Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning biography John Adams by David McCullough, this Emmy-winning HBO miniseries focuses on the life of the second president of the United States, from the Boston Massacre, where he defended the accused British troops, until his death on July 4, 1826. With his vision of a nation of liberty and justice for all, Adams (Paul Giamatti) guided his peers—George Washington (David Morse), Benjamin Franklin (Tom Wilkinson), and Thomas Jefferson (Stephen Dillane)—in setting the values and plans upon which our country was founded. His steadying force was his wife Abigail (Laura Linney), whose life-spanning partnership became one of the most moving love stories in American history.

At 501 minutes, John Adams doesn't gloss over many facets of Adams' distinguished life. He didn't care much for politics and generally spoke his mind, much to the chagrin of Benjamin Franklin, who tried to coach him in the subtleties of diplomacy. Regardless, this is a fascinating look at one of our founding fathers, and I learned more about the man here than I did from any textbook in high school and college.

The VC-1 encode is a mixed bag with many reference-quality scenes, but there are quite a few that leave a lot to be desired. For example, the series opens in the middle of a New England winter with drab colors and weak contrast, making me think my projector bulb had outlasted its usefulness. But roughly 20 minutes later, the color palette comes alive with vivid reds, rich contrast, and a more pleasurable viewing experience. The less-than-spectacular opening segment could be intentional to portray the dreaded winter, but it isn't pretty. Still, with its extended run time, there's bound to be a few rough patches along the way. On the plus side, there's a lot of CGI work that is unobtrusive and difficult to find. If I hadn't watched the "making-of" featurette, I would have never known—a great compliment to the visual-effects team, which won an Emmy for its work.

The DTS-HD MA soundtrack is first-rate, and it's consistent throughout the series. Dialog is intelligible—except for Giamatti's mumbling voice, which is due to his portrayal rather than the fault of the encode (thank goodness for subtitles). Some of the most robust action takes place during the revolution and includes Washington's attack on the British fleet in Boston Harbor and Adams' journey across the Atlantic to France. The stellar audio includes robust LFE, especially the cannon blasts, but more important is the feeling of accompanying Adams on his cross-ocean trip—the creaking of the ship and sounds of the waves crashing into the hull. It's no wonder the series won the Emmys for sound editing and mixing.

The 3-disc set includes a decent assortment of bonus materials that include an in-depth look at author David McCullough's history as a writer and his desire to write about our second president. Additional supplements include a making-of featurette, "Enhanced Fact Tracks"—a pop-up historical guide about the time period—and "Character Biographies," which offer biographical details on the characters. Rounding things out are episode-specific recaps and a summary of the upcoming episode.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with John Adams, and I plan on watching it again later this year when my eighth grader studies American history for the first time. Seeing a historically accurate depiction of the founding of the nation will give her a different perspective than what can be derived from any book. The presentation is a mixed bag on the video, but the audio is exceptional. Highly recommended.

Release Date:June 16, 2009
Studio: HBO

Movie: 9/10
Picture: 8/10
Sound: 9/10

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
Belkin PF60 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