A year after its theatrical debut in Japan,
Viz has wasted no time in bringing the first
entry in the 20th Century Boys series
to the US. This release is straight forward
from the company, containing a good video
and audio presentation but being light on
any extra content.
| Video: |
 |
Viz has done a good effort with the video
track here. The print used is in great shape,
as one would expect for a movie produced the
year before. Colors are also distinct, although
perhaps could have been a little more vibrant.
The only real downfall of the video is that
the transfer is slightly blurred, not being
as sharp as it could be due to the amount
of compression present.
20th Century Boys is presented
in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, and
is Anamorphic for widescreen TVs.
| Audio: |
 |
This disc has two audio tracks, both of
which are in Japanese. One is a two channel
stereo offering, while the second is a 5.1
surround track. Both are done well, with no
complaints to be had with either. The surround
track does a good job with the audio too,
emphasizing effects like the explosions for
example.
The audio is complimented by removable English
subtitles.
| Extras: |
 |
When it comes to supplemental content,
this release is pretty bare bones. It has
a number of trailers for the main feature,
including a dubbed one from Viz. Beyond this,
more trailers for other features make up the
only other extras. These are a little awkward
though. For example, the K-20:
Legend of the Mask (2008) one can
only be seen when the DVD is first put into
the player, while the Japanese one for 20th
Century Boys 2: The Last Hope (2009)
can only be viewed after watching the movie.
Why all of these can't be selected from a
menu is beyond me, but it makes the whole
thing a cumbersome experience. Also, the Death
Note trailers are all the Viz ones, which
means filled with their bad, trailer only,
dubbing.
| Overview: |
|
Bottom
line, this is a decent effort if one is looking
to check out the starting entry in the trilogy.
It's not a spectacular DVD, but does a good
job of presenting the film itself despite
the lack of extras.
|
