Sin City Blu-ray

Unrated, Recut & Extended

Disney / Buena Vista | 2005 | 147 mins | Rated R | Apr 21, 2009

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Video Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video resolution: 1080p Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1 Audio English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (less) Subtitles English SDH, Spanish English SDH, Spanish (less) Discs 50GB Blu-ray Disc Two-disc set Bonus View (PiP)

Price List price: $35.99  Amazon: $24.99 (Save 31%) Third party: $24.59 (Save 32%) Usually ships in 24 hours Blu-ray rating Users 4.9 Reviewer 5.0 Overall 4.9 Based on 37 user ratings Playback Region free

Sin City

Every time I review a Disney Blu-ray release, I feel like busting out a stack of Hello Kitty stationary and sending a syrupy thank-you note to anyone involved with the disc's production. Before Marv even dropped his first body on the ground, I knew Disney had delivered the goods once again. Sin City boasts a phenomenal, reference level 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer that, quite simply, blows most other releases out of the water. I hate to gush too much, but every frame of Rodriguez's stark cinematography has been meticulously reproduced, his injections of color leap off the screen, and his enveloping gray gradients are impeccably precise. Even though deep blacks and harsh whites dominate the picture, crush is never an unintentional issue, artifacting isn't a factor (unless you're standing a foot from the screen), and contrast is spot on from beginning to end. More importantly, detail is absolutely stunning -- skin and fabric look fantastic, textures are earthy and refined, and object definition is incredibly sharp (without the unwanted help of any significant edge enhancement). Better still, each cut of the film is just as impressive. Generously spread onto two BD-50 discs, I'd be hard pressed to find any differences in quality between the presentations.

The results are even more mind-blowing when you compare the Blu-ray transfers to their standard DVD counterparts. Literally every aspect of the image has received a fitting overhaul, rendering any previous release of Sin City a decidedly dated relic. If you have any love Frank Miller's original comic series or for Rodriguez's adaptation -- any affection at all -- this release deserves a very special home on your shelves.

Sin City Blu-ray, Audio Quality

I need more stationary. Disney's DTS-HD Master Lossless Audio 5.1 surround track bowled me over time and time again, emerging as an early frontrunner for best reference mix of the year. Narration thunders with aggressive subwoofer support, dialogue is naturally distributed across the front channels, and prioritization is flawless. Low-end bass tones are powerful to say the least, arriving with room-shaking booms and exiting suddenly with memorable thooms. The rear speakers can hardly contain their relegated activity -- barreling winds rush across the oh-so-immersive soundfield without a hitch, ricocheting bullets scatter in the distance, the crunch of gravel on a country road echoes across the chilled air... I could go on and on. As it stands, directionality fooled me on more than one occasion, convincing me some rogue insect or hurtling chunk of debris had somehow materialized in my home theater. Moreover, pans are invisible, dynamics are bold, and the soundfield's acoustics are remarkably authentic. Disney's lossless track not only compliments anything and everything that graces the screen, it elevates the impact of the entire film and captures the very essence of Basin City. I'm off to write those thank-you notes now.

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