Paramount decided to announce the Sapphire Series – their "cream of the crop" - they had to know that each disc would be scrutinized more thoroughly than any before it. Video, once again, is the weak link in this presentation, but while the transfer isn't perfect, it will be difficult for fan of the film to justify not upgrading.
Staff reviewer Martin Liebman concluded in his
Blu-ray review of American Beauty, "Director Sam Mendes achieves with American Beauty an accomplishment that but a few filmmakers can boast. No, it's not just the Best Picture and Best Director Oscars adorning his mantle, but the way in which he has crafted a picture of such great thematic importance with both the respect the material deserves and craftsmanship that's second-to-none." He continues, "American Beauty is in every way a masterpiece, but its Blu-ray release could use some work. Paramount's "Sapphire Series" once again delivers only a mediocre 1080p transfer, but the lossless soundtrack is of a sufficiently high quality."