Blu-ray Movie Reviews

The Wolfman (Blu-ray)

David Vaughn  |  Jun 1, 2010

Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro) is an aristocratic Englishman who returns to his family estate after the mysterious death of his brother (Simon Merrells). Once home he is attacked by a werewolf under the light of a full moon and is cursed with a fate worse than death.

With films such as Frankenstein and Dracula, Universal became known as the house of horror. This modern remake of The Wolf Man offers fabulous effects by Rick Baker, but there's way too much gore for me. In fact, it's so gratuitous it takes away from an otherwise interesting premise.

Video Highlights

  • AVC/1080p encode on a BD-50 disc
  • Deep blacks and exquisite shadow detail
  • Excellent fine detail, particularly in flesh tones and Baker's makeup
  • Free of digital artifacts

Audio Highlights

  • DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack
  • Encompassing surround track
  • Intelligible dialog
  • Plethora of discrete effects with seamless pans
  • Reference-quality dynamics

Most of the film is dark and dreary, but the deep inky blacks will test your display's ability to render the exquisite shadow detail. The audio track features crisp dynamics and utilizes panning effects to draw you into the film.

Bonus Materials

  • U-Control enabled
  • Two versions of the film (theatrical & director's cut)
  • Alternate endings (HD)
  • Deleted/Extended scenes (HD)
  • Return of the Wolf Man featurette (HD)
  • The Beast Maker featurette (HD)
  • Transformation Secrets featurette (HD)
  • The Wolfman Unleashed featurette (HD)
  • Digital Copy
  • BD Live Enabled

Technically speaking, The Wolfman is one of the better looking and sounding Blu-rays you will ever see (and hear), unfortunately the gore is too over-the-top for me. If you're in the mood to be grossed out, this will certainly fit the bill.

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Release Date: June 1, 2010
Studio: Universal

Movie: 5/10
Picture: 9/10
Sound: 10/10

Review System

Source
Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray player

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

Electronics
Onkyo Pro PR-SC885 pre/pro
Anthem PVA-7 power amplifier
Panamax M5400PM 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

Acoustical treatments from GIK Acoustics

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