Product Description

Steve Rogers volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into the Super Soldier known as Captain America. As Captain America, Rogers joins forces with Bucky Barnes and Peggy Carter to wage war on the evil HYDRA organization, led by the villainous Red Skull.

Another high profile Marvel/Paramount Blu-ray release, another mediocre 3D presentation of converted 2D material. Much like Thor, Captain America struggles to impress in 3D, and again like Thor, Captain America's native 2D image proves vastly superior and more enjoyable. Things begin nicely enough; the swooping stars accompanying the Paramount logo literally seem to spill out of the TV and swing right back in. It's a very high quality effect and worthy of putting on a loop to impress friends or 3D customers, but better put in something else if the "wow" factor requires more than a few seconds worth of material. The image does enjoy a fair sense of depth, even as the film opens in the gusty, low-visibility arctic. General shots of characters standing a foot or two apart yield enough dimensional data to feel the space between them. Little touches occasionally impress, like the depth of Red Skull's eyes that are set far back in his head, the small distance separating Captain America's army-style helmet's brim to the hero's forehead, or doors that swing open from an antique shop to reveal a secret research facility. Explosions occasionally toss a little debris at the viewer, and a few scattered shots -- Red Skull's car pulling into frame in the film's early Norway sequence or the zip line the heroes use to board a moving train -- yield additional 3D-like effects. It's a bit more convincing and natural than Thor, but not by much.

Fortunately, most of the same attributes that made the 2D version a success remain here. Faces -- particularly in the sepia-colored segments -- do look a little more pasty and flat than in the 2D transfer. Otherwise, the color palette remains largely unaltered; the usual shifty nuances that separate 2D and 3D versions are generally absent here. Black levels remain strong and darker scenes aren't a total loss, as is the case with many 3D transfers (think Priest). Likewise, fine detail remains nearly as good. The concrete and brick surfaces in the back alley where Steve Rogers is beaten early in the movie impress a great deal, as does the texturing and stitching on the final Captain America outfit. Unfortunately, the case remains that there are many scenes where, other than the need for 3D glasses to see the image clearly, there's no perceptible difference between the versions. Sure there's a little more evident spacing and a few throwaway effects that look fair enough, but a natural, quality 3D image this is not. It's not the sort of 3D transfer that's going to offend, but it's certainly not going to dazzle, either. Maybe someday 3D conversions will rate as highly as native 3D imagery, but unfortunately that's not yet the case, at least not with Captain America.

Captain America blasts onto Blu-ray with a well-rounded DTS-HD MA 7.1 lossless soundtrack. This is a balanced but still exciting track that handles every extreme thrown its way with ease. Whether a chilled Arctic wind that blows through the listening area at film's start or minor ambience like Brooklyn traffic, buzzing insects, or the rumble of a prop plane as heard inside the cabin, the track never fails to surround the listener with mood- and scene-critical atmospherics. At the same time, there's no shortage of high-energy sound, either. The action proves totally immersive; gunfire -- from conventional and fictitious energy weapons alike -- erupts from every corner of the listening area during shootouts. Explosions are hefty and built through strong, but not excessive, bass. The surround speakers carry much of the action, helping to immerse the audience in the film's most dangerous scenes. Music is strong, balanced, spacious, and incredibly clear. It's carried by the front but, like everything else, enjoys some measure of surround support. Dialogue remains grounded up the middle in every scene; it's clear and never lost through any of the supporting elements, heavy or otherwise. It's not quite on the level of spectacular, but this is pretty much everything an action-oriented, fresh-from-theaters soundtrack should be.

3D Blu-ray DVD Movies Disc - Captain America: The First Avenger  Features

Video
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Audio

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (less)

Subtitles

English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese

Discs
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)

Package Content

3D Blu-ray DVD Movies Disc(50GB) - 3D Blu-ray DVD Movies Disc - Captain America: The First Avenger  x 1