4K Ultra HD – US Edition – Sony Pictures – 107 min – 08 February 2022
Video format
• Intermediate Master: 4K
• Standard HDR: Dolby Vision
• Ratio: 2.40
Soundtrack
• English Dolby Atmos
• English DTS-HD MA 5.1
• English (Quebec) Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles
• English
• French
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 – Return to origins
Formerly the growing headquarters of the pharmaceutical giant Umbrella Corporation, Raccoon City is now a city of agony. The exodus from society left the city in wasteland... and a great evil is being prepared under the surface. When it gets loose, the inhabitants of the city are forever... changed... and a small group of survivors must work together to discover the truth about Umbrella and survive the night.
Despite a questionable casting (apart from Kaya Scodelario), a blatant lack of resources (the CGIs shout their presence) and a narrative in a permanent sprint (a condensed of the first two games) that putrefy his ambitions, this horrific B series respecting his video-ludic model (with no regard to the Kennedy case) blooms well in the 1990s. In short, far from the high tech delusions of Paul W.S. Anderson's saga, this new iteration with anxiogenic atmosphere returns to the source of evil.
IMAGE – The Mansion of Fear
While it is plunged into almost total darkness, the image of this UHD Dolby Vision transfer (which presents a solid upgrade compared to its HD counterpart) is nonetheless monstrously fantastic.
Natively 4K, it delivers clearer details (the texture of the skin, the wall coverings) and benefits from an increased definition (see Raccoon City's aerial plans) avoiding any trace of softness. Of course, the best compression reinforces this impression.
Enriched with WCG and HDR technologies, it has healthier colours (the carnation) where the primaries are better off (the reds are dreadful), stunning contrasts where the shadows (better defined) are crossed by more (the flashlights) or less (a lighter) blinding, and higher luminances more realistic (the urban lighting of the city left behind, the reflections on the metal and/or wet surfaces, the interior lamps) where the cleavage increases greatly in precision (the flame at the exit of the guns).
SON – Grahhh! Reuuuhhh! Arhhh!
This particularly immersive Dolby Amos soundtrack (all speakers are on the side) and heavily loaded in bass (gunshots, explosions) fully participates in the fear emanating from the places « visited ».
The dynamics are enraged, Mark Korven's score as well as the hits at the end of the 90s are broad and enveloping, the dialogues are perfectly clear, the directionality of the effects/ambiences is very effective (with an optimal presence of the rear scene) and the aerial channels are exploited in near permanence (rain, explosions, attack of the Licker, gnashing and/or moaning emanating from the manor floor).
Much less wide and deprived of the verticality of the sound (unless activated a DSP virtualization), the VFQ is less likely to spend the night!
CONCLUSION – Shall we pull out the levers?
To survive the attacks of zombies and other creatures, the present 4K Ultra HD does not miss any of its shots at the head... The « game over » So is avoided!
Artistic note
6
Video quality
9.5
Audio quality
10
0
Completely agree on the artistic note (I will even go up to 7) if the treatment of Kennedy is excluded. Fan of the first hour of the games, I had a good time especially in 4DX: the film s'y lending well. I did not understand the rain of criticism because loyalty to games is quite exemplary.
I also find it hard to understand the "torrent of hatred" he picked up when he got out! 🙁
It wasn't that bad.
I specify that I am a virgin of the saga of Anderson, so I leave without any means of comparison.
I can't hate the movie. There's some really crazy stuff, like those two bows instead of just one that makes none of the two go deep, like the character of Leon that's just not good at all, like the fact that mine of nothing it's long enough to start, like the CGI's not super great...
But there are things that I think are pretty cool, like, for example, the fact that they've gone on something horrific and not action, like some characters that are rather not bad (although not sufficiently developed), like some scenes (the lighter) that are rather well-drilled, like the fact that you feel that you have a real fan of the saga on the stand (although you feel that despite everything that it has been cracked by the production / studio)
Anyway, I didn't hate it, I thought it was honest, but it's barely the average: 5/10 or 5.5/10
Yes, an honest entertainment that deserves better than the torrent of hatred that he picked up when he went out into the dark rooms!