{2jtab: Movie Review}

“This is no fairy tale.  The stories they wrote were true.”

The world renowned classic Grimms' fairytales come to life like never before in Grimm, a cult-like supernatural television series from the producers of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.  It is a series that is as dark as it is intriguing even if some of the early episodes are a bit lacking in direction.  Grimm sets itself apart from the mainstream with a new way to tell some recognizable stories and keeps things fresh its modern day setting.

Borrowing a few Monster-Of-The-Week moments from Kolchak: The Night Stalker and The X-Files, Grimm is slowly building an inventive mythology of its own.  Obviously, there is a built in audience for fairy tales, but Grimm’s Portland-based modern spin is refreshing as it jettisons the morality lessons for some dark and twisted nods to the cop drama.  It is a show that definitely gets better focused as it carries on.

Portland homicide detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) discovers he's descended from a long line of "Grimms," who are charged with keeping balance between humanity and the creatures of myth.  After being clued in to his ancestral history by his ailing Aunt, Nick discovers first hand what it means to be a Grimm and, with the realization, he discovers that Portland is crawling with vermin.

With newly awoken abilities to detect the evil lurking among us, Nick struggles to keep his personal life with his soon-to-be-fiancée, Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch), separate and safe as he becomes ever more entrenched in the ancient rivalries of the Grimm world.  The real world IS populated with demons and creatures and only Nick can see what lies behind the mask.  Working alongside a reformed werewolf named Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) at night and partner Hank Griffin (Russell Hornsby) during the day, Nick finds himself torn between duty and responsibility.

The generous 22 episodes of Season One begin with a quote from the actual fairy tale they are revamping and part of the fun in watching each episode is to guess which tale they are from before the actual reveal of the creature inside the man or woman.  The actual episodes are fairly formulaic and twist ever so slightly from your basic procedural format with dark humor and a dangerously developing story involving Captain Sean Renard (Sasha Roiz) and his secret history as a creature referred to by some as Your Highness.

The mood of Grimm is a darkly inspired one and, as the later episodes pick up in intensity, they get dangerous rather quickly with only Monroe and Sergeant Wu (Reggie Lee) to lighten the mood.  Some of the jokes work, but it is their natural comedic charm and timing that really sells.  The real frights – whether in makeup or in stories - are actually pretty scary, and - on a repeat viewing like this - the craftsmanship and attention to detail made more of an impression.

The location shoots are pretty amazing, taking the audience from the city of Portland to the surrounding woods (almost the Black Forest of Germany) and, obviously, the thick surroundings look like something out of the actual fairy tales.  Some episodes focus on the small, but the details themselves are quite large and gruesome.  Being German-inspired, it’s also fun and sometimes to challenging to see just how many German influences an episode can support.

For fans of special effects and make-up prosthetics, Grimm also sports some top-notch artistry from Barney Burman, Academy award winner for his work on 2009’s Star Trek.  The make-up for a large variety of creatures is a blend of CGI and prosthetics that hearken back to the 1950s horror monsters.  When Nick glimpses a creature for the first time, the audience sees as a CGI blurring of the actor’s face as it morphs into the creature.  It’s a proprietary technique within the computer that shows bones shifting below the skin and it works to create the effect of a hidden monster.

Grimm, currently in its second season, premieres on Blu-ray with a loose Season One, as it interprets The Brothers Grimm’s old tales in a new manner and sharpens its own Joseph Campbell-inspired hero mythology.

Sweet dreams ARE made of this.

{2jtab: Film Details}

MPAA Rating: This title has not been rated by the MPAA.
Runtime: 990 mins.
Creators: Stephen Carpenter, David Greenwalt, Jim Kouf
Cast: David Giuntoli, Russell Hornsby, Bitsie Tulloch, Silas Weir Mitchell; Sasha Roiz
Genre: TV | Horror | Fantasy
Tagline: Not your usual suspects.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Because she ties him here to Portland, to me, and if she dies he could quit the force, he could leave, and I have put too much time and effort into him to allow that to happen."
Distributor: NBC
Home Video Distributor: Universal Studios
Official Site:
Release Date: October 28, 2011
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: August 7, 2012

Synopsis: In modern day Portland, Oregon, a police detective inherits the ability to see supernatural creatures.

{2jtab: Blu-ray Review}

Component Grades Movie Blu-ray Disc Blu-ray Experience

Blu-ray Details:

Available on Blu-ray - August 7, 2012
Screen Formats: 1.78:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Discs: 50GB Blu-ray Disc; Five-disc set (5 BDs); UV digital copy; BD-Live; Mobile features

Digitally shot, Grimm’s 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation rarely disappoints. Fine detail is present, even when darkness descends, and facial close-ups are sophisticated.  Textures in clothing and objects are rewarding. The make-up effects are especially strong.  Every creature – whether hairy, scaly, clawed, wounded, or pig-like - is bursting with detail.  The gore and blood splatter is not shy either.  Color is significantly punched up and contrast levels are consistent.  The earthy browns and deep greens are honest representations of the Portland area and are marked with punctured reds, and glowing orange tones from lamps. Nighttime sequences are full of inky blacks and deep shadows that sometimes get lost in the digital haze.  Skintones are great throughout.  Universal's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is a grizzled beast of surround sounds and great ambience.  Dialogue is crystal clear and action scenes are pumped with heavy bass and nice nuances.

Supplements:

Commentary:

• None

Special Features:

The special features kick off with an interactive guide to the world and creatures of Grimm.  It’s beautifully illustrated and text-heavy but very informative for the patient person.  Next up are a couple of extended scenes from the trimmed final episode of Season One.  The World of Grimm is your basic introduction to the world of the show.  Interesting, but casual.  Next up are the audition tapes of David Giuntoli, Silas Weir Mitchell, Russell Hornsby, Bitsie Tulloch and Reggie Lee.  Following that is a quick but, once again, all too casual peek behind the camera at the special effects and CGI toolings of the show, complete with interviews from some members of the crew.  VFX gives us some more looks at the artistry of the CG.  The Gag Reel attached is your basic goofiness.  For fans of the show only.  Also available is My Scenes Bookmarking.  The release itself is housed in a nice slipcover which secures all five discs and comes with a cast member card and promo materials for Season Two.

The breakdown is as follows:

• Grimm Guide
• Deleted and Extended Scenes (3 min)
• The World of Grimm (11 min)
• Audition Tapes (11 min)
• Making Monsters (7 min)
• VFX Progressions (2 min)
• Highlight Reels (6 min)
• Gag Reel (3 min)

{2jtab: Trailer}

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