Across the Universe Blu-ray

Across the Universe

 (2007)

Drama | Musical | Romance

A love story set against the backdrop of the 1960s amid the turbulent years of anti-war protest, mind exploration and rock 'n roll, from the dockyards of Liverpool to the creative psychedelia of Greenwich Village, from the riot-torn streets of Detroit to the killing fields of Vietnam. Star-crossed lovers, Jude and Lucy, along with a small group of friends and musicians, are swept up into the emerging anti-war and counterculture movements, with "Dr. Robert" and "Mr. Kite" as their guides. Tumultuous forces outside their control ultimately tear the young lovers apart, forcing Jude and Lucy – against all odds – to find their own way back to each other.

For more details about Across the Universe on Blu-ray, see the Across the Universe Blu-ray Review

Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess, Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs, Martin Luther McCoy
Director: Julie Taymor

Across the Universe Blu-ray, Video Quality

 

Across the Universe arrives on Blu-ray sporting a pristine, newly minted 1080p AVC Mpeg-4 encode. The film is accurately presented on Blu-ray in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Since this is a recent film, the print is of exceptional quality without a trace of any dust, grime or defects that are often found on older material. Since the film presents a vast array of locations, color palettes and other fantasy-inspired scenes, this transfer, in particular, needs to be of the highest quality to avoid picture artifacts. Fortunately, Across the Universe completely avoids problems of this kind by utilizing high-bitrate encoding throughout the presentation. There simply aren’t artifacts to be found in this pristine encode.

Across the Universe is a definite showcase disc for your high definition home theater. Colors pop off of the screen and detail is immaculate. The film’s slight, but ever-present film grain is presented naturally and consistently with the film’s theatrical presentation. If anything, Across the Universe actually surpasses the quality of the theatrical print I viewed in its consistency and detail. Black levels and shadow detail are always rich and well represented. The viewer will notice that film grain is slightly more apparent in these darker scenes. Again, this is a natural occurrence with film and is intended. All told, Across the Universe looks fab on Blu-ray. This is a reference grade transfer and the folks at Sony should be applauded for their attention to detail.

Across the Universe Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 

As is always the case with Sony Blu-ray releases, Across the Universe has been given the lossless treatment with an exceptional 5.1 channel Dolby TrueHD soundtrack. 5.1 Dolby Digital is also provided in both Spanish and Portuguese. Subtitles in a variety of languages are also available. So, if any of you are natives from Bikini Atoll, you should be covered. It’s worth noting that Across the Universe does not feature a 5.1 PCM track. It seems as though Sony has settled on Dolby TrueHD as their lossless format of choice.

Since the primary focus of Across the Universe is in its music, sound is of particular importance. For musicals of this kind, anything less than a reference Dolby TrueHD track would be a disappointment. Fear not, as Sony has again stepped up to the plate an offered an exceptional sound experience. This TrueHD track has a very natural feel - - not overly bass heavy and remarkably clear throughout the sound spectrum. Treble is crisp and detailed without any noticeable hissing or breaking up of cymbals or vocals. Lyrics are always easily understood as is dialogue. Midrange response is smooth and always pleasing and bass is tight and never boomy. When the soundtrack calls for it, there is a wonderful amount of rear channel activity and the occasional flourish of deep bass from the film’s sound effects track. Ultimately, for a film as visually and sonically rich as Across the Universe is, this superb audio experience is the perfect compliment to this Blu-ray disc’s astonishing video presentation.

Across the Universe Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Across the Universe Announced for Blu-ray - November 27, 2007

Across the Universe Blu-ray, Forum Discussions

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