Burn Notice: Season 7 DVD Review

***SYNOPSIS***


It all comes down to this—the thrilling final season of one of television’s hottest shows, where everything is finally revealed. Separated from his friends and family, and on the verge of losing it all, Michael Westen goes deep undercover, joining forces with a mysterious woman and infiltrating a sinister terrorist network. With time running out, Michael must do whatever it takes to stay alive and protect his loved ones; but now, he may be forced to go too far. Packed with explosive action and exciting plot twists.





***SERIES REVIEW***


The final season of the action series came to a close and this reviewer was satisfied with how it ended. The cast did a great job conveying different range of emotion with the stakes cranked up. For me Brice Campbell is the standout of the series still. Now that the entire series is available I would recommend taking the time to view the whole series. 9/10


***VIDEO QUALITY***


Burn Notice: Season 7 arrives on DVD with a 480p transfer in the aspect ratio of 1.78:1. - A fresh from cable transfer that exhibits a pleasing image. Colors are warm with skintones leaning towards tan. Crisp and bold primaries look great. Black levels were deep with good shadow delineation. Fine detail was good with crisp lines on the clothing and revealing close ups. 9/10


***AUDIO QUALITY***


Audio is provided by a Dolby Digital 5.1 track. - Dialogue was crisp and clean throughout. Surrounds were used for directional effects in the more heated action moments. Bass adds a little heft to explosions, gun shots and music cues. 8.5/10


***SPECIAL FEATURES***


* Audio Commentary - The primary cast of Bruce Campbell, Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar and Sharon Gles are joined by creator Matt Nix and writer Ben Watkins to share their fun and informative thoughts on the 100th episode “Forget Me Not”.

* Exit Strategy: Ending the Series (SD, 10min42sec)
* Deleted Scenes (SD, 6min33sec)
* Gag Reel (SD, 2min47sec)

Family Guy: Volume 12 DVD Review

***SYNOPSIS***


“Family Guy” reaches new heights of hilarity in this outrageous collection of 22 uncensored episodes, including fan-favorite “Into Fat Air,” where the Griffins rock Mount Everest, plus the comedy jackpot “Roads to Vegas” and the milestone 200th episode “Yug Ylimaf,” in which Brian and Stewie develop a curious case of reverse aging thanks to a time machine foul-up. It’s a complete season of laughs with celebrity guest voices Johnny Depp, Jon Hamm, Sofia Vergara and more!


***SERIES REVIEW***


The 12th season of the hit Seth MacFarlane series was on a roll with a terrific run of episodes including the 200th Episode that is an excellent and hilarious trip. The guest stars are a lot of fun with my favorite being Mad Men's Joh Hamm. There are 22 episodes in all included on this set and I found myself binge watching through them over 2 nights. 9/10


***VIDEO QUALITY***


Family Guy: Volume 12 arrives on DVD with a 480p transfer in the original aspect ratio of 1.78:1. - The show looks colorful and bright with bold colors and no bleeding through lines. Blacks were great with crisp "ink" lines. No noticeable signs of major compression artifacts or banding. 9/10


***AUDIO QUALITY***


Audio is provided by a Dolby Digital Stereo 5.1 track. The funny dialogue was crisp and clear throughout the episodes. Stereo separation was surprisingly dynamic in certain moments. Surrounds were used to create a sense of environment sparingly and also for directional effects. 8/10


***SPECIAL FEATURES***


* Audio Commentaries - We are treated to commentary for 7 selected episodes in varying quality but all well worth listening to if you're a fan. Episodes include "Yug Ylimaf", "Jesus, Mary and Joseph!", "Brian’s Play", "Valentine’s Day in Quahog", "Chris Cross", "Farmer Guy", and "Roads to Vegas".

* 200 Episodes Later - A really nice look back at the show through the years with insight from the cast and creator who've brought it to life.

* 200th Episode Table Read
* Scene Animatic from “Into Fat Air” with Side-by-Side Commentary
* Scene Animatic from “Total Recall” with Side-by-Side Commentary
* Full Episode Animatic from “Space Cadet”
* Comic-Con Panel
* Deleted Scenes

The Ultimate Life Blu-ray Review

**SYNOPSIS**


This touching story of hope and family values is the follow-up to the heartwarming film and best-seller The Ultimate Gift. After receiving life-changing gifts from his grandfather, Jason Stevens finds himself in need of guidance once again. Jason’s billion dollar foundation is being challenged in a courtroom battle, which complicates his relationship with his soul mate. When it looks like he may lose it all, he finds his grandfather’s journal. With everything he loves hanging in the balance, he embarks on a journey into the past through the journal to learn what it means to live...The Ultimate Life.





