BLU-RAY REVIEW

Game Change

Featured In Issue 174, February 2013

Picture4.5
Sound4.5
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):
HBO Home Video
(Catalog Number):
3000044065
(MPAA Rating):
TV-MA
(Rating Reason):
(Retail Price):
$24.99
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
No
(Running Time In Minutes):
117
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
A
(Theatrical Year):
2012
(Theatrical Release):
No
(Direct-To-Video Release):
Yes
(Disc Release Date):
01/08/13
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
No
(Director):
Jay Roach
(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, DTS 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):

Based on the best-selling book of the same name by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, "Game Change" examines the chain of events that determines the leadership of the country, ultimately offering a unique glimpse into the inner workings of how we choose our leaders. It pulls back the curtain on the intense human drama surrounding the McCain team, the critical decisions made behind closed doors, and how the choice was made to bring Palin on the ticket. (Gary Reber)

Special features include the featurettes "Creating A Candidate" (HD 07:26) and "The Phenomenon" (HD 04:27), upfront previews, and an UltraViolet digital copy.

The 1080p AVC picture is bright and colorful, with an inner energy that propels the storytelling. Colors are rich and warm and vividly hued. Fleshtones are accurate throughout. Contrast is excellent with deep, solid black and revealing shadow delineation. Resolution is revealing, with nicely detailed images, especially in close-ups of facial features, hair, clothing, and object texture. The archival footage provided by various news services appears documentary quality. While a television production, the imagery never lacks energy or realism. The picture fully supports the insightful and engaging storytelling. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is nicely produced, with an aggressive surround presence during the convention and campaign segments, and falls back to a quiet perspective during the more intimate personal one-on-one segments of campaign preparation. The music score is lively, with its energy spread to the surround channels. Deep bass is appropriately applied to support the atmospherics and sound effects and enhance the drama. Dialogue is always intelligible, though, forward sounding. This soundtrack exceeds the expectations of a television drama, for a satisfying sonic experience. (Gary Reber)