Blu-ray Movie Reviews

From the director of "Watchmen" comes two tales from the celebrated graphic novel that do not appear in the extraordinary "Watchmen" Theatrical Feature. "Tales of the Black Freighter" brings to strikingly animated life the novels richly layered story-within-a-story, a daring pirate saga whose turbulent events may mirror those in the Watchmen's world. Stars from the "Watchmen" movie team in the amazing live-action/CGI "Under The Hood", based on Nite Owl's powerful first-hand account of how the hooded adventurers came into existence.

Tales of the Black Freighter is not currently a part of the live action release we’re seeing in theaters but it will be edited in the eventual home video release in live form. In the graphic novel this story was intercut through the latter stages of the story and was being read by a kid at a bookstand. In the graphic novel it was easier to see the parallels going on as the events unfolded but in standalone form like this it is nearly impossible and some may leave scratching their head. Ultimately I wasn’t a big fan but I understand why it was released. Under the Hood is more of a retro feature that has interviews and “stock” footage of the cast of the live action film and talks about the early roots of the superheroes.

The animated feature looks really good on Blu-ray with outstanding color saturation and contrast. The animation style is on the simpler side, but it is very effective with the material. I noticed some very light banding but it was hardly a distraction. Black levels are impressive and I loved the dimensionality and depth the animation provided. Under the Hood looks good as well but it’s a hodgepodge of different film stocks and not really a consistent feature.

The TrueHD soundtrack holds up well and Gerard Butler’s narration sounds very natural. Imaging is impressive for a short animated feature and dynamic range is solid. The short story has a great score and the spatial design has a very open quality that is better than I expected for straight to video fare.

Extras include a look at the two stories and their tie-in to the Watchmen world. You also get the first chapter of the Watchmen Animated comic that is also available on Blu-ray. A trailer for The Green Lantern animated DVD is also included. This title is also BD-Live enabled.

While I wasn’t ultimately impressed with the story of the Black Freighter I understand its overall place in the Watchmen world. I think it works better integrated into the main story but if you’re a big fan I can understand wanting to add this one to the shelf.