- Aspect Ratio: 1:85:1
- Video Codec: AVC MPEG-4
- Resolution: 1080p/24 (23.976Hz)
- Audio Codec: English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, English Descriptive Audio 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1
- Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
- Subtitles Color: White
- Region: A (Region-Locked)
- Rating: PG
- Run Time: 96 Mins
- Discs: 1 (1 x Blu-ray)
- Digital Copies: Ultraviolet
- Studio: 20th Century Fox
- Blu-ray Release Date: March 5th, 2013
- List Price: $29.98
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Overall
[Rating:3.5/5]
The Film
[Rating:3/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2.5/5]
Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures
(The below TheaterByte screen captures are lightly compressed with lossy JPEG at 100% quality setting and are meant as a general representation of the content. They do not fully reveal the capabilities of the Blu-ray format)
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The Film
[Rating:3/5]
Chasing Mavericks tells the story of 15-year-old Jay Moriarity (Jonny Weston) and his quest to become the best surfer he can become after learning that the mythical Mavericks surf break is real. Reaching out to surfing legend Frosty Hesson (Gerard Butler), Frosty’s mentorship with Jay soon turns into an extraordinary bond. Along the way, the two realize that in order to complete their dreams, they must put aside any and all fear. What results is a rather by the numbers family drama, only really highlighted by some impressive wave footage.
As family dramas go, Chasing Mavericks is a very straightforward film. We have the underdog in Jay who wants nothing more than to succeed at what he loves to do. We have the washed up legend in Frosty who wishes to relive some of his glory days, thus training Jay (hoping to meld him into a sort of ‘clone’ of himself.) While this all evidently clear, Mavericks is still a rather entertaining film – for at least one sit through. The wave sequences are nothing short of thrilling, edge of your seat entertainment (and boy do they sound great!) Still, I do suppose Mavericks is worth a look for those families who are looking for something new outside of the standard animated affairs.
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Chasing Mavericks arrives with a 1:85:1 framed, AVC MPEG-4 encoded transfer. With a majority of the film featuring wide, exterior outdoor locales, the film’s color palette has a natural, clean look and feel to it. Shot digitally using the Arri Alexa Cameras as well as the now infamous Red One system, there’s a thin layer of noise that shows up. This isn’t a huge fault though, as I felt it helped to bring home the grittiness of the waves. Color palette wise, the film focuses on the warmer side of the spectrum with sky blues and grass greens. Flesh tones remain accurate, while contrast has a warm feel to it. All in all, this is an impressive effort by Fox.
Audio Quality
[Rating:5/5]
The film includes a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track, one that captures all the booming waves. Atmosphere is nothing short of excellent. During the surfing sequences, close your eyes and simply listen. What will you hear? Why, nothing short of a fine use of discrete effects that all but place us right on the board with Jay. It’s also during these moments that LFE rears its head, offering up deep, immersive low-end. As the waves hit, we feel a deep low-end that rattles the room, again, helping to place us right in the middle of the action. While the heightened moments may be some of the best, the quieter dialogue-driven scenes deliver as well with accurate dialogue reproduction. All in all, especially with the inclusion of a 7.1 mix, this is an excellent mix from Fox.
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2.5/5]
The included features are presented in High Definition:
- Audio Commentary with Michael Apted, Brandon Hooper and Jim Meenaghan
- Deleted Scenes – Here we get 5:45 worth of deleted scenes.
- Surf City – A 10:31 look into surfing in Santa Cruz, California.
- Shooting Waves – A rather informative 10:38 look into how the surfing sequences were shot.
- Live Like Jay – A 10:50 featurette featuring interviews with Jay’s friends.
- Surfer Zen – A 10:09 look into what the ocean brings to surfers.
- Ultraviolet Digital Copy
The Definitive Word
Overall:
[Rating:3.5/5]
Even though Chasing Mavericks is a rather by the numbers family drama, families look for something new outside of the animated titles will definitely find something to enjoy here. Equally enjoyable is Fox’s excellent Blu-ray presentation with a fine video transfer and a perfect 7.1 mix. Recommended for families.
Additional Screen Captures
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BestBuy.com:
Purchase Chasing Mavericks on Blu-ray at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles on Amazon.com
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[amazon-product]B00AQTY3XA[/amazon-product]
BestBuy.com:
Purchase Chasing Mavericks on Blu-ray at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles on Amazon.com
Overall
[Rating:3.5/5]
The Film
[Rating:3/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating2.5/5]
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