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    • BLU-RAY REVIEW

    There Be Dragons

    Featured In Issue 164, February 2012

    Picture5
    Sound5
    WSR Score5
    Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
    (Studio/Distributor):
    20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
    (Catalog Number):
    2278489
    (MPAA Rating):
    PG-13
    (Rating Reason):
    Violence and combat sequences, some language and thematic elements
    (Retail Price):
    $29.99
    (Disc Type):
    Single Side, Single Layer (BD-25)
    (Widescreen Edition):
    Yes
    (Full Screen Edition):
    No
    (Running Time In Minutes):
    122
    (Color Type):
    Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access):
    Yes
    (Closed Captioned):
    Yes
    (Regional Coding):
    A
    (Theatrical Year):
    2011
    (Theatrical Release):
    Yes
    (Direct-To-Video Release):
    No
    (Disc Release Date):
    01/10/12
    (THX® Digitally Mastered):
    No
    (Director):
    Roland Joffé
    (Screenplay/Written By):
    (Story):
    (Music):
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer):
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor):
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers):
    (Co-Producers):
    (Producers):
    (Academy Awards):
    (Principal Photography):
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
    (Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
    (Disc Soundtrack):
    DTS HD Lossless 5.1
    (Theatrical Sound):
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (DTS Bit Rate):
    (Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
    (Additional Languages):
    (French Language):
    (Spanish Language):
    (Chinese Language):
    (Subtitles):
    (Cantonese Language):
    (Mandarin Language):
    (Japanese Language):
    (Italian Language):
    (German Language):
    (Portuguese Language):

    In There Be Dragons, London-based investigative journalist Robert Torres (Scott) travels to Spain to research a book about Josemaria Escriva (Cox), the controversial founder of the Catholic institution Opus Dei. Robert's visit is on track until he hits a wall, both professionally and personally, when his most promising source—his own father, Manolo Torres (Bently)—turns out to be his least cooperative one. Robert begins to unearth his father's toxic secrets when he learns that Manolo was not only born in the same Spanish town as Josemaria, but that they were childhood friends and attended the same seminary. The two men take radically different paths in life, with Josemaria dedicating his life to his faith while Manolo is swept into the brutal tumultuous Spanish Civil War. As Robert continues to explore the secrets of Josemaria's lie and Manolo's mysterious anger, their overlapping journeys are revealed. (Gary Reber)

    Special features include the featurette Facing Your Dragons: Inspiring Testimony From Wes Bentle (HD 03:57), 14 deleted scenes (HD 30:54), and up-front previews.

    The 1080p AVC picture is gorgeous, with a perfectly natural and authentic appearance throughout. While the flashbacks are stylized, the color palette is impressively natural, with rich and warm hues. Fleshtones are accurate in tone. Contrast is well balanced with deep solid blacks and shadow delineation that is revealing in detail. Resolution is exceptional, with incredibly fine detail revealed in facial features, hair, clothing, and object texture. Gabriel Beristain's cinematography is spectacular! This is an impressive reference picture that will please. (Gary Reber)

    The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is impressively produced with dialogue that is nicely integrated spatially, for a natural presence. The orchestral music score is presented on a wide and deep soundstage, with effective surround envelopment. Atmospherics and sound effects are effectively produced, along with Foley, and are spread widely throughout the soundfield, including directionalized effects. During the battle scenes the entire soundfield is energized, and as such, is enhanced with deep .1 LFE energy that sounds natural and not overly produced. This is a fabulous soundtrack with nuance and power and an effectively holosonic® scope. (Gary Reber)

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