Source France | Publisher : The Jokers | Release date : 20 December 2023
Video format
2160p24 – Ratio 1.85
Dolby Vision / BT.2020 – HEVC encoding
Master intermediate 4K
Soundtrack
Korean Dolby Atmos
English DTS-HD MA 5.1
Subtitles
French
Rated 4.5 out of 5
Artistic : 9 | Video : 8.5 | Audio : 9.5
It is brought to the attention of our dear readers that, in addition to the specified and used viewing equipment, the rendering may differ from one installation to another, whether or not it is calibrated, as well as personal preferences and expectations may influence notation. Moreover, the images in the article are not representative of the edition tested.
Test equipment and condition (Config. HP: 5.1.4)
Video broadcaster : Philips 65OLED908 (Dolby Vision Filmmaker)
Sources : Oppo UDP-203 Audiocom Reference | Zappiti Reference
Pregnant : Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar (Dolby Atmos | DTS Neural:X), SVS SB-4000
WORK - Monsters and Co.
Seoul, these days. On the banks of the Han River, the five members of the Park family flow peaceful days around their little snack. Until the day when, from the depths of the river, a terrifying and unknown creature arises that sows death and desolation. Before diving, she takes over the family's last one, Hyun-seo, and trains with her. Convinced that Hyun-seo is still alive, his family decides to go looking for him...
In this mutant satire in perpetual moult (genres and tones multiply) where the amphibian monster is only a cover (it is not ultimately the one thought) in the troubled waters of the Han River, a decomposed family of torn Korea (a superb casting dominated by the great Song Kang-ho) navigates between tragedy and humor (at the edge of the potache comedy) so that the socio-political relevance of his speech (the solitude of the popular classes, the limits of American imperialism, the interference of Korean institutions, the dangers of misinformation) confronts the environmental catastrophe caused by human intervention. Signed Bong Joon-ho (Memories of Murder, Parasite), this exciting work with multiple levels of reading strangely echoes the health crisis of VOCID-19.
IMAGE - Beyond Appearances
A result of a 4K restoration (a scan of the original negative 35 mm and a scan of the plans with special effects from an internegative that were then digitally reassembled) made in Korea (where the presence of Korean subtitles embedded on the master during the English dialogues) under the supervision of Bong Joon-ho, who took advantage of it to retouch the color calibration (but I'll come back to it), the image of this UHD Dolby Vision transfer (a French exclusivity) « raw food » the Blu-ray 1080i released in 2008 by Ocean Films.
Benefiting from a higher HEVC compression (an average video bitrate of almost 80 Mb/s) and a thorough cleaning (with a few small stains), it provides a visibly finer silver grain and a blurred definition (but slightly below the CGI planes) where each detail explodes on the screen (the spit on the faces, the aqueous texture of the creature).
The work on light that evolves with the emotions of its protagonists is not contaminated by an excess intensity (the gain in brightness of light sources is perfectly controlled) and the contrasts, which have been delicately adjusted (the places are now darker), lead to the darkness of the underground thanks to a beautiful density of the blacks.
As for the colorimetric palette, which is more openly greenish than in the past, it lends itself fully to the dull photography of Hyung-ku Kim which is consistent with the roughness of family ties and the morosity of the scenario. The shades are saturated properly and the few bright touches (such as the yellow sarcophagus transport cover) have been reinforced.
SOUND - Beware of infox
Simply monstrous, the new Dolby Atmos mix (used for VO) developed especially for the occasion allows the soundscape to make new skin.
The dynamic is excellent with powerful climbs sometimes bursting (cf. the appearances of the big aquatic bug), the bass box gives to heart joy, the localization of effects and other atmospheres (regularly out-of-field) is of great precision on all the speakers (the omnipresence of rain and the water flowing in the sewers use a lot of verticality), the score of the Byung-woo Lee is as wide as enveloping and intelligible voices.
Even if it draws very honorably (horizontal spatialization is palpable and the appropriate power), the DTS-HD MA 5.1 VF with careful dubbing minimizes many noises (and it is mainly urban agitation that bears the consequences).
CONCLUSION - Korea's tentacles
This hybrid monster movie with the just crazy thematic richness, 17 years after its release, neither lost its superb nor its modernity. And to celebrate, he's us. « attack » with a monstrous box unique in the world (a rigid case with magnetic closure guaranteed zero plastic to stay consistent with the work) lit up with a complete storyboard of 334 pages, 4h34 bonus (including 2h15 totally new) and 4K Ultra HD « Happening » (new master 4K + new track VO Dolby Atmos). Don't run!
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