4K Ultra HD – US Edition – Shout Factory – 87 min – 16 August 2022
Video format
• Intermediate Master: 4K
• Standard HDR: Dolby Vision
• Ratio: 1.85
Soundtrack
• English Dolby Atmos
• English DTS-HD MA 5.1
Subtitles
• English
It is brought to the attention of our dear readers as well as the viewing equipment specified and used by each tester of the MaG team, the rendering may differ from one installation to another, whether or not it is calibrated, as well as personal preferences and expectations may influence the rating. Moreover, the images in the article are not representative of the edition tested.
WORK – Toy Scary
For his six years, Andy Barclay is filled, his mother gives him a gift of a talking doll, jolly named Chucky. Andy's crazy about his doll and he only knows his secret. Chucky knows how to do a lot, she's even able to kill...
Founding episode of a saga that became cult, Child's play is an excellent B series influenced by the black film whose agreed narrative line (like a banal slasher) is dynamited by his little boogeyman with so sadistic sore asadept black humor. In 1988, one of the most emblematic figures of horror cinema had just been born!
IMAGE – Blood doll
From a 4K scan of the original negative, this UHD Dolby Vision presentation with formidable stability greatly improves the images of the previous Blu-ray released by Scream Factory (which was already less soft than on the MGM edition).
The 35 mm thick texture of the photograph is very faithful to what it should be, the encoding that is high does not suffer from any diet decrease and the increase in resolution brings an extra sharpness to the elements of the frame (textile fibres, the trace of burning on Chucky's face, the streets of Chicago).
The widening of the colorimetric palette (hotter than in the past) gives the primarys an increased depth (it's noticeable on the red and blue) and the carnation a natural found, the contrast rate is better balanced with simmering whites and black ink (many details are uncovered in the shadows), and the light sources are exposed with a more realistic shine (reflections on metallic and/or aqueous surfaces, lightning, interior lighting, car headlights).
SOUND – You stupid pitch, you filthy jump!
With good spatial activity when the narration demands it (road traffic), this new Atmos soundtrack with necessarily dated sound and low pressure bass (if not during the explosion of the toy shop and for occasional shots) uses a beautiful frontal opening.
The music benefits from a pleasant spacing, the few height effects are amazing (the fall of Karen, the presence of Chucky on the chassis of the returned vehicle), the dynamics are very aggressive and the dialogues are perfectly audible.
CONCLUSION – Wanna Play?
Câlined by the present 4K Ultra HD (there is love in this A/V restoration), the first part of the horrific-comic franchise to the very popular doll finally finds a friend for life!
Artistic note
8
Video quality
8.5
Audio quality
8
0
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