Blackbeard Blu-ray

Blackbeard

 (TV) (2006)

Adventure | Drama



In the Golden Age of Piracy, at the dawn of the 18th century, Blackbeard stood out among the lawless rogues as the most fearsome and notorious seafarer of them all. He killed for the reputation, and his reputation has become legend. Now, for the first time, comes the true story of pirate Edward Teach, the man who terrorized the seas.

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

Starring: Angus MacFadyen, Mark Umbers, Jessica Chastain, Rachel Ward, Stacy Keach
Director: Kevin Connor

Blackbeard Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


Blackbeard sails onto Blu-ray with a dull 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. The image looks hazy in many shots, and oftentimes appears only slightly better than standard definition material. The image is never all that sharp, either, with the hazy scenes in particular standing out as completely underwhelming. On the flip side, there are parts of the movie that are clear and bright, sharp and eye-catching, and easily making for at least average high definition material. Colors are to be seen aplenty, but never all that richly. Still, this is not a horrendous transfer, and several shots do reveal nice detail; several jungle exterior shots, for example, showcase a few rare shots of nice depth, with background detail at least average. Blacks are unimpressive, though flesh tones are never overly problematic. Blackbeard resides near the bottom of the barrel in terms of its high definition visual presentation.

Blackbeard Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


Much like the video, the audio presentation accompanying Blackbeard is never all that impressive. The disc includes two audio options, a PCM 2.0 track and a Dolby Digital 2.0 offering. Screened with the PCM offering, listeners will find a completely unexciting sound mix, one that is certainly disappointing considering the material. The film's action sequences play out both harshly and undefined, a jumble of clanking, shouting, gunfire, and explosions that never really draw listeners in or create even a decent sense of excitement or vitality. Many scenes screaming for quality ambience fail to deliver. Several extended jungle sequences feature a bit of atmosphere, but never anything that brings the scenes alive. Dialogue is harsh, crackling, and sometimes accompanied by a slight hiss, and sometimes altering in pitch with almost every line. In fact, a slight hiss accompanies much of the soundtrack. This is a soundtrack that is probably no better than that accompanying the original television presentation.

Blackbeard Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Echo Bridge Plan Blu-ray Releases for April - February 7, 2008