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Blu-ray Review Falling Skies: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

Todd Erwin

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Falling Skies: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Review

In preparation for the season three premiere on TNT, Warner Bros brings the second season of its surprise hit sci-fi drama Falling Skies to Blu-ray. Featuring audio and video that is vastly superior to its heavily compressed cable and satellite broadcasts, the second season features a more complex storyline, more aliens, and a better understanding of what the invader’s end game is.

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Studio: Warner Brothers

Distributed By: N/A

Video Resolution and Encode: 1080P/AVC

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1

Audio: English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, French 5.1 DD

Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French, Other

Rating: TV-14

Run Time: 7 Hr. 20 Min.

Package Includes: Blu-ray, UltraViolet

2-disc Eco-keepcase in cardboard sleeve

Disc Type: BD50 (dual layer)

Region: ABC

Release Date: 06/04/2013

MSRP: $49.99




The Production Rating: 4/5

When we last saw Tom Mason (Noah Wyle), he had voluntarily been abducted and taken aboard an alien spaceship in hope of saving his middle son, Ben. The second season picks up at that exact moment, flash forwards three months where Tom is accidentally shot during a skirmish as he finds his way back to the 2nd Massachusetts. In a series of flashbacks, we learn what Tom was doing aboard the spaceship, meet an Overlord alien (nicknamed Fishheads by the battalion), and get a glimpse of what the aliens are really after. And that is all during the season premiere. As the ten-episode season gets underway, the 2nd Mass gets word that other battalions along the eastern coast of the United States are regrouping in Charleston, and spend much of the season on the move, helping give the series a more epic tone by constantly changing locations from week to week, and providing plenty of twists and turns in the season’s main story arc.Noah Wyle’s Tom Mason, while still the smart, sympathetic, and scholarly father, is maturing into a true leader, despite some setbacks to his health caused by the aliens. Will Patton brings an underlying doubt to his own leadership abilities as Captain Weaver, realizing that he’s lost several soldiers and civilians under his watch. And the relationship between Tom and lead doctor Anne Glass (Moon Bloodgood) continues to grow. As with most series, many of the supporting actors are given more screen time, allowing their characters to grow. The role of John Pope (played with much fun by Colin Cunningham) is, perhaps, the most expanded character, and adds some much needed conflict within the 2nd Mass. We also learn a lot more about Maggie’s (Sarah Carter) background as her relationship with eldest son Hal Mason (Drew Roy) deepens.Finally, the visual effects work completed by Zoic Studios, for the most part, is very close to what one would expect in a feature film. There is obviously a large amount of CGI effects in the series, including aliens as well as interiors and exteriors of spaceships, but very rarely does it ever look cheesy or cheap.


Video Rating: 4/5 3D Rating: NA

The 1080p transfer, compressed using the AVC codec, retains the 1.78:1 aspect ratio of the original broadcasts (even though the packaging lists the aspect ratio as 2.40:1). Colors are consistent and not overly saturated, and contrast and black levels are decent. Detail is extremely good, allowing viewers to see the layers of filth and beard stubble on the human population, but also the miniscule parasite aliens that are introduced this season. Compression artifacts are non-existent, a major improvement over the 1080i cable and satellite broadcasts on TNT.



Audio Rating: 4.5/5

Much like the video, the audio soundtrack gets a major improvement over the heavily compressed Dolby Digital 5.1 track used in the cable and satellite broadcasts, taking full advantage of the increased bandwidth and fidelity of the lossless Dolby TrueHD codec. The entire soundstage opens up nicely, with increased separation, better bass response, and what appears to be much more active surround channels (although, according to the sound designers, nothing is changed in the mix except the bit rate when the broadcast tracks are created). Dialogue remains intelligible and never gets lost in the mix, reproducing omstly out of the center channel. Each episode is near reference quality.Dolby interviewed Emmy Award-winner re-recording mixer Mark D. Fleming about the work that went into Falling Skies:


Special Features Rating: 3.5/5

Disc One:Audio Commentary on “Worlds Apart” by Actor Noah Wyle, Co-Executive Producer/Director Greg Beeman and Writer Mark VerheldenOne Page at a Time: Writing the Second American Revolution (HD; 20:49)The Fan’s Perspective: Touring the set of Falling Skies (HD; 8:59)Terry O’Quinn is Manchester (HD; 1:46)Creating The Crawlies (HD; 1:12)Designing The Spaceship (HD; 1:23)Team Skitter (HD; 2:48)Season 2 Animated Trailer, Created by Dark Horse Comics (HD; 1:13)Disc Two:Audio Commentary on “Homecoming” by Actor Noah Wyle, Co-Executive Producer/Director Greg Beeman and Executive Producer Remi AubuchonAudio Commentary on “A More Perfect Union” by Actor Noah Wyle, Executive Producer/Writer Remi Aubuchon, and Writers Bradley Thompson and David WeddieThe Skitter Evolution (HD;9:47)2nd Watch - Episode 20: A more Perfect Union (HD; 30:58)Season 3 Preview (HD; 2:20)UltraViolet Digital Copy


Overall Rating: 4/5

Fans will definitely be pleased with this release, although I feel Warner Bros should consider releasing the previous seasons more than just a few days prior to the debut of the new season for those that want to catch up.


Reviewed By: Todd Erwin


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Adam Lenhardt

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Comprehensive review, thank you. I find it interesting that Mark Verheiden recorded an audio commentary track for the season premiere. He was replaced as showrunner after the first season and wrote the season premiere as a writer-for-hire basically. He must have an interesting perspective.For what it's worth, the show still has its imperfections but I thought it made a huge leap forward under Remi Aubuchon's tenure.
 

Dave Upton

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I'm still enjoying the show (started it last year and caught up mid season 2). I am hopeful that Season 3 will still be as much fun with the new aliens in the picture.
 

DaveF

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Adam Lenhardt said:
or what it's worth, the show still has its imperfections but I thought it made a huge leap forward under Remi Aubuchon's tenure.
its not perfect, and not even a great show. But it's good entertainment. It's got a clear idea and follows through with minimal distractions. The characters distinct and interesting. And it fits well in the summer when TV options are slimmer.
 

Adam Lenhardt

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DaveF said:
And it fits well in the summer when TV options are slimmer.
This is key for me. I'm not sure it would make the cut for me in the fall-spring TV season, when there's a lot more programming competing for my attention. But in the summer, when there's not much on, it's a nice bit of original programming.One of the key changes for the better was Remi Aubuchon's determination to get the characters on the move and his work with Greg Beeman to find a way to make that budgetarily possible. During the first season, it felt like we spent forever at that damn school. The innovation of the convoy allowed them to have a handful of standing sets that they could shoot on a soundstage -- the interior of the medical bus, the interior of several of the tents -- while having the exteriors continually changing from episode to episode as they traveled south. That gave the show a momentum that it lacked in the first season.
 

DaveF

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I did not mind the time at the school, as it had some good story development. I like the variation. Always in one location, and you lose the tension of being hunted. But always on the road gets tiring, since it creates this guerrilla army feel, which pulls away from the big picture of a small colony trying to create stability and a new society.
 

Adam Gregorich

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Dolby and TNT are conducting a Falling Skies: The Complete Season Two
sweepstakes where Falling Skies fans can enter to win an Onkyo 7.1 channel home
theater system with wireless network A/V receiver, Blu-ray player, and Falling Skies: The
Complete Second Season Blu-ray disc pack. For more details: http://on.fb.me/1aumBHm
 

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