Review | Queen & Country (Blu-ray)

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Plot: What’s it about?Video: How does it look?Audio: How does it sound?Supplements: What are the extras?

Plot: What’s it about?

Britain’s royal family continues to draw the interest of millions around the world, with a rich historical tradition and a one of a kind mystique. In Queen & Country, the royal family is explored in depth to share a wealth of insight about the royals, both past and present. Queen Elizabeth II has ruled over Britain for over six decades and in 2012, her Diamond Jubilee was a landmark event that captivated people all across the globe. And of course, the royal weddings are always certain to bring the rest of the world to a stand still, as the world tunes in to watch. In this piece, newsman Trevor McDonald examines all aspects of the royals, from the traditions to their properties to the political involvement and beyond. If there is something you’d like to know about the royals, chances are this piece covers it and then some. With three hours of in depth information and insight, Queen & Country is a program anyone with an interest in the royals will not want to miss.

While I am not enamored with Britain’s royals as some folks, I can still appreciate a well crafted program like Queen & Country. This piece runs three hours and covers a wealth of topics, all related to the royals. Some of the oldest traditions are explored and explained, such as the famous changing of the guard. So if you have an interest in knowing the history behind some of the royals’ traditions, you will love this program. And while the theme is all about the royal family, Queen & Country also looks at the whole of Britain, how the culture and lives of the population intertwine with the royals. Since that connection is so unique to Britain, it was nice to see it explored to reveal a larger picture. Trevor McDonald makes a rock solid host, with an obvious enthusiasm about the royals and a capable presence on screen. After Queen & Country concluded, I knew more about the royals than I ever expected. So if you have even a slight interest in Britain’s royals, Queen & Country is a must see release.

Video: How does it look?

Queen & Country is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen. This program looks terrific, with clean and sharp visuals. The level of depth is quite strong, which allows subtle, fine detail to come through. The colors are natural and bright, while contrast is spot on and provides stark black levels. Not much else I can say really, the program just looks great.

Audio: How does it sound?

The soundtrack here is good and serves the needs of the material. This is a documentary with no real audio depth, so the audio is a little dull, but that is unavoidable. The dialogue is the main focus and it sounds good, with clean vocals that suffer from no errors I could detect. The other elements sound passable, but this program simply doesn’t require much audio presence outside of the dialogue.