Future Man: Season 2 (Blu-ray) (2019)

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General		Extras
Category	Sci-fi Comedy	None
Rating
Year Of Production	2019
Running Time	360:20 (Case: 359)
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered Multi Disc Set (3)	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	2,4	Directed By	Various
Studio Distributor	ViaVision	Starring	Josh Hutcherson Eliza Coupe Derek Wilson Haley Joel Osment
Case	?
RPI	?	Music	Halli Cauthery

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	Unknown	English Dolby Digital 5.1 English Linear PCM 48/16 2.0
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	1080p
Original Aspect Ratio	2.35:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	None	Smoking	Yes
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

     In the first season of Future Man Josh Futturman (Josh Hutcherson), a slacker video game addict, because of his success in beating an “unbeatable” game is recruited by two freedom fighters from the future, Tiger (Eliza Coupe) and Wolf (Derek Wilson), to go back into the past to stop the catastrophic destruction of the human race, an unintended consequence of the discovery by a scientist of a cure for herpes. At the end of season one it looked as if they were successful, albeit with a substantial loss of human lives.

     In Season 2, we discover that while Josh successfully destroyed the laboratory where the cure was being developed, another scientist, Dr Stu Camillo (Haley Joel Osment), had successfully completed the work resulting in the extinction of all animals and the remnants of humanity on its last legs. We are now, in Season 2, 150 years in the future, in 2162, and the team has to try, once again, to use time travel device to change the past to protect the future; as Josh observes same s***, different time line. But it seems that the time travelling of Tiger and Wolf has resulted in them having different lives in different time lines, personalities of which their future selves have no recollection; Wolf’s doppelganger is Torque, living in the NAG (New Above Ground) city amid people who have rejected all technology (the word “Ferals” comes to mind, although that word is not used) while Tiger’s clone is Ty-Anne, daughter of Stu Camillo (who is now only a brain and a hologram), living with the Bio-techs in “energy neutral” modern compounds (MONS) where they are preparing to relocate to MARS (not necessarily the planet). To complicate things further, Josh is being sought by Pointed Circle, a terrorist group from the future led by the mysterious Achilles, who wish to recruit his powers to destroy what Camillo has created. But, time travel, whether the group succeed or not, throws up a myriad of complications.

     The concept of time-travel to change the past, and maybe meet yourself in a different time line, is rather mind-blowing, if you think about them too deeply. Perhaps thankfully, Future Man takes nothing seriously. It is crude, irreverent and juvenile, frequently very funny, replete with pop culture references that include Star Wars and The Terminator but beyond the puns, jokes, slapstick, toilet humour and cultural references it touches on some very complex ideas about time lines and alternative reality that would make the denizens of The Matrix dizzy! However, as each episode lasts less than 30 minutes there is seldom time to think anyway as the jokes, action and paradoxes come thick and fast! As well, in keeping with the outlandish situations our heroes find themselves in, the characters of Tiger, with her purple hair, and Wolf / Torque with his tattoos and attitude, are well over the top although the series is well grounded with the character of Josh Futturman; he is the everyman / slacker / reluctant hero played by Josh Hutcherson with just the right combination of naivety, confusion and determination while Haley Joel Osment’s Stu Camillo is surprisingly vulnerable and endearing; mostly anyway for a man who may destroy humanity once and for all. There are also a number of twists and mysteries, some of which you may not see coming, but which add to the fun and an outlandish and funny conclusion to Season 2.

     Future Man: Season 2 consists of 13 episodes which aired in the US earlier this year; all 13 episodes are presented on three Blu-rays. Season 3 has been announced.

Video

     Future Man: Season 2 is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, in 1080p using the MPEG 4 AVC code. The IMDb lists the original aspect ratio as 2.35:1 which is very unusual for a TV series so I had my doubts, but I must say than in a number of sequences characters are either partially in frame or out of frame so my feeling is that this is cropped. At present, there are not any other releases of the series in other regions, so no reviews. It will be interesting to see what transpires.

     Detail is clear, whether the pristine environment of the MONS or the dirt and junk that is the NAG. Close ups are detailed. The colours are generally natural, often subdued but bright and vibrant in the desert environment, inside the core of the computer or when the series goes into alternate reality for a song and dance number. Skin tones are natural, although reference should be made to Tiger / Ty-Anne’s skin which is deliberately deeper, unnatural brown. Brightness and contrast is consistent. Shadow detail is good and blacks solid except during episode J1: Judgment Day where they took on a blue hue.

     I noticed no marks or artefacts except minor motion blur.

     English subtitles for the hearing impaired are available.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     Audio is a choice of English Dolby Digital 5.1 or LPCM 2.0, which is surround encoded.

     Dialogue is clear in either track. The 2.0 seems to have cleaner while the 5.1 is, not surprisingly, more enveloping. This is not an action heavy series as such with the surrounds mostly providing ambient sounds, impacts during fight scenes, odd voices in crowd scenes and the music. The sub-woofer added some muted depth to the fights and the music.

     The original score by Halli Cauthery is a highlight, fitting the mood of the visuals. It can sound epic, playful or sentimental as needed.

     I did not notice any lip synchronization issues.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

     There are no extras. Episodes can be selected individually from the menu of either disc or there is a play all option on each disc.

     Amazon.com does not list any Blu-ray or DVD of Future Man: Season Two. I guess this is what there is.

     Future Man may not be for everyone. It is juvenile and crude, yet frequently very funny indeed with puns and cultural references as it touches on some very complex ideas that are rather mindboggling. Fans of the first season will not be disappointed. If you have not seen Season 1, this second season has a totally different time line and although the events of Season 1 are referred to, it is possible to pick things up with a little attention.

     The audio is good. The video looks good but I believe it is in the incorrect aspect ratio which is disappointing. One mark has been deducted from the video score as per site policy. There are no extras.

     Future Man: Season 2 was supplied for review by Via Vision Entertainment. Check out their Facebook page for the latest releases, giveaways, deals and more.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall