4K Ultra HD – UK Edition – Universal Pictures – 132 min – 14 August 2017
Video format
• Intermediate Master: 2K
• Standard HDR: HDR10
• Ratio: 1.85
Soundtrack
• English DTS:X
• French (Parisian) SDR 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 – Attacking monsters
At the heart of the Carpathians, it is a world of legends and mysteries: Transylvania. A land where evil reigns as an absolute master, where danger roams from sunset, where the monsters who haunt our most secret nightmares take body. Van Helsing is a dark teacher and monster hunter. His mission led him to face terrible beings, among them the werewolf, the creature of Frankenstein or Count Dracula, who, for generations, persecuted the family of the intrepid and aristocratic Anna Valerious...
Particularly fun and showing a sincere love for the Universal Monsters, this blockbuster which gathers in the same peloche various myths of the fantastic cinema seems more like a James Bond in the 19th century than a classic adventure film.
The film never takes itself seriously, the script is neither very fine nor really intelligent, most of the actors are on the pick (Richard Roxburgh's anti-performance is fortunately counterbalanced by Hugh Jackman's charism) and the spectacular special effects are too « Tap in the eye » (it is not realistic to understand). Nevertheless, his interest lies in his memorable and vertiginous pieces of bravery, made with the help of gadgets of all kinds, which never allow the spectators time to think or blow a bit... Some kind of roller coaster!
In conclusion, I would simply say that we must take this Van Helsing for what it is, that is a very honest entertainment, it is true rather stupid, but not caught up and highly spectacular.
IMAGE – Adopt the chic gothic
Even if it is not perfectly cleaned (a few small white dots) and free of small defects (some details are swallowed by the shadows), this UHD HDR10 transfer respects the finely granular texture of the work, separates itself from the tinglings present on the Blu-ray, acquires in sharpness, releases a solid definition (there we are no longer in the DVD doped with hormones!) and complex textures (the fabrics of the clothes, the stones of the buildings), leans on a richly saturated colorimetric palette and uses highly attractive contrasts that cut more than just the different elements of the frame (this is a good thing because the film is dark and regularly likes to plunge us into darkness).
And if we had to lean on the benefits of the WCG/HDR combo, I would expose that we are in the presence of a hyper-demonstrative rendering with colors at extreme intensity (