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Blu-ray Review Seventh Son Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

Todd Erwin

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Seventh Son Blu-ray Review

Originally announced for a January 2014 theatrical release thru Warner Bros., Seventh Son finally made it to movie screens in February 2015, now distributed by Universal. The result is an entertaining but forgettable medieval adventure, with Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore apparently having too much fun chewing the scenery.



Studio: Universal

Distributed By: N/A

Video Resolution and Encode: 1080P/AVC

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Audio: English 7.1 DTS-HDMA, English DVS 2.0, Spanish 5.1 DTS, French 5.1 DTS

Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Rating: PG-13

Run Time: 1 Hr. 42 Min.

Package Includes: DVD, Digital Copy, UltraViolet

2-disc Blu-ray keepcase with outer sleeve

Disc Type: BD50 (dual layer), DVD-9 (dual layer)

Region: A, 1

Release Date: 05/26/2015

MSRP: $34.98




The Production Rating: 3/5

Many years ago, Master Gregory (Jeff Bridges) imprisoned the evil witch Mother Malkin (Julianne Moore) inside a mountain. Malkin has managed to escape, setting off alarms that send Gregory and his apprentice, Billy Bradley (Kit Harington) to recapture the witch. But things go horribly wrong, leading to the death of the young apprentice and Malkin gaining strength. Tom Ward (Ben Barnes) is a young man having visions that he believes are just nightmares. Gregory finds out about them and pays Tom and his family a visit. When Gregory discovers that Tom is the seventh son of a seventh son, he realizes that the young man may have supernatural gifts that could help him defeat Malkin once and for all. Along the way, Tom meets Alice (Alicia Vikander), a half-witch who is just discovering her powers, but is about to be burned at the stake by the local townspeople. Tom rescues her, and a romance begins to blossom. But Alice is the niece of Malkin, making her untrustworthy to Gregory. Tom undergoes the usual training ritual with Gregory, a standard practice in a film of this genre, then they're off on an adventure to stop the evil witch, doing battle with other witches and creatures along the way.

 

Seventh Son may not be a very good movie, but it certainly goes through the motions step by step, with lush scenery and mostly believable visual effects (mostly by Rythm and Hues, who filed bankruptcy during the post production of this film). Both the story and action set pieces are standard fare, with little to no originality and ultimately rather forgettable, but yet still entertaining nonetheless.



Video Rating: 4/5  3D Rating: NA

Captured digitally on the Arri Alexa camera system, Seventh Son arrives on Blu-ray in a stunning AVC-encoded 1080p transfer that replicates how it likely appeared on movie screens during its very brief theatrical run. Colors are consistent throughout, although for most of the film are purposely desaturated, with a lean toward grays, blues, and browns. Black levels are nice and inky, and whites never appear to run hot. Where the image really shines in is the incredible level of detail, everything from the fuzzy imperfections in Tom's coat to the intricate stone carvings in Malkin's lair. Although released theatrically in converted 3D, there is no 3D Blu-ray release of Seventh Son in the U.S.



Audio Rating: 4/5

The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 soundtrack makes for great demo material, even when folded down by my Marantz SR5008 to accommodate my 5.1 speaker setup. Dialogue is clear and understandable (even when Jeff Bridges mumbles his lines), and never gets lost in the immersive and active surround mix that includes discrete sound effects, ambiance, and Marco Beltrami's score. Bass response is also impressive, thanks to a kicking LFE track.



Special Features Rating: 3/5

Alternate Ending (1080p; 1:16): I found this ending to be more satisfying than the one used in the theatrical cut.

 

Deleted/Alternate Scenes (1080p; 26:41): 15 scenes in all are presented here, with no optional commentary.

 

The Making of The Seventh Son (1080p): Broken down into three segments, Defenders of Good (9:06) focusing on the heroic characters, Resurrecting the Wicked (8:54) focusing on the villains, and Forging a Medieval Realm (7:03) focusing on the production design.

 

The Legend and Lore of the Seventh Son (1080p; 3:33): A brief glimpse at the various mythologies surrounding the seventh son.

 

Visual Effects Gallery (1080p): Effects breakdown of four sequences, Bradley's Demise (0:32), Pendle Battle (1:01), Boggart Chase (1:01), and Boldmere Fight (0:55).

 

DVD Copy: The movie in 480p, trailers for Dragonheart 3, Blackhat, The Man With the Iron Fists 2, and the Defenders of Good, Resurrecting the Wicked, The Legend and Lore of the Seventh Son, and Visual Effects Gallery featurettes.

 

Digital HD Copy: An insert contains a code to redeem a digital copy of the R-rated version through both Ultraviolet partners and iTunes. The code is subject to expiration, but no expiration date was provided.



Overall Rating: 3/5

Worth at least a rental, Seventh Son was definitely entertaining if somewhat derivative and forgettable. The video and audio presentation were first rate, and the bonus features were adequate.


Reviewed By: Todd Erwin


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RolandL

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Roland Lataille
Watched it last night on HBO On Demand in 3D. Fun movie to watch and the 3D was very good but I wouldn't watch it again. Glad I didn't purchase the Blu-ray.
 

Jimbo64

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Jim Potter
I ended up ordering the 3D blu from Amazon Germany, I really enjoyed the film and thought it was a great conversion
 

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