DreamWorks | 2004 | 92 min | Rated PG | No Release Date

Playback
Region Free

First things first: while On Stranger Tides was filmed in native 3D, not every scene in Disney's 1080p/MVC-encoded transfer has that patented 3D pop we've all come to know and love. (And pay for.) Dismal London cityscapes, dank underworld haunts, foggy ships' decks, shadowy harbors, ominous caves... not exactly playgrounds of 3D depth and dimensionality. Still, even the film's darkest scenes aren't as flat and poorly defined as similar scenes in Clash of the Titans 3D, Green Lantern 3D and other misadventures in post-conversion. Swords jut through the shadows, mermaids rise out of the water, masts loom overhead, and Ian McShane towers over his crew, all reasonably well. Yes, at night. Yes, in the haze. Yes, deep underground. But when the sun rises? Wow. Sun-beat jungles and white sand beaches extend believably into the distance, pirates trail off into three-dimensional expanses, and leaves, foliage, branches, blades, flintlock pistols, venomous snakes, mystical compasses, sneering zombies and silver chalices push out of the screen. Actually, the difference is quite staggering; a fact that will no doubt lead some to criticize some of the more problematic 3D sequences. The only shots worth criticizing, though, are those that suffer from ghosting, a problem that appears every few minutes, albeit in the backgrounds and only in brief bursts. Fortunately, each instance is fairly minor, meaning 3D videophiles have little to worry about.

Meanwhile, color accuracy and skintone saturation are excellent throughout, primaries have tremendous power (when given the opportunity), black levels are rich and satisfying, and contrast ranges from delightfully dreary to suitably savory to downright stunning. Fine detail rises and sets with the sun, sure, but there isn't any smearing or unintended softness on display. (The rare exception being a series of closeups of Syrena in the jungle. A bit of DNR has been applied, albeit by Marshall and his crew in post. The anomaly was visible in the film's digital theatrical presentation as well.) Textures are refined and exceptionally well-resolved (even when darkness presses in), edge definition is crisp and clean (without any significant ringing) and delineation is as revealing (or secretive) as Wolski intended. Shadows are heavy but hardly ever blot out the production design, night falls fast without completely consuming the environments, and the light fades without leaving the backgrounds to languish in its absence. Naturally, the result is an uneven presentation -- one scene will wallow in shadow while the very next scene will leap off the screen -- but only in the sense that the film's photography is purposefully uneven. Serious artifacting, banding, aliasing and crush are held at bay, and there really isn't any technical issues to speak of. Needless to say, On Stranger Tides looks great in 2D and 3D. Any Pirates fan worth their sea salt will be pleased, especially when Jack, Angelica and Blackbeard set out through the jungle in search of Ponce de Le髇's ship.

No ship to ship battles, no canon fire, no grand supernatural spectacles. What's left for an able-bodied DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track to do? Plenty apparently. Disney's lossless beastie belches fire, reigns destruction and brings On Stranger Tides roaring to sea-splitting life without so much as a single mishap or issue. It's flawless, me mateys, and every bit as powerful and immersive as its Pirates predecessors. Dialogue is brisk, lively and perfectly intelligible for start to finish, even admist all the tower explosions, mermaid attacks and surging seas. Sword clashes clang beautifully and ring true, wood splinters and stone cracks with weighty ease, and low-end elements make their presence known. (And then some.) LFE output is explosive and nuanced, rear speaker activity is aggressive and subtle, directional effects are head-turning and convincing, dynamics are startling and entrancing. Disney's lossless mix does it all, soaring to every height and diving to every depth the film's sound design requires. And Hans Zimmer's score? It belts out each dun dun dun dah dah! with a hearty laugh of multi-channel glee and sings an alluring mermaid song with soft, almost fragile effortlessness. It all comes together in one amazing 7.1 channel lossless track that stands proudly alongside its franchise brethren.

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
French: DTS-HD HR 7.1
Spanish: DTS-HD HR 7.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1..

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

English SDH, French, Spanish, Chinese

English�SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese (less)