Dylan Dog: Dead of Night Blu-ray Review
Score: 42
from 3 reviewers
Review Date:
"Dylan Dog: Dead of Night" struggles with poor direction and few extras, offering moderate video and good audio, evoking mixed to negative feelings overall.
Disc Release Date
DTS-HD MA
Video: 48
Dylan Dog: Dead of Night arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer that conveys its dark and muted aesthetic well but suffers from inconsistent detail, occasional noise, and crushing blacks. Though far from pristine, it captures the film’s atmosphere adequately with serviceable color stylization and average high definition resolution.
Audio: 58
Dylan Dog: Dead of Night's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix delivers robust dynamics, deep bass, and clear dialogue, with front channels strong and rears frequently engaged for effects. Exceptional clarity in sound accentuates both action and atmospheric scenes, providing a compelling audio experience with immersive envelopment.
Extra: 6
Despite great resolution, black levels, color reproduction, and consistent fleshtones, 'Dylan Dog: Dead of Night' Blu-ray lacks special features entirely, making the disc feel incomplete.
Movie: 37
Dylan Dog: Dead of Night struggles as a lackluster adaptation of Tiziano Sclavi's comic, with derivative plot elements, uninspired performances, and poor technical execution; its convoluted supernatural noir fails to engage both fans and newcomers, feeling more like a low-budget TV movie than a captivating horror-comedy.
Video: 48
The video presentation of "Dylan Dog: Dead of Night" on Blu-ray is serviceable but falls short of excellence. The 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer presents the film's dark and somber tone adequately, utilizing muted secondary colors to complement its dreary aesthetic. Bright elements like reds, blues, and yellows are pleasingly vivid when they appear, but overall, the image quality struggles with consistency. While high definition resolution is generally satisfying, close-ups are well delineated, and long-range visuals display reasonable sharpness, the image tends to be soft, particularly during wider shots.
Shot on 35mm film, the transfer maintains a natural filmic appearance without excessive digital noise reduction or artificial sharpening. Film grain is prevalent but not distracting, although it does impact clarity. Detail in dark areas and low lighting is above average, but black levels often crush shadow detail, making some sequences overly dim and indistinct. This results in fluctuating visibility within backgrounds and a lack of definitively rich contrast in blacks. Color grading features moody green and blue lighting at night with white highlights shifting to a creamy tone, which fits the film's atmosphere but further complicates visibility in darker scenes.
Noise issues and fluctuating grain levels occasionally obscure finer details, leading to inconsistent sharpness and minor aliasing issues. The back-and-forth struggle between sharp and soft images can be frustrating and may detract from the viewing experience. While this Blu-ray transfer captures the worn-in atmosphere of the film and offers some striking visual moments, it is limited by technical shortcomings that prevent it from being a top-tier high-definition offering. Overall, viewers who appreciate the film's stylistic choices may find this Blu-ray presentation acceptable, but it is not without its flaws.
Audio: 58
The audio presentation of "Dylan Dog: Dead of Night" on Blu-ray is an immersive experience, primarily driven by a powerful DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. The sound mix is characterized by robust dynamics and deep bass extension, providing a solid foundation for the film's action and horror sequences. The encoding is exceptionally clear, ensuring that low-level off-camera sounds are equally well rendered as those intended to dominate the scene, punctuating critical moments with palpable force. Dialogue is consistently clean, exhibiting a textured and discernible tonal character while maintaining good room penetration.
The front channels deliver a strong output, while the surrounds are effectively employed to heighten the overall auditory experience with directional ambient effects. Magnesium flares, zombie noises, and vampire shrieks envelop the listener from all directions, creating a full-bodied soundscape. During climactic scenes, such as electric arcs and sparks filling the air, the audio demonstrates remarkable precision and intensity. There are also subtler atmospheric elements like general chatter in the Corpus nightclub that add a layer of envelopment without overwhelming the primary action.
Despite occasional inconsistencies in the distribution of localized effects, causing some segments to feel less immersive than others, the track handles its demands adequately. The bass levels provide a satisfactory underpinning to the action sequences, although they can be somewhat uneven at times. Overall, while not revolutionary, this DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix significantly contributes to the engaging horror-action atmosphere of "Dylan Dog: Dead of Night," showcasing a well-rounded sound design that enhances the viewing experience.
Extras: 6
The Extras section of the "Dylan Dog: Dead of Night" Blu-ray disappointingly lacks content, with no special features offered—not even a trailer. Fans of the film and collectors typically expect more engaging bonus content such as commentary tracks, behind-the-scenes footage, or interviews. This absence results in a missed opportunity to deepen viewer engagement and appreciation of the movie. The lack of extras is especially noticeable given how integral they have become to the Blu-ray experience.
Extras included in this disc:
- None: The disc doesn't contain any special features.
Movie: 37
"Dylan Dog: Dead of Night" presents an enticing premise rooted in the popular Italian comic series by Tiziano Sclavi, centering on Dylan Dog, a supernatural private investigator entangled in a convoluted case involving vampires, werewolves, and zombies in New Orleans. Despite the rich source material, the film struggles to capture its essence, delivering a derivative monster mash-up reminiscent of "Hellboy," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and "True Blood." The narrative falters under the weight of a needlessly complex plot and struggles to maintain any tonal consistency. The transition of setting from London to New Orleans is more than just geographical, as it fundamentally alters the atmospheric and stylistic undertones that fans have come to expect.
