King Arthur – Director’s Cut (2004/Blu-ray)
Picture:
B- Sound: B Extras: B- Film: B-
Despite a
cast that includes Clive Owen, Keira Knightley and Ioan Gruffudd, Antoine
Fuqua’s King Arthur (2004) is one of
the less-discussed Fantasy/Sword films to arrive in the wake of Lord Of The Rings. Part of the problem is simply that Fuqua’s
theatrical cut was PG-13 and the intended cut was DVD-only. It is that latter cut now being issued in
Blu-ray, with all the same extras as the DVD.
You can
read our coverage of that DVD at the following link:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/1756/King+Arthur+-+Extended+Unrated
So is the
Blu-ray enough of an upgrade to upgrade?
Well, the 1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image is better
sometimes than the DVD, but has the same digital problems that annoyed us with The Brothers Grimm and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen to
some extent and offers even more obviously the same kind slapped-together
digital that is too obvious in too many shots.
I saw this in 35mm and know it can look a little better than this. Video Black can be richer, yet not with the
range of a Batman Begins by any
means. Little errors are all over the
place, making us wonder if this is a second-generation HD master/transfer, but
some digital problems need reworked.
The film
had two soundtracks for the two different ratings and the Dolby Digital 5.1
uncut mix is back here again, but the PCM 24-bit/48kHz 5.1 mix is markedly
better, though there is still something a bit off about it. They went back and fourth with this mix for
ratings purposes and is this really the final uncut mix? Who knows, but without the fullness of the
PCM, this would rate lower like the Dolby.
Overall,
barely an improvement from the DVD-Video, but if you must own it and don’t have
it, you might as well get this one.
- Nicholas Sheffo
