Plot: What’s it about?
Leonardo Da Vinci (Tom Riley) has a mind that defies description, easily one of the finest intellects of not only his time, but perhaps ever. While he loves to spin ideas around his brain, he also loves to cause chaos and challenge authority, even when the consequences could be dire. Thanks to his brilliance and tendency to get into mischief, all of Florence knows his name and more to the point, his reputation. He has made both friends and enemies in high places, even finding himself as the Medici family’s head war engineer. His devices are revolutionary and lend immense aid to the Medici cause, which of course earns him even more enemies in some circles. Even as he pursues his intellectual goals, he also deals with his personal life, including a love triangle that always threaten to collapse around him. With a mind like his, even Da Vinci should be able to find all the answers, but between his powerful enemies, demanding allies, and trying love life, can he make it all work?
This is historical fantasy to the highest degree, giving us Da Vinci as a superhero and putting him into every important historical moment of his era. I can’t be sure, but I think some inspiration was taken from how Da Vinci was portrayed in the Assassin’s Creed video game series, which also showed him in this kind of inflated sense. But once you let go of expecting any kind of realism or accurate history, Da Vinci’s Demons is a fun, escapist ride. The emphasis is on action, plot twists, and sex, much as you’d expect in the post Game of Thrones television world. Da Vinci swordfights, invents massive tools of war, has sordid sex, and even battles Vlad the Impaler, not to mention several other remarkable foes. The series is not high art by any means, but the production values are good and the cast is more than solid. This is popcorn television however, so don’t expect the kind of complex character lines or plot you’d find in some shows. But Da Vinci’s Demons’ first season provides eight episodes packed with over the top fun, so as long as you can accept the concept, it is good fun and worth a look.
Video: How’s it look?
The episodes are presented in 1.78:1 widescreen. As you’d expect, this new show looks quite sparkling here in high definition. I found the visuals to be crystal clear, with excellent depth and detail throughout. The images are filled with bright and natural colors as well, with accurate black levels at all times. This is one of those transfers that jumps at you and reminds you how awesome high definition can look.
Audio: How’s it sound?
The show has a good amount of action, so the DTS HD 5.1 soundtrack gets to show off a little. Those action scenes pack a nice punch, while even calmer moments benefit from the skilled mix. This means overall presence is great and the atmosphere is good even in lower key audio scenes. The music sounds great too, while dialogue is strong and clear, no real complaints to lodge against this one at all.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This release includes audio commentaries, deleted scenes, and several behind the scenes featurettes.
