DVDFile

Universal Studios Home Entertainment / 2007 / 1008 Minutes / Unrated
Street Date: August 26, 2008

It’s refreshing that high definition television series are being produced that have genuinely engaging stories to carry along their 1080p pictures. Several high profile series come to mind such as LOST and, for this review, season one of Heroes. Like LOST, Heroes has a strong following of devoted viewers who would rather rearrange their evening schedule than miss a new episode. And like LOST, the popularity of the series leads many self-avowed “quality program” viewers to assume that the show must have a pedestrian bend to it given the broad audience it seems to satisfy. But also like LOST, that assumption is flatly wrong, since the show’s writing, acting, and overall delivery are well crafted, demonstrating that modern TV viewers still appreciate high quality programming when a network and production team decide to offer it.

Heroes is built on a fascinating premise, and one that we’ve already seen successfully exercised with the popular X-Men films: human mutation allows for certain individuals to acquire superhero-like abilities, which, of course, can be used for good or for selfish pursuit. The Heroes series excels at building a myriad of story subplots based on (mostly) believable characters with whom the viewer can easily relate, and (like LOST) the interweaving storylines gradually lace these characters together in a way that feels like a mystery slowly unraveling and then coming together toward a purposed design. The effect also reminds me of the Alias series, which had a knack for ending each episode with a cliffhanger that left the viewer poised on the edge of the sofa ready to cue up the next show until the need for sleep finally caused the remote control to drop from grip (LOST has a similar “just one more!” addictive power).

What’s not to like about the series is that despite a great screenplay and great characters, some of the acting seems misguided and a bit sitcom-like when the show attempts to gratuitously stir up drama. The character of Mohinder Suresh (played by Sendhil Ramamurthy) is well acted, but the story and direction all too often have him flip-flopping from one extreme emotion to the next, as though in any given day of his life his belief system could completely fall apart and reconstitute in a different way, all in an endless service of providing character conflict. This sitcom style of drama interjection in unrealistic ways is a necessary evil in half-hour TV shows where the entire cycle of story introduction, controversy, and resolution all need to take place within a 30-minute window with generous space carved out for commercials. But in a more leisurely hour drama (closer to 45 minutes sans commercial breaks) that is designed to have story arcs that traverse multiple episodes, tantrum-inspired drama feels cheap and lessens the realism of the otherwise respectable storyline.

My other criticism is that the show feels artistically compromised given the manner in which the writers seem to set the “about to stop the flow” stage just before each appointed commercial breakpoint, and then take too long reintroducing the viewer to the story line before regaining speed upon reentry. While such a mechanism might feel more transparent when viewing with the commercials in place, watching the series on disc makes these transition points feel abrupt and distracting. Such breakpoints for commercials can be handled more gracefully, ala LOST which simply stops the show with a simple cut for the commercial, and then starts it again right where the action stopped without any regard to altering the pace. As a consequence, LOST plays seamlessly when viewed on disc whereas Heroes keeps the viewer constantly aware that “a commercial went right here.”

Other than these two gripes, I find season one of Heroes to be a fantastic series that more than justifies the expenditure to add it to one’s growing Blu-ray Disc collection. This same first season of Heroes had been previously released on HD DVD and DVD by Universal almost exactly one year ago. The recent release of both Season One and Season Two simultaneously on Blu-ray Disc marks Universal’s first ever television titles on the Blu-ray Disc format. I can’t think of a better high definition television series to take the honor.

From his review of the HD DVD release a year prior, Dan Ramer has this to say:

“Heroes owes a debt to X-Men creator, Stan Lee. Each features people with strange and remarkable abilities caused by mutation. Each divides its genetically special homosapiens into groups of good and evil. And each sets up antagonistic relationships among these special groups and with the government. But that’s where the resemblance ends. I had seen this series in high definition, broadcasted by New York’s WNBC-DT; I was addicted after the very first episode. And since part of the pleasure of watching this series is learning firsthand about abilities and interrelationships and the progression of the season’s major plotline, I’m reluctant to reveal too much.

“Hayden Panettiere has come a long way since she portrayed Ally McBeal’s daughter; in Heroes she plays Claire Bennet, who has the rather special ability of regeneration. Short of being vaporized in a nuclear blast, she seems virtually immortal. The most hideous wounds (made dramatically gruesome by some convincing makeup effects and CGI) spontaneously heal. She’s a cheerleader in a small town and as the series opens, she’s exploring the limits of her abilities.

“Actor Masi Oka has an interesting background; he was a software programmer for Industrial Light and Magic. In Heroes he plays Hiro Nakamura. Initially stuck in front of a keyboard and computer screen within a cubical in a vast Tokyo office, he’s the nerd of the show and proud of it. A fan of Star Trek and other mainstream science fiction entertainments, he instinctively feels that he’s destined to become a hero. And he has the tools. He, too, is testing the limits of an unlikely ability he somehow believes he possesses: to bend space/time. He will bring his best friend, Ando Masahashi (James Kyson Lee), with him as he transports himself to New York City and becomes embroiled in an adventure he couldn’t have imagined.

“Matt Parkman (Greg Grunberg) is a Los Angeles police officer who, at first, is concerned with his sanity. He’s hearing voices. But when he discovers that the voices are actually other people’s thoughts, he suddenly realizes that his unique ability could revolutionize the prevention and solution of crimes.

“In Nevada, Niki Sanders (Ali Larter) is doing what she can to raise her precocious young son, Micah (Noah Gray-Cabey), who will develop his own special skills somewhat reminiscent of a young Anakin Skywalker. Niki strips in front of a webcam, selling peeks at her svelte body to those with an ample credit line on their credit cards. She has an alter ego that talks to her from mirrors and will, at times of stress, takes over her corporeal body and imparts it with great strength. She’s married to and is estranged from D.L. Hawkins (Leonard Roberts), who has the ability to pass through solid matter.

“Nathan Petrelli (Adrian Pasdar), running for a congressional seat for the State of New York, is hiding his ability to take flight, rightly fearing that it may hurt his chances at being elected. His brother, Peter (Milo Ventimiglia, last seen being dumped by Rory Gilmore), is an in-home caregiver and trained nurse; he has the troublesome ability of absorbing the special powers of other genetic mutants and is constantly facing the challenges of learning to use and control them.

“There are others, but perhaps the single most significant genetic variation is found in Isaac Mendez (Santiago Cabrera). He’s a New York artist who, while under the influence of heroin, can enter a trancelike state and create art that predicts the future. Mendez has painted scenes that depict each hero and has illustrated a comic book that follows some in more detail. But most disturbing of all, he’s painted nuclear devastation in the heart of New York City. And it’s those pictures that provide the clues that bring these odd heroes together to try to save millions of lives.

“As the heroes stumble and bumble their ways together, learning about themselves and their destinies, discovering one another and bonding, saving one another and supporting one another, three forces are searching for them, not all benevolent. Claire’s father (Jack Coleman) works for a shadowy government agency tracking down the mutants for their abilities. Mohinder Suresh (Sendhil Ramamurthy) has left his university position in India to carry on his murdered father’s work to find the mutants and help them. And then there’s Sylar (Zachary Quinto, who will play Spock in the next Star Trek film, set at Starfleet Academy). He’s the mutant ringer, the dangerous sociopath that is tracking down and gruesomely killing every mutant he can find. He has the ability of psychokinesis; he’s so skilled that he can cleave his victims’ skulls with a thought and a well directed finger.

“I’m impressed with how well the cast interacts from the very first episode. Unlike series like Star Trek Next Generation, which took over one season for the actors to become comfortable with their characters and their interrelationships, these actors are consistent and confident in their roles from the first episode. There are guest stars and cameos to fill pivotal roles (George Takei, Eric Roberts, Richard Roundtree, Malcolm McDowell), but the strength of the series is in the writing. Series creator Tim Kring was involved in writing all twenty-four episodes; he was assisted by a number of other writers who each contributed to two episodes: Jesse Alexander, Adam Armus, Natalie Chaidez, Aron Eli Coleite, Nora Kay Foster, Bryan Fuller, Michael Green, Jeph Loeb, and Joe Pokaski. They have concocted a compelling and complex tale that propels the story forward until we reach an explosive climax. Like other dramatic series (Lost, Desperate Housewives, Smallville, Brothers & Sisters) the stories are sequential as part of a larger overall plotline. The intricacies and complexities of the prolonged storyline kept my interest up and revisiting the series in this intensively concentrated form did not diminish my enthusiasm. The episodes also benefit from some rather impressive (for television) CGI effects that indicate the care and investment made. This is arguably the best series currently on broadcast television.

The Video: How Do The Discs Look?

I’m both impressed and disappointed with the appearance of these VC-1 compressed 1.78:1 1080p images. There is a lot to praise: overall detail is excellent; textures are strong, which includes preserving film-grain when present; color is vibrant; and, there is no trace of compression artifacts to be seen. These positives most certainly contribute to a very satisfying picture. The downside is that the high resolution can at times expose the limits of some of the special effects and photography (not too bad actually), but more bothersome is the somewhat harsh look of high contrast in some scenes and occasional visible edge halos along hard-edged transitions. I had hoped that Universal might revisit the mastering process to minimize some of the artifacts that had received mild criticism on the HD DVD (see Dan’s comments below), and perhaps some effort was indeed made given Universal’s commitment to doing the best job possible on Blu-ray Disc. If that is the case, then these occasional instances of harsh looking sequences with minor edge-ringing might be a product of the techniques applied to the show during production versus typical edge enhancement, which is generally a product of late stage processing just prior to compression.

Overall, these episodes look great and will definitely show the series in all of its 1080p glory. From his review of the HD DVD, Dan says:

“The standard HD broadcast CODEC is MPEG-2, so as you might expect, these VC-1 compressed HD DVDs presented in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio look a damn sight better than the high definition broadcasts. Small object detail and finely grained textures are terrific. The complex panorama of the New York City skyline is rich with details. And every whisker on Sylar’s scruffy face is clear. Color rendition based on natural flesh tones is excellent. Don’t be surprised when these revealing transfers expose focus-puller errors. Skin textures are crystal clear, made more obvious by the tendency of television directors to compose more close-ups for the small screen than would be included in a production for the large screen. But these transfers have their own modest problems. Halos are sometimes visible, an artifact that I cannot understand in the age of high definition. And although the video dynamic range is admirable, the contrast seems exaggerated and there is a noticeable black crush that runs throughout the entire disc set.”

The Audio: How Do The Discs Sound?

Universal has stepped up to the Blu-ray plate by promising to provide lossless audio on all of their titles, and thankfully this includes HD DVD content that is now being reissued on Blu-ray Disc. Universal’s lossless audio CODEC of choice is DTS-HD Master Audio, and I’m thrilled to enjoy this television series without the additional compromise of lossy compression (which generally involves diminishing the soundtrack’s natural timbers and acoustic decays). That being said, the program’s soundtrack master isn’t a demo-level track that will require a new subwoofer or surrounds. While the show’s effects and score sound satisfyingly full, there’s also a noticeably lack of aggressive surround use in high-action scenes when you’d typically expect to be engulfed in 360 degrees of audio. Dialogue is fine; it’s clear and intelligible without being bright or harsh. And as long as you’re not hoping for a surround-sound fest, you’ll be able to sit back and enjoy the audio as a perfect accompaniment to the 1080p picture without qualm.

Dan wrote this regarding the lossy-compressed audio from the HD DVD:

“I expected more from the Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 track. I wasn’t that impressed with the envelopment of the audio during the broadcast season and things are not much improved here. The surrounds are conspicuously quiet, with a few rare discrete sounds that startle and seem almost out of place. But perhaps I’m being overly harsh considering that despite the fantasy and science fiction elements, this is overwhelmingly a dialog-driven melodrama, so it’s fortunate that the spoken word is very well recorded and reproduced. Deep bass is not at all impressive; it’s almost like the sound designers had the tiny speakers inside conventional television sets in mind when they laid down the mix. The delightfully eccentric score by Lisa Coleman and Wendy Melvoin uses an odd blend of international instruments and synthesizers to create a sound so unique that it won’t be mistaken for any other series or film. It’s reproduced with pleasing fidelity.”

The Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

Universal has ported over all the bonus items from the HD DVD (with one minor exception) and has managed to reduce the disc count from seven 30GB HD DVDs to five 50GB dual-layer Blu-ray Discs. Fans who had hoped that Universal might revisit some of the bonus material by remastering in 1080 HD will be disappointed to learn that all bonus items are still 480 standard definition only. Note that the original pilot is in full 1080p even though it’s listed as a bonus item; it really plays out as part of the feature presentation when viewed as the first episode on Disc One. Regardless, the content is still worth watching. Given the source of the bonus material, I’ve included Dan’s assessment of the HD DVD’s special features with side-notes regarding the presentation on Blu-ray Disc when appropriate. One thing to note in advance is that the particular disc number containing each extra does not directly correspond to the HD DVD presentation since there are a different number of discs (a very minor difference). Culled from Dan’s review:

“I was disappointed that with on exception the extras were produced for the DVD set and imported in standard definition; it would have been nice to have had them produced in HD and then down-converting for the DVD. Regardless, I was quite surprised by the variety and quality of the extras.

“We begin with that one exception that is presented in high definition. I found the most interesting supplement to be the unaired pilot episode, which has elements and plot points that deviate considerably from the premiere broadcast episode. You’ll find both a terrorist subplot and a Saw-like arc for one of the major characters. And some of the actors were replaced when the season’s episodes were filmed. Kring may be heard in an entertaining episode-length commentary discussing how the pilot evolved to broadcast.

“You’ll find many deleted scenes spread throughout the seven discs. Most are utterly throwaway (and they were). But among them are scenes defining interrelationships that apparently were deemed a lower priority than the major storylines. Most are dull; some are revealing. You’ll have to suffer through the uninspired to find the fascinating.

“The seventh disc holds the moderately interesting featurettes. All are presented in non-anamorphic widescreen, compressed with the MPEG-2 video CODEC for DVD. Sigh. The Making of Heroes featurette (9:59) is superficial fluff, typical EPK. And just as you’d expect from such a short, it addresses the series concept and the casting. Perhaps the only interesting section is a panel discussion taking questions from the audience after a showing of the pilot at ComicCon. I was particularly amused by Masi Oka’s wit.

“The Special Effects featurette (8:44) is hosted by visual effects supervisor Mark Kolpck. He states the obvious, and then gives us examples of the work. We see how Petrelli was made to fly. We watch the visuals developed for Hiro’s saving of the girl with red ribbons in her hair. These are the kinds of CGI explanations you’ve seen before, but the effects are still impressive considering that they were created for a television series.

“The Stunts featurette (10:21) is hosted by stunt coordinator Ian Quinn as he reveals the stunt work and fight choreography developed for the series. Masi Oka surprises again with the news that he’s a black belt in Kendo, a very helpful skill for his character.

“In the Profile of Artist Tim Sale (11:25) featurette, we meet the artist that created all the illustrations for the comic book Hiro carries, and all the larger works of art that propel the story forward. Based on the style of his work, you’ll probably notice that he has a background as a comic book artist. He’s drawn many of the major superheroes for both Marvel and DC. When he was asked to do the large paintings, he had to admit that he was colorblind, a rather ironic affliction for an artist. The use of a colorist solved the problem.

“Next is The Score (8:57) featurette. Composers Lisa Coleman and Wendy Melvoin are joined by audio engineer Micharl Perfitt, who did the recording. The interview takes place in their little studio. They discuss their impressions of the script and how that affected their musical choices. We learn of the variety of unique instruments they chose to blend into the score. We also learn of the score’s musical influences. You’ll find one of the better explanations of the scoring process, getting spotting notes from the series makers to generate their scoring cues.

“Universal’s U-control feature is particularly rich with content. You’ll find that it offers four different types of picture-in-picture supplementary information: audio/video commentaries; Artwork; and Character Connections. [Dave: Character Connections is now called Hero Connections on the Blu-ray Disc. Also, the BD omits a few of the inconsequential items from the HD DVD edition, which include Helix Revealed, a Genetic Abilities Test, and the Mind Reader game.]

“Eight episodes feature an audio/video PiP with unique participants. Unlike other PiP commentaries that include behind-the-scenes footage, these appear to be simply visual recordings of audio commentaries. Regardless, the number of participants on each ensures lively tracks with no lulls. They range in quality and interest, but cover a broad range of topics: writing; performing; special and practical effects; and, so on.

“The other three U-Control features are more static. Artwork displays the pieces that run through the series and the extra allows the viewer to magnify the view for a detailed look. Character Connections demonstrates the interconnections with a chart that grows more complex. Visualize the series’ map with pushpins and colored twine and you’ll get the idea. The chart becomes more and more covered as the season moves on, until it’s a mass of lines.

“Last is the now-familiar MyScenes feature, which permits the viewer to select favorite scenes for direct access viewing. [Dave: The Blu-ray Disc allows the same functionality with A-B bookmarking, etc.]

“The disc set also has access to Web-based content.” [Dave: The Universal BD-Live server content is not yet available. Expect it to be ready soon; I would expect the usual trailers and promo material we see from most other studios.]

Final Thoughts

Universal serves up a fantastic BD television series debut with Heroes. The show is well written, well acted, and well produced. On top of that it has the coveted ability to ensnare hapless viewers into that “just one more episode” addiction syndrome when they should really be turning out the lights and heading to bed, my own personal litmus test for a good versus great television series. The 1080p picture is beautiful with a few minor flaws, and although the 5.1 mix is a bit tamer than I would have liked, Universal must be commended for presenting it in full lossless quality via DTS-HD Master audio. Bonus items are plentiful though sadly are almost exclusively mastered in standard definition. Other than recommending this Blu-ray Disc set of Season One to you, the only other thing I have to say is check back in a few days for my review of Season Two.


Here’s a note about the apparent duplicate Buy Guide. Our I.T. people are still hard at work on a large project and have not yet had the time to modify the underlying site database formatting code to accommodate the new 0-to-10 rating scales. So until they do, for HD on disc, I’ll insert this note and a Buy Guide at the end of the review text and leave the conventional 0-to-5 Buy Guide blank.