Studio: Buena Vista
Video: 1080p - 1.85:1 - AVC ( 31Mbps)
Audio: English PCM 5.1 Uncompressed (6.9Mbps), English
Dolby Digital 5.1 (640kbps), English Audio Commentary
Dolby 2.0 (192kbps)
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish,
English (Audio Commentary) or none
Disc: Dual-Layered Blu-Ray (50GBs)
Runtime: 138 min.
Extras:
Becoming Mayan: Making Apocalypto (Optional English
Subtitles available)
Movie Showcase
Deleted Scene With Optional Commentary
Audio Commentary with Optional Subtitles
Release Date: May 22d, 2007
Standard Blu-Ray case
Synopsis:
From Mel Gibson, director of the Academy Award-winning
Braveheart
(Best Director, Best Picture, 1995), comes Apocalypto,
the thrilling historical epic that will shock and awe
you as never before on Blu-Ray Disc. Dubbed "totally
mesmerizing" by Dark Horizons, this adrenaline-drenched
action-adventure reaches new levels of intensity in this
extraordinary format.
****
In the twilight of the mysterious Mayan
culture, young Jaguar Paw is captured
and faces a harrowing end. Driven by the
power of his love for his family, he
makes a heart-racing escape to rescue
them and ultimately save his way of
life. Experience both the pristine
beauty and the unparalleled savagery of
this ancient world in eye-popping
clarity. Hear the rustle of every leaf
and the cries of fierce warriors with
spectacularly advanced audio technology.
Embark on this mind-bending,
gut-wrenching journey back in time with
Blu-ray-High-Definition.
The Film:
With Apocalypto, Mel Gibson has
proven it's possible to create a
compelling action/adventure film in
almost any setting. Gibson's theme
(which is only partially developed), as
revealed in an opening caption, is that
all great civilizations fail when they
begin to rot from the inside. Over the
next 2 1/4 hours, he provides glimpses
into the degeneracy of the Mayan society
on the eve of its encounter with the
Spanish conquistadores. However,
Apocalypto is not a political tract
or a dissertation about why the Mayan
age came to an end. Instead, it's a
high-octane adventure that concludes
with one of the most intense extended
chase sequences in recent movie history.
[...]
Like two of Gibson's previous movies,
Braveheart and
The Passion of the Christ,
Apocalypto doesn't avoid depictions of
brutal, graphic violence. It is worth
noting that some of the most heinous
crimes, such as the rapes, occur off
screen. Gibson makes it clear what's
transpiring, but he doesn't feel the
need to subject the audience to that.
There's still plenty of blood and gore,
including at least one instance in which
the slitting of a throat is shown in
unbroken detail. This is not a movie for
the faint of heart.
There are more similarities to
Braveheart than
The Passion of the Christ.
(While in the comparison game, it would
be unfair to ignore the Aussie
post-apocalyptic chase movie Mad Max, in
which Gibson starred before his
Hollywood career ignited.) Although the
plot of Apocalypto is considerably
different than that of Gibson's
Oscar-winning picture, the spirit is
much the same. This movie is about
heroism and overcoming odds. Aside from
the aforementioned violence, the only
thing Apocalypto has in common with
The Passion of the Christ
is that both are subtitled. Because of
this, a cynic could argue that Gibson
has made the most expensive art-house
action movie of all time. Will enough
people put aside their aversion of
subtitles in order to make this
profitable?
[...]
If all the movie represents is a lot of
pretty scenery and well executed action
sequences, there would be nothing
distinguishing about Apocalypto. However
- and here's where the
Braveheart parallel is
the strongest - Gibson succeeds in
forging a strong bond between the
audience and the protagonist. This is
done quickly and economically. We are
shown the love Jaguar Paw has for his
wife and son and the lengths to which he
will go to keep them safe. He is also
depicted as resourceful and durable. On
more than one occasion, I found myself
thinking of him as the MacGyver of the
jungle. To provide an effective balance,
we are then introduced to a villain,
Zero Wolf (Raoul Trujillo), who is as
intelligent and dangerous as he is
detestable. To up the ante, there's a
second bad guy, Snake Ink (Rodolfo
Palacios), who we probably want to see
die even more than his boss, Zero Wolf.
Snake Ink delights in torturing our hero
when Zero Wolf isn't looking.
Apocalypto represents a forceful
two-plus hours and it isn't for
everyone. I appreciate that Gibson set
this in a time and place we don't often
see on screen. The cameras, operated by
Dean Semler, make this long-dead world
come alive. The setting makes the movie
seem more exotic and less derivative,
although those aspects don't lessen the
excitement. Historians may quibble about
the movie's accuracy, but Gibson isn't
trying to make a documentary. The best
thing I can say about Apocalypto
is that, despite belonging to an
overpopulated genre, it's unlike any
other movie to reach theaters this year
and, because it is as visual an
experience as it is visceral, it is best
seen on a large screen.
Excerpt from James Berardinelli's review at Reelviews.net located HERE
.
The Video:
This is one of the best Blu-Ray images I
have ever seen, and the best American
DVD release I own. The image is
amazingly clear, sharp and with
perfectly balanced contrast. In fact the
grabs don't do justice to the actual
quality you see in your system.
Like an exactingly compressed theatrical presentation I actually believe that this Blu-ray is superior to the image you will see in a cinema. It is flexible in that I can boost the image without difficulty (although it is not necessary), even the grains here help give a more beautiful look to the visuals. I wouldn't remove them even if I could. I feel this is reference material.
Luiz R.
Screen Captures
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Audio:
Probably the best 5.1 uncompressed mix I have, the jungle environment
becomes vivid, the background becomes filled with details without
damaging the voice clarity. The English option here sounds like the DVD,
maybe a bit better and can't be compared with the uncompressed option.
Extras:
The supplements are very basic, but the documentary is somewhat
interesting and is pleasantly presented in high definition, 1.85:1
ratio. The other thing I found nice is that everything here is English
subtitled, this is how it should be, every documentary, commentary
should come with at least English SDH options. This can not only can
help the hearing impaired but international audiences with limited
language option as well.
Menus
BOTTOM LINE: If you don't like the movie, you can use this as one of those nature imagery Blu-Rays and it's actually better than most. And if you find the violence disturbing, well it is not more than many Discovery Channel documentaries, in my opinion. The sound here is also an amazing attribute making it a great option test your system or show it off as a premium demo disc.
Luiz R.