Brandon Routh stars as Dylan Dog, delivering a serviceable but lackluster performance plagued by uninspired dialogue and flat attempts at humor. The character's neo-noir charm is undermined by clichéd and often cringeworthy lines that even seasoned actors would find challenging to deliver convincingly. Sam Huntington's portrayal of Marcus, Dylan's sidekick turned zombie, adds some much-needed comedic relief but fails to elevate the overall experience. Unfortunately, Anita Briem's role as the enigmatic femme fatale falls short, offering little depth or intrigue.
The technical execution of the film further compounds its issues. The $20 million budget feels misappropriated, resulting in subpar special effects and outdated creature makeup. Action sequences lack dynamism and are poorly staged and edited, contributing to a made-for-TV aesthetic that diminishes the film's potential thrills. Not even the expert input from seasoned monster actor Brian Steele can rescue the clumsily executed genre elements. Overall, "Dylan Dog: Dead of Night" is a disjointed amalgamation of supernatural clichés that fails to resonate with both newcomers and dedicated fans of the original comic series.
Total: 42
"Dylan Dog: Dead of Night" presents a mixed bag for viewers, distinguishing itself neither in box office performance nor critical reception. With a meager box office return of less than $5 million against a $20 million budget, it's evident why the film failed to generate significant interest among fans of comic book adaptations. Expectations were high, yet the execution faltered, leading to substantial disappointment that could not be mitigated by the Blu-ray release.
The Blu-ray offers moderate video quality that captures the film’s dark and quirky aesthetics but falls short of making any substantial impact. The audio quality fares better, offering a robust experience that enhances the overall viewing, yet it cannot compensate for the lackluster visual presentation. Notably, the disc includes minimal extras, making it an unimpressive package for collectors and enthusiasts who seek more comprehensive behind-the-scenes content. The misdirection behind the camera is palpable, hindering any positive elements and creating a battle between interesting ideas and poor filmmaking decisions.
In conclusion, "Dylan Dog: Dead of Night" struggles to maintain viewer interest both as a theatrical release and as a Blu-ray offering. While there are moments where quirky cinematic elements shine through, they are too often overshadowed by subpar execution and direction. For those intrigued by the concept, it may be worth a view as a rental or discounted purchase, but it is difficult to recommend as a full-price acquisition. The film and Blu-ray release together represent missed opportunities that could have been vastly improved with more adept production choices.
Blu-ray.com review by Casey BroadwaterRead review here
Video: 70
Grain can be quite thick at times, and while it's never a distraction, it does cut down on the degree of clarity....
Audio: 80
Elsewhere, the surrounds are used for light ambience--general chatter in the "Corpus" nightclub, for instance--and to fill out the rather generic but dynamically solid soundtrack by Klaus Badelt....
Extras: 0
...
Movie: 40
Fans of the original comic will be naturally disappointed that the film only pays lip-service to Sclavi's creation, but newcomers to the world of Dylan Dog will be bummed out too, if only because the movie...
Total: 40
I imagine poor word-of- mouth kept comic book film fans away in droves, and the Blu-ray will likely suffer the same fate, perhaps generating a few sales this week but quickly tapering off....
High-Def DigestRead review here
Video: 40
I really enjoyed how well the worn in atmosphere of the film came to life on Blu-ray, as that may very well be this disc's strength, the random object detail, even fleeting as it can be....
Audio: 60
Rears get plenty of light ambience and some localized effects, which are spread a tiny bit too thin, in my opinion, considering how some sequences are full room, and other comparable moments aren't....
Extras: 0
...
Movie: 40
The fact that the undead and supernatural are played as so common place to those in the know, the only ones they ever encounter in the film, is a nice touch, and the depiction of zombies is quite hilarious,...
Total: 40
It's worth a look, at the very least, but man, just thinking about the film makes me upset that there weren't some more talented people involved behind the camera....
AVSForumRead review here
Video: 84
When brighter elements such as shades of red, blue or yellow are present, they have a vivid and pleasing quality....
Audio: 86
This is a crystal clear encoding that renders excellent reproduction of the soundtrack's elements which augments the presence of low level off camera sounds as well as punctuating those that are meant...
Extras: 10
Resolution/Clarity: Black level/Shadow detail: Color reproduction: Fleshtones: Compression:...
Movie: 40
Armed with an edgy wit and an arsenal of silver and wood-tipped bullets, Dylan must solve a series of murders before an epic war ensues between his werewolf, vampire and zombie clients....
Total: 55
THX Ultra 2 Preamp/Video Processor Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier Oppo BDP-93 Universal Disc/3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)...
Director: Kevin Munroe
Actors: Brandon Routh, Aníta Briem, Sam Huntington
PlotDylan Dog is a private investigator specializing in supernatural cases in New Orleans. Retired from his former life as a mediator between the human world and the undead, he is drawn back into action when he receives a call from a distraught client, Elizabeth, whose father has been mysteriously murdered. Upon investigation with his quirky, zombie assistant Marcus, Dylan discovers that the city's concealed underworld of vampires, werewolves, and zombies is on the brink of a full-blown war. Among these creatures, a powerful artifact known as the Heart of Belial comes into play, believed to grant immeasurable strength and darkness to its possessor.
Dylan uncovers that the artifact's recovery is key to both the escalating turf wars and Elizabeth's father's death. As he delves deeper, Dylan is forced to confront various formidable supernatural beings, each with their own stake in the chaos. He encounters Gabriel, a cunning vampire leader, and Vargas, a violent werewolf alpha, both vying for control over the artifact. His pursuit of the truth leads to battles and alliances he never expected. As the city's balance teeters on the edge, Dylan must navigate this perilous world, using his wit and courage to prevent an impending disaster, all the while coming to terms with his own haunted past.
Writers: Thomas Dean Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, Tiziano Sclavi
Release Date: 29 Apr 2011
Runtime: 107 min
Rating: PG-13
Country: United States
Language: English