Da
Vinci's Demons: The Complete Second Season (2013/Starz/Anchor Bay
Blu-ray)
Picture:
B+ Sound: B+ Extras: B Episodes: C+
From
Hollywood heavyweight screenwriter of several superhero films
including Man of Steel and director of Blade: Trinity,
David S. Goyer comes this fantasy-based re-imaging of Leonardo
DaVinci that is quasi-historical at best. Produced by Starz, Da
Vinci's Demons features some decent performances and special
effects. The show has some interesting concepts but ultimately could
use some more intense and grittier moments to match the success of
Game of Thrones, though I will say that I enjoyed it more than
Outlander.
In
a world where thought and faith are controlled, one man fights to set
knowledge free. The secret history of Leonardo Da Vinci's
tantalizing life reveals a portrait of a young man tortured by a gift
of superhuman genius. He is a heretic intent on exposing the lies of
religion. An insurgent seeking to subvert an elitist society. He
finds himself in the midst of a storm that has been brewing for
centuries. A conflict between truth and lies, religion and reason,
past and future. His aspirations are used against him by the
opposing forces of the time - luring him into a game of seduction
where those who despise his intellect need him most.
An
example of how far out of realism, the show goes includes the
building of a Submarine in the third episode... yes a submarine. The
expansive sets, and the far
fetched-ness
of it all that reminds me a little bit of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire
Hunter in its silliness. Episodes include The Blood of Man,
The Blood of Brothers, The Voyage of the Damned, The Ends of
the Earth, The Sun and The Moon, The Rope of the Dead, The
Vault of Heaven, The Fall From Heaven, The Enemies of Man, and
The Sins of Daedalus.
The
video transfer is stunning in 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 with a widescreen
aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The audio reigns supreme with an lossless
English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track that is comparable to DTS lossless and
a lesser quality Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0. track. Total running
time is 466 minutes.
Aside
from the impressive packaging that Starz has put together other
supplements include:
The
Journey Begins: Season 1 Recap
A
Closer Look
Creating
The New World
New
Sets
-
James Harland Lockhart V
www.vimeo.com/jamielockhart
