X-Men: First Class - Blu-ray Review

4.5 Stars (out of 5)

Synopsis

In this exciting prequel to the X-Men series, Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender) -- the future Professor X and Magneto -- are best friends dedicated to harnessing their powers and promoting the education of fellow mutants during the turbulent 1960s. The duo works together to stop a powerful adversary that threatens mankind, but their ideological differences drive them apart and turn them into ferocious enemies. Buy Now $24.99

Starring:

James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Rose Byrne, January Jones, Jason Flemyng, Nicholas Hoult, Kevin Bacon, Zoë Kravitz

Director:

Matthew Vaughn

Blu-ray Release Date:

September 9, 2011

Subtitles:

English, French, Spanish

Rating

Overall rating weighted as follows:
Audio 40%, Video 40%, Special Features 20%, Movie - its just our opinion so take it with a grain of salt

Audio 4.9 Stars (out of 5)

Dolby and DTS Demo Discs used as basis for comparison
●    Subwoofer - 5.0 Stars
●    Dialog - 4.5 Stars
●    Surround Effects - 5.0 Stars
●    Dynamic Range - 5.0 Stars

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1, French: Dolby Digital 5.1

This X-Men Blu-ray has first class audio performance, but seriously folks, it's darn good. I don't think my subwoofer's had this much of a workout since the last time I watched Inception. Almost every X-man has a special rumble effect when their powers are used. Especially Magneto, his metal moving powers vibrate the couch as if he were actually willing it to move. Surround speakers work up a sweat too. Bullets fly by, metal whirls over your head, heavy jet planes fly across the room, and Cerebro's rumbles draw you into the mutant search. I was also impressed by how high and clear certain effects sounded. Banshee's screams seem like they could break your windows and Emma Frost's whistle is so high pitched, it drove my dog crazy.

Video 4.4 Stars (out of 5)

Spears & Munsil Benchmark Blu-ray Edition used as basis for comparison
●    Color Accuracy  - 4.5 Stars
●    Shadow detail - 4.0 Stars
●    Clarity - 4.5 Stars
●    Skin tones - 4.5 Stars
●    Compression - 4.5 Stars

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC, Resolution: 1080p, Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1, Original Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1

The colors are natural and yet vibrant without being hot. Skin tones look natural and clean on people who don't have red or blue skin. Clarity is good enough to pick up lose hairs, make clothing textures pop, clearly display bricks on buildings, and clearly display Magneto's bad boy whiskers. At times this film can be dark, and some details get lost in the shadows. However the dark colors are true and do not show many signs of compression problems.

Bonus Features 4.0 Stars (out of 5)

• 10 Marvel “X-Men” Digital Comics with exclusive “X-Men: First Class” Backstory Comic
• Cerebro Mutant Tracker: The complete interactive Mutant Database with interactive videos giving fans the ability to learn about their favorite mutants in the X-Men film franchise
• Children of the Atom: An eight-part behind-the-scenes featurette, charting the film from
• pre-production through post-production, including visual effects techniques and cataloguing “X-Men” transformations through prosthetic make up and costume design
• “X” Marks the Spot: An interactive feature allowing viewers the opportunity to learn more about specific scenes with talent interviews and behind-the-scenes footage
• Extended and Deleted Scenes
• BD-Live Portal with additional Cerebro Mutant Tracker profiles
• Composer’s Isolated Score
• Theatrical Trailer

Movie - 4.0 Stars (out of 5)

Review

Like all X-men movies this one is also about the outcasts of society trying to be accepted or accept themselves. However, this movie is a little different, it has more heart and style than its predecessors. The movie's 1960's look is slick, and I'm not talking Austin Powers slick, I mean Sean Connery's James Bond slick. Not only do they get the look right, they also switched things up and intertwined the movie with actual history. At first this seams off-putting, but they pull it off in an attempt to place the movie in the real world.

Michael Fassbender gives a magnetic performance as Magneto (sorry couldn't resist). By the end of the film you understand who he is, why he becomes the bad guy, and you're okay with it. I was surprised that Footloose's Kevin Bacon was in this movie playing a bad guy. He was terrifying in some scenes and was still able to add some brevity to the movie. However, the bad guys plan was drastically flawed, I understood the logic of it but it seemed ridiculous. Then again, I've got to let a few things slide, I mean this is a movie with a person that turns their skin in to diamonds. Reality and rational thinking doesn't really apply here.