BLU-RAY REVIEW – Lincoln

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LINCOLN 4-DISC COMBO PACK REVIEW
• Format: AC-3, Box set, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (DTS-HD High Res Audio), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
• Dubbed: French, Spanish
• Region: Region A/1
• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Number of discs: 4
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Dreamworks
• DVD Release Date: March 26, 2013
• Run Time: 150 minutes
ABOUT LINCOLN

As a 2013 Oscar® and Golden Globe® Award-winner for his performance as America’s 16th president, Daniel Day-Lewis leads an all-star cast including Academy Award® winners Tommy Lee Jones and Sally Field. Also starring David Strathaim, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and James Spader, “LINCOLN” is based on a screenplay by Pulitzer Prize-winner Tony Kushner. The film is scored by multiple Oscar-winner John Williams.
Inspired by the true-life events confronting Abraham Lincoln and his monumental moral and political challenge to amend the United States Constitution to permanently abolish slavery, “LINCOLN” is a rich and compelling historical and human drama that has been hailed as one of the best film of the year. In-depth bonus features on the Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack takes viewers behind-the-scenes of director Spielberg’s life-long fascination with Lincoln and the 12 years it took to bring the story of one of history’s and mankind’s greatest triumphs to the screen.
From DreamWorks Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox, in association with Participant Media, “LINCOLN” is directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, with a screenplay by Tony Kushner, based in part on the book “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln” by Doris Kearns Goodwin.

MY THOUGHTS
I admit I am not a history buff, but I have always enjoyed learning about the Civil War, and Abraham Lincoln was always fascinating to me. If there was one president I would have loved to meet, it would have been him. I was almost nervous to watch Lincoln, for fear that my perception of this man would be altered by the Daniel Day-Lewis. Let me say that, hands down, this was not the case. Day-Lewis was absolutely haunting as Lincoln. From the very first scene in which he talked and was shown on camera, I got chills; he looked just like photos of Lincoln and sounded just like I imagine he would. Day-Lewis really seemed to grasp Lincoln’s mannerisms as well, as he is described as quirky, serious, and funny. I also enjoyed Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln. There was something very raw and real about her performance.
While the acting was right on target, the movie itself was a bit disappointing. I thought it was stretched out too much. Yes, the story needed to be explained, but it seemed like some of the conversation was used as filler. I also thought a few conversations weren’t introduced properly to the audience – I actually became lost a couple of times. I suppose if you studied the Civil War in depth and knew the names of everyone the movie referred to, this wouldn’t be as much of an issue, but for me, it was. The whole movie was rather slow-moving because of this. If you’re looking for action and events, this isn’t the movie for you.
However, I would consider Lincoln a great tribute to the man himself and the things he did for the United States. Any fan of Lincoln is sure to appreciate the incredible performance of Day-Lewis and the supporting cast.
Here’s the trailer.

MORE INFO
Lincoln Website
Lincoln on Twitter
Lincoln on Facebook