Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Dexter is a crime drama about Dexter Morgan, a man who leads a double life as an incredibly likeable forensics expert for the Miami Police Department and as an emotionless vigilante serial killer. Taught by his foster father to harness his lust for blood and killing, Dexter lives by his own strict moral code - he only kills murderers who can't otherwise be brought to justice. Dexter is a killer who grapples with fitting into society while, at the same time, he struggles with his inability to feel emotion. The irony of Dexter's life is that he works closely as a blood splatter analyst with the very people who hunt his kind - the homicide department.

I’d heard nothing but good things about this cable show from Showtime but since I don’t have that station I’ve never had the chance to check it out. I always love serial killer films and this darkly humorous take on the genre was very refreshing. The show has a bit of a B-film quality to it with its quirky humor but I loved the fresh approach to the serial killer them. The characters are all great and I was particularly impressed with the lead Michael C. Hall and his range as the forensics cop that is actually a killer himself. In this first season Dexter is playing cat and mouse with a killer who impresses Dexter with his craft as he leaves body parts around the city. I can only hope the next season is this solid.

The HD presentation is a bit of a mixed bag. Cable shows rarely look great on Blu-ray and this one is about average overall. Whites are overblown and give the image a rather harsh look that seems to wipe fine detail and exaggerate the rest. Colors are all over the place and lend to the style of the show but consistency wavers a lot. Contrast levels are good but blacks are a bit washed out from time to time. I noticed some slight compression artifacts here and there in backgrounds but never anything real intrusive. While not the strongest HD presentation out there, it was about average for a TV show.

The soundtrack is presented in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and does a decent job overall. The sound design is pretty typical for a TV show. Dynamics are good but this isn’t a very aggressive track. Low bass punctuates the mood on occasion and some of the action liven things up a bit. The score is effective in conveying mood and I like how playful they are with the soundtrack throughout. Some of the voice work sounds a bit canned at times but the show’s narration has a nice tonal quality and balance.

Extras include a look at the production and even some real life investigative techniques. You also get the first episode from the third season which I refuse to watch until I see the second which will hopefully hit Blu-ray soon. The set also includes the first two episodes of another Showtime series United States of Tara.

I really liked this show and its dark humor and offbeat production. While the A/V presentation wasn’t a complete homerun it never detracted from the enjoyment of the show. If you’re a fan of the serial killer genre, this is an easy recommendation.