Plot: What’s it about?
Watchmen is an insanely popular graphic novel, an epic tale set within a world of super powered heroes and villains. Inside that world, a popular comic book is Tales of the Black Freighter, a comic within a comic, if you will. This is what the people within the Watchmen world read to kick back, but this is not some superhero epic. No, Tales of the Black Freighter follows a pirate saga with events that nearly mirror those of the Watchmen world. The story is about a sea captain who has his ship attacked, has to watch his crew members get slaughtered, then winds up deserted on a remote island. In order to survive, he must go to extremes, but he is determined to make it back home. But even if he survives the cruel journey to return home, will the captain be the same man or will the tribulations prove to change him forever?
As with most any adaptation of a novel to a movie, Watchmen lost some of the elements when it made the transition from page to screen. One such loss was Tales of the Black Freighter, the comic inside the comic that mirrors the Watchmen progress, adding so much impact as a result. I’ve heard the filmmakers intend to include this in a director’s cut, but for now, we have this animated take on the content. When taken out of context like this, Tales of the Black Freighter doesn’t seem as eventful, but if you’re familiar with Watchmen, you’ll get a lot more out of this. The animation is well done and looks good, while the voice talent is solid also. This is a suitable companion to Watchmen, without question. In addition to Tales of the Black Freighter, we have the must see Under the Hood, plus some other bonus elements. While Watchmen fans will enjoy this the most, Tales of the Black Freighter is recommended to anyone interested.
Video: How does it look?
Tales of the Black Freighter is presented in 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen. This looks good, but the simplistic nature of the animation style keeps the score down. After all, you can also only see so much detail with such a basic animation style. Even so, this is bright and colorful, with as much detail as can be expected. The image is clean and sharp, with no real flaws to speak of. This is a nice improvement over the DVD.
Audio: How does it sound?
I was pleased to find out this short was given a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 option, which sounds great. The narration is front and center, as it should be and is never overpowered by the other elements. But the surrounds do come to life when the need arises, so expect the sounds of the open ocean to fill your home theater. A solid amount of power, skillful presence, and an overall effective atmosphere make this soundtrack a winner. This release also includes a Dolby Digital 5.1 option, as well as English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
I was pleased to find out this short was given a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 option, which sounds great. The narration is front and center, as it should be and is never overpowered by the other elements. But the surrounds do come to life when the need arises, so expect the sounds of the open ocean to fill your home theater. A solid amount of power, skillful presence, and an overall effective atmosphere make this soundtrack a winner. This release also includes a Dolby Digital 5.1 option, as well as English subtitles.
