The audio is 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. At the onset, the wind could be heard whipping though the through the rear speaker. The battle sequences fill the sound system sound, and the cannons pound through the subwoofer. Sounds like closing doors offscreen were placed well. The only issue is some of the whispering was hard to hear and required a louder volume.
Two HBO specials are included as Bonus Features. “Making John Adams” covers different aspects about the production, and “David McCullouh: Painting with Words” focuses on the book’s author.
“Facts Are A Stubborn Thing” and “Who’s Who In History” are two enhanced Blu-ray Features offer pop-up historical information, but they have to be selected together. Normally, I don’t want to be distracted when I watch a film, but for the most part I found these to be very helpful in informing what I was watching. However, some that foretold events that would later be seen in the miniseries could have been cut regardless of the fact that they are events hundreds years old.
While thoroughly engaging, the story of John Adams remains regrettably topical as people the world over continue working to remove the shackles of tyranny and oppression under which they live. While not everything presented is historically accurate, John Adams should engage the viewers and may drive them to history books. Not solely to verify what takes place on screen, but to learn the rich history of what has come before them.
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