Blu-ray Movie Reviews

In World War II-ravaged England, four siblings discover a magical wardrobe cabinet while playing hide-and-seek in the rural country home of an elderly professor. The wardrobe is a passageway to the world of Narnia, a charming land inhabited by talking animals, dwarfs, centaurs, and giants. But the evil White Witch, Jadis (Tilda Swinton), has cursed the world into a perpetual winter. Aided by the lion Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson), the children battle to overcome the evil White Witch's powerful hold over Narnia.

The film is a visual spectacle with elaborate CGI effects and thoughtful imagining of the magical Narnia. It does have religious undertones, which some may take exception to, but I didn't find them offensive. The performance of Georgie Henley as Lucy is amazing for such a young actress, and Tilda Swinton personifies evil as Jadis.

The AVC encode is a demo-worthy showpiece. Colors are rich and lush, especially in Narnia, and blacks are inky with nary a hint of compression. Resolution is razor sharp, even in shots loaded with CGI, which isn't often the case in high definition. The video quality of this disc reaches the "looking through a window" standard.

The English PCM soundtrack is just as inspiring as the video. Dynamics are strong throughout, and there are many demo-worthy moments. A transparent 360-degree soundfield is ever-present, beginning with the bombardment of London as the film opens to the climactic battle sequence. Even the quieter passages exhibit a transparency that only the best mixes offer.

The bonus features include a "made for Blu-ray" game, Battle For Narnia, utilizing the interactive features offered by the format. In addition, there is an audio commentary as well as other featurettes filmed in standard definition spread over the two-disc set. Sadly, Disney chose not to utilize seamless branching and offer the director's cut that is available on DVD.

This was my second viewing of the film, and I enjoyed it much more than in the theater. The reference-quality Blu-ray presentation probably has a lot to do with it, and I'm happy that Disney gave this catalog title the "A-list" treatment it deserves.

Release Date: May 13, 2008

Film: 7 out of 10
Picture: 10 out of 10
Sound: 10 out of 10

Review System

Source
Panasonic DMP-BD30

Display
JVC DLA-RS1 projector
Stewart FireHawk screen (76.5" wide, 16:9)

Electronics
Onkyo PR-SC885 pre/pro
Anthem PVA-7 Amplifier
Belkin PF60 power conditioner

Speakers
M&K S-150s (L, C, R)
M&K SS-150s (LS, RS, SBL, SBR)
SVS PC-Ultra subwoofer

Cables
Monoprice HDMI cables (source to pre/pro)
Best Deal analog-audio cables
PureLink HDC Fiber Optic HDMI Cable System (15 meters) from pre/pro to projector