**MOVIE REVIEW**


Based on the novel by Jim Stovall Director Michael Landon Jr. does an adequate job with the film. Nothing too special happens during the running time besides old cliches of family and togetherness. The cast was likeable despite their characters not having much to do. Overall if you're a fan of the book I would say go for it, otherwise a rental first may be best. 7/10


**VIDEO QUALITY**


The Ultimate Life arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p transfer in the aspect ratio of 1.78:1. - Colors were bold but leaned towards oversaturation in some moments. Black levels were a little washed out or murky. Fine detail was good but not overly striking. No signs of compression artifacts were noticed. 7.5/10


**AUDIO QUALITY**


Audio is provided by a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. - Dialogue was placed front and center while being crisp and clear throughout. Surrounds are used sparingly for bleeding of the score and light environmental effects. Bass adds a little more heft to the fine work of Mark McKenzie. No pops, cracks or hisses were heard. 7.5/10


**SPECIAL FEATURES**


* The Heart of the Ultimate Life (HD, 8min6sec) - Here we get the insight from cast and crew as well as the novel's author Jim Stovall.

* Cast & Crew Interviews (HD, 44min16sec) - There are 10 interview clips with cast members Abigale Mavity, Ali Hillis, Bill Cobbs, David Mann, Drew Waters, Logan Bartholomew, Austin James, Peter Fonda, executive producer Rick Eldridge and author Jim Stovall. You can watch each individually or use a play all feature.

* Deleted Scenes (HD, 5min21sec) - Five scenes total are included here and are played together.

* "One Life" Music Video (HD, 3min40sec)

* Official Movie Trailer (HD, 2min26sec)

The Wolverine Blu-ray Review

**SYNOPSIS**


Hugh Jackman returns as The Wolverine and faces his ultimate nemesis in an action packed life-or-death battle that takes him to modern day Japan. Vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his limits, Logan confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality; an epic fight that will leave him forever changed.





**MOVIE REVIEW**


Director James Mangold gives a new look at Logan aka Wolverine that is welcome. The events of the film take place after X-Men: The Last Stand with Wolvie grieving over the death of Jean Grey. After being lured to Japan he teams up with the beautiful and capable Mariko. There are some twists in the plot and the action sequences are quite thrilling. The best one taking place on a moving bullet train. Hugh Jackman does a fine job portraying Logan's inner demons and his ferocity. Make sure to watch after the credits to see the setting up for the upcoming X-Men: Days of Future Past. 8.5/10


**VIDEO QUALITY**


The Wolverine arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p transfer in the aspect ratio of 2.40:1. - A fresh from the big screen transfer exhibits a crisp and colorful image. Colors for most of the running time are beautifully saturated with natural looking skintones. There are a few stylistic choices where the image has been given a certain hue based on the look the director was going for. Fine detail was excellent with eye popping clarity when it comes to the Japan setting and the clothing worn by the cast. Black levels were deep with a few instances of black crush 9/10


**AUDIO QUALITY**


Audio is provided by a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track. - A room rattling track with superb dynamic range. Dialogue is crisp and clear throughout. Surrounds are used to create an all enveloping presentation with smooth pans and crystal clear and precise effects. Bass adds some richness to Marco Beltrami's score and the action scenes are filled with tight bass response that exhibited chest thumping and floor shaking depth while never being overbearing. 10/10


**SPECIAL FEATURES**


* The Path of a Ronin (HD, 53min44sec) - A detailed look at the origins of the story, training, location filming and insight from the cast and crew. You can watch with a "play all" feature or watch as five separate featurettes.

* X-Men: Days of Future Past Set Tour (HD, 2min47sec) - A quick look at the next film in the X-Men franchise.

* Alternate Ending (HD, 1min36sec) - Fun scene for any long time fans of Wolverine and the X-Men.

* Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2min28sec)

* Second Screen App