- Aspect Ratio: 1:78:1
- Video Codec: AVC MPEG-4
- Resolution: 1080p/24 (23.976Hz)
- Audio Codec: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
- Subtitles: None
- Subtitles Color: N/A
- Region: A (Region-Locked)
- Rating: Not Rated
- Run Time: 90 Mins
- Discs: 1 (1 x Blu-ray)
- Digital Copies: None
- Studio: Asylum Home Entertainment
- Blu-ray Release Date: January 8th, 2013
- List Price: $24.99
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Overall
[Rating:2/5]
The Film
[Rating:1/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:3.5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:1/5]
Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures
(All 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:1/5]
In this remake of Hansel & Gretel by the wonderful Asylum (sarcasm!!), we find a similar story. This one tells of siblings Hansel (Brent Lydic) and Gretel Grimm(Stephanie Greco) and their abduction by a psychotic woman named Lilith. After witnessing Lilith kill someone, the two teens now realize that they’re in a battle not only against this woman, but also for their lives! What results is a rather dreadful, mostly boring attempt at filmmaking.
While I do understand that for every studio that makes art house gems, there has to be a few bad studios here and there – you know to balance out the equation. Enter the studio Aslyum, synonymous with the word terrible. Instead of making somewhat enjoyable trash (like Anchor Bay does with their over-the-top disaster flicks,) Asylum’s films reek of the smell of putrid trash. The main problem here is not only is the style of filming terrible (with all of the quick movements that are made), but the actual story lacks anything interesting. This isn’t the fault of the Hansel & Gretel story, as that plot is famous and time tested – and quite charming (depending on rendition).
Video Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Hansel & Gretel arrives with a 1:78:1 framed, AVC MPEG-4 encoded transfer, one of which is solid. Colors are fine throughout, with more than a few ‘hi-def’ worthy moments. With that said, colors are accurate and do help to make the image appear to have a solid look and feel to it. Flesh tones are also accurate, with correct contrast levels. All in all, this image handles everything well and added a positive feel to the film.
Audio Quality
[Rating:3.5/5]
Audio-wise, the film’s DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 offers up a fairly solid audio experience. Dialogue is well reproduced via the center channel, while surrounds (with this being a horror film) give us a bit of background activity via screams, and a few gun blasts. Ambience is there via little sound design techniques (like wind swooshes), but for the most part, this is a front-heavy mix. With that said, LFE hits occasionally, while the rest of the track handles the film well. This is mix is nothing great, but it somewhat solid for the film at hand.
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:1/5]
The included features are presented in High Definition:
- Audio Commentary with Director Anthony C. Ferrante, Actors Stephanie Greco and Brent Lydic, and Writer Jose Prendes
- Making of – This runs 5:33 and touches on some of the film’s making, including cast and crew interviews as well as production.
- Gag Reel – 2:19 worth of gags.
- Hell’s Crafty – A quick 3:13 look at some of the food the crew ate.
The Definitive Word
Overall:
[Rating:2/5]
Despite Asylum putting together a decent V/A presentation, Hansel & Gretel (like most of their cheesy films) is dreadful.
Additional Screen Captures
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BestBuy.com:
Purchase Hansel & Gretel on Blu-ray at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles on Amazon.com
–
[amazon-product]B00AYB1YJ6[/amazon-product]
[amazon-product]B009T43QT0[/amazon-product]
BestBuy.com:
Purchase Hansel & Gretel on Blu-ray at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles on Amazon.com
Overall
[Rating:2/5]
The Film
[Rating:1/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:3.5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:1/5]
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