kal
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Location: Ottawa, Canada
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| Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 6:50 pm Post subject: Neighbors |
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Neighbors
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| Quote: | 'Neighbors' was one of the biggest hits of the summer and certainly one of the funniest, but in addition to being very funny, the film takes a smart, well-rounded look at the similarities experienced by the characters, despite their more obvious differences. While it feels as though some of the characters get short shrift in terms of arcs or development, the film helps to adjust for those faults by breaking with archetypes in a way that helps make those characters less stereotypical or perfunctory. With great image, good audio, and some fun extras (that really could have used a commentary) 'Neighbors' comes recommended.
The Video: Sizing Up the Picture
'Neighbors' comes with a gorgeous 1080p AVC/MPEG-4 encoded transfer, giving viewers a strong image that is consistently filled with fine detail in everything from facial features to clothing textures to background elements. The overall image is bright, which helps to showcase the level of fine detail that is on display, but not so bright that the picture appears sterile.
Party sequences are handled nicely, as the image is frequently awash in bright colors, accentuated by the obligatory black light college party that brings offers a series of interesting highlights that augment the overall look and feel of the film without drastically altering its otherwise sensible palette. Contrast also plays a large role during the party scenes by making sure shadows produce an inky blackness that is free from banding or crush, while also keeping other elements from looking blown out or too hot. The same can be said for the day and nighttime sequences that don't involve crowded interiors or neon colors.
Overall, although the look and feel of the film is fairly basic and straightforward, the clarity and precision of the image elevates it and makes it one of the nicest releases from Universal this year.
The Audio: Rating the Sound
Even though this is a situation comedy that relies primarily on dialogue, the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix is routinely put through its paces. For starters, dialogue sounds very good throughout; it is clear and distinct and is generally balanced rather well during loud party scenes as well as any moment that is underlined with music in one form or another. Along with the balance is a good but not great sense of directionality that can help enhance certain moments, but occasionally feels as though it has lost the focal point.
Atmosphere strongly favors the party sequences, where plenty of ambient noise can be detected throughout the channels, but there are some subtle moments throughout the film that make for a surprisingly immersive listening experience. Rear channels manage to capture some of the muffled noises of frat boys hanging outside the Radners' living room window, giving a greater sense of the invasion the protagonists are dealing with. LFE helps to enhance all the party sequences as well, by giving the throbbing bass some additional power that is also nicely present during the final confrontation between Rogen and Efron.
This is a strong audio mix that enhances the feel of the film with some great sounding music and atmospheric effects. |
Kal
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