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Ghost Canyon

'Pirates of the Caribbean 1 & 2' [Blu-ray]
(Johnny Depp, Keira Knightly, Orlando Bloom, et al / Blu-Ray / PG-13 / (2003 / 2005) 2007 / Buena Vista Home Entertainment)

Overview: Set sail for adventure with Disney’s 'Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl' on Blu-ray’s high definition disc. This revolutionary new format brings the thrilling tale of the high seas to life like never before! Legendary pirate Captain Jack Sparrow and young sword-maker Will Turner join forces to rescue a governor’s daughter from a band of bloodthirsty fellow pirates. Only Jack knows the dark secret the crew of the Black Pearl harbors.

Then in 'Pirates of The Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest,' charming rogue pirate Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is back to wreak hilarious havoc on the high seas on Blu-ray Disc®! Also starring Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightly, this swashbuckling joyride will amaze you as never before in this spectacular, "see-worthy" format! Jack’s got a blood debt to pay: he owes his soul to Davy Jones, ghostly Ruler of the Deep. Get caught up in the whirlpool of Jack’s misadventures as he schemes to avoid eternal damnation by seizing the fabled Dead Man’s Chest.

Thrill to the nonstop action, devilish humor, monstrous sea creatures and breathtaking black magic presented in astonishing 1080p and thunderous 5.1 48 kHz, 24-bit uncompressed audio on both these brand new Blu-ray titles. So come on now, come experience oceans of fun with Blu-ray™ High Definition!

DVD Verdict:

Pirates of the Caribbean - Curse of the Black Pearl [Blu-ray] - Whether you're new to Blu-ray DVDs or already have quite a collection, this one is a must-buy. Simply put, it has the best video and audio of any Blu-ray title released to date. With its mix of bright and dark scenes, its boatload of special effects and its rollicking layered soundtrack, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl" is a perfect showcase for Blu-ray technology, and Disney has taken full advantage of it.

VIDEO - Though its contrast is sharp and bold, the near-perfect digital transfer reveals hitherto-unseen details and textures throughout its range. In nearly every scene there seems to be something new -- from the lace on young Elizabeth's dress, to the braids that hold the beads in the beard of Captain Jack, to the rotting, clinging skin on the pirates' moonlit skulls.

The colors, always good, are now simply great. Pure and vivid, they show off every brilliant yellow and orange in the film's Caribbean days; every spooky blue in its moonlight nights. Flesh tones couldn't be better.

The transfer has no grain, even in the darkest scenes, and there are no compression artifacts, so even the largest patch of color stays one solid hue. This, in turn, reveals even more minute detail. Have you ever noticed that the redhead's curls match the pattern on her dress? Or that the skeleton monkey has mangy fur? I hadn't, until now.

AUDIO - As you would guess, the uncompressed 5.1 soundtrack delivers amazing audio quality, with great imaging between its channels for a full 360-degree field of sound. But what's really cool is, again, all the detail. There's just so much sound here. You hear the wooden ships creak and moan as they sail. You hear individual instruments in the score. You can even make out every word -- well, most every word -- of Captain Jack's often slurred, sun-baked mumble.

BONUS FEATURES - The two-disc set contains all the low-res bonuses of the earlier standard release, as well as a nifty new one. Activate "Scoundrels at Sea" and, as you watch the movie, a prompt pops up every few minutes that lets you view a short clip about pirate history. You can skip it, watch it immediately, or build up a library of clips to view at the film's end.

To sum up, this is the best Blu-ray title out there. It's a great way to experience that big-bucks home theater system, and a treasure trove of entertainment fun.

Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest [Blu-ray] - If you liked this movie as a regular DVD, you're going to love it in Blu-Ray. Everything there is to like about the film is even better here. The creepy stuff is creepier, the funny stuff funnier, the special effects more special. In fact, "Dead Mans Chest" fans will probably consider this the absolute best Blu-Ray movie there is. Personally, I prefer Pirates of the Caribbean - Curse of the Black Pearl [Blu-ray] for its better storytelling, but this one has equally vivid color, equally outstanding detail and a soundtrack that will blow you away. Disney is obviously using its Pirates titles as its Blu-ray showcase, and has poured in the bucks to make them the best titles on the market.

VIDEO - Though "Pearl" has a better story, "Chest" has the better effects, and its squishy fishy pirates lend themselves better to Blu-ray detail than the first film's skeleton crew. The barnacles, coral, scales and tentacles that cover Davy Jones and his mates are much more visible here than in the standard release, and when Bootstrap Bill stuffs a crawling shell in his mouth you can tell it was hermit crab. In fact, the movie's near-perfect digital transfer reveals new details in nearly every scene, from the dark blue dye on Tia Dalma's teeth to the glisten and glimmer on the attacking kracken.

The images have rich shadows and, amazingly, no grain, so even the darkest details come to life. You can even see that cannibal who traps Will Turner -- before he jumps out from the tree.

AUDIO - Wow! No other Blu-ray title sounds like this. Whether it's a simple explosion or the complex chase scene, the uncompressed 5.1 soundtrack delivers the goods loud and clear, with plenty of nuance and perfect channel separation -- just like those reference DVDs at a Bose store. Often the sound is so vivid it seems you can watch the film with your eyes closed. The best sequence comes when Davy Jones plays his pipe organ. Turn it up and you can feel it in your spine.

BONUS FEATURES - There's just one hi-tech extra, an interactive Liar's Dice game. Here, you're pitted against Pintel (Lee Arenberg) in a contest that plays out through video clips that rarely repeat. Unlike most games of this type, this one renders its visuals quickly, thanks to a new technology called BD-Java. The other bonus features are the same as those on the standard DVD, at the same standard fidelity and resolution.

To sum up, "Pearl" is still better, but if you buy this disc you won't be disappointed. With video and audio that set a new standard for Blu-ray releases, this new "Dead Man's Chest" takes you for a real Pirates ride.

These are both High Definition Presentations (2.35:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with the Special Features of:

'Pirates 1':
Games & Activities - Scoundrels Of The Sea
Movie Showcase
Backstage
Seamless Menus
'An Epic At Sea' Making-of
'Fly On The Set' - Featurette
Blooper Reel
Plus Much, Much More!

'Pirates 2':
Games & Activities - Liar's Dice
Movie Showcase
Backstage
Seamless Menus
Captain Jack - Documentary
Meet Davy Jones - Featurette
Bloopers of The Caribbean
And Much, Much More!

www.BVHEbluray.com

HD Clip 1 HD Clip 2 HD Clip 3 HD Clip 4





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