Blu-ray Review
Smallville: The Complete Eighth Season
 Official Synopsis:
There's a new reporter at the Daily Planet: Clark Kent, who shares a workspace with Lois Lane. There's a new hero in Metropolis, too. No one knows who he is. But Jimmy Olsen was on the scene of one of the do-gooder's exploits, and he snapped a blurred photo of the hero in superspeed action - a hero everyone now calls the Red-Blue Blur. Red-jacketed, blue-shirted Clark Kent draws closer to his Superman destiny in the exciting 22-episode, 4-disc Season 8 set brimming with high-defintion excitement. Another Kryptonian destiny also takes shape. Davis Bloome begins to realize he is Doomsday. His mission on Earth: kill Clark Kent. So many new events (will Jimmy and Chloe's marriage last?), so many new faces (Tess Mercer, Saturn Girl and Cosmic Boy among them!), so many state-of-the-art effects - so don't miss a single thrill-packed moment!
Our Take:
I stopped watching Smallville on TV a couple of seasons ago, not because I didn't like the show, but because it was on in a really bad time slot for me against competing shows. In fact, I've always really enjoyed Smallville and have been a regular viewer for years. However, it was an easy show to give up on TV because I enjoy watching it in large chunks so much. There's nothing better than getting a Smallville DVD/Blu-ray set to review and being able to watch four or five episodes in a sitting.
That's especially helpful in Smallville: The Complete Eighth Season, where things really kick into overdrive. With the onset of Doomsday (you remember him, right? He kind of killed Superman back in the early '90s), this season really plays out well on disc, as you get to watch Davis Bloom's transformation into Doomsday unfold at a much quicker pace than you probably did if you were watching week to week. And while there's something to be said for the element of surprise, it's kind of neat knowing the basics of what happens in this season, because the writers always pepper the scripts with so many knowing little comments and in-jokes. I really enjoyed catching some clever nods to what awaited Davis Bloom as he slowly transforms into Doomsday.
It seems like Smallville could be renamed Metropolis, because so little of the show takes place in Smallville anymore, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy seeing Clark's transformation into Superman accelerating in the big city. The Daily Planet and LuthorCorp sets really do make for some great locales for the show's action to unfold, much more so than endless corn fields and Smallville's Main Street.
Audio & Video:
Smallville: The Complete Seventh Season looks pretty terrific on Blu-ray. Aside from some minor digital artifacts, the picture is quite dynamic. The show has always been super-colorful (no pun intended), and it seems to be getting even more so in its more recent years. Greens, reds, blues, purples, and yellows make up the primary color palette, and each shade is deeply saturated, vivid and vibrant. Image clarity is a step up from the standard DVD, although there are some soft edges from time to time. Contrasts are sharp, blacks look really nice, and the quality as a whole is quite impressive.
Once again, Warner disappoints by only providing a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround soundtrack, rather than a True HD mix. The included audio programming is active but not subtle; meaning that the rear speakers kick in when something big is happening on screen, but fall silent the rest of the time. Dialogue is clean and clear, and the music sounds good (it's such an integral part of the show), but it would have been nice to get a mix with a little more character.
Special Features (Blu-ray Exclusive):
There are no Blu-ray exclusive features.
Special Features (Standard):
- Cast/Creator Commentaries
- Unaired Scenes
- In the Director's Chair: Behind the Lens and Calling the Shots with Allison Mack
- Smallville's Doomsday: The Making of a Monster
Conclusion:
With the origin of Green Arrow, a visit from the Legion of Super Heroes, and Clark battling Doomsday, Smallville: The Complete Eight Season is not to be missed for Superman fans!
RECOMMENDED!
Overall Picture:
Show: B+
Video: A
Audio: B-
Extra Features: B-
- Mike Spring
Editor
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