Blades of Glory Blu-ray

Blades of Glory

 (2007)

Comedy | Sport



In 2002, two rival Olympic ice skaters were stripped of their gold medals and permanently banned from men's single competition. Presently, however, they've found and exploit a loophole that allows them to qualify as a pairs team.

For more details about Blades of Glory on Blu-ray, see the Blades of Glory Blu-ray Review

Starring: Will Ferrell, Jon Heder, Will Arnett, Amy Poehler, William Fichtner
Directors: Josh Gordon, Will Speck

Blades of Glory Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


Blades of Glory graces Blu-ray in a 1.85:1 framed, 1080p high definition image. Frankly, I wasn't a fan of the look of the movie. That's not to say the transfer is bad, it's fine, I just didn't care for the cinematography, lighting, and the like. Save for the actual competitive ice skating sequences, the movie looks drab and lifeless, certainly an odd and often startling difference in appearance to the bright, pleasing, and vibrant championship skating sequences. The skating portions of the film do look very pleasing, offering rich and well-defined colors and sparkling imagery that is impeccably clean. Flesh tones appear just a bit off in some scenes, appearing somewhat darker than they do in others, almost as if the actors are caked in dark make-up. Detail is generally good, and and in some scenes exceptional. The intricate costumes worn by the competitors shine in high definition, all the nuances and adornments clearly visible and elaborate, providing some impressive eye candy. Black levels are solid throughout, certainly not as deep as others I have seen, but far better than merely "acceptable." Finally, the disc maintains a sharp, well-defined look and softness is never a major problem. Blades of Glory makes for a perfectly acceptable high definition image, even if I wasn't enamored with the look of the entire movie.

Blades of Glory Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


Blades of Glory is not only representative of Paramount/DreamWorks' defection to HD DVD, but is also representative of a change in philosophy at the studios just prior to the abandonment of the Blu-ray format. Blades of Glory was to be the first title from those studios to receive a high-definition soundtrack. Although now technically tied with the aforementioned Next as the first title from Paramount/DreamWorks with an uncompressed sound mix, Blades of Glory nevertheless makes good on that promise, delivering a fine sounding PCM 5.1 uncompressed soundtrack that runs at 6.9 Mbps. This track is one of the best I've heard associated with a comedy. The rear channels always offer up a good amount of ambience, be it crowds cheering or jeering during the skating matches or finer nuances that add a sense of realism to the mix. The film's score always comes through loud and clear, floating to the back channels but definitely focused in the front soundstage. Queen’s Flash Gordon theme song sounds fantastic during the film’s climax, far better than it did on the recent release of that film by Universal (the last DVD I purchased, oddly enough). Bass, when it is called upon, is solid and deep. It's not action movie deep, but it pounds and thuds on occasion, the music playing over Chazz Michael Michaels' first skating routine of the movie providing one example. Dialogue is solid, perhaps a bit muffled in a few places, but almost always discernible and clear. The final skate provides some nice moments, the music and some of the special skating effects employed by the skaters to heighten their routine coming through perfectly with excellent imaging. All things considered, however, this is a mostly uninteresting track. It is neither excellent nor dull, but it does fit the subject matter of the film perfectly, and receives a score reflective of that.

Blades of Glory Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Paramount Further Details Their Blu-ray Plans - April 30, 2008

Blades of Glory Blu-ray, Forum Discussions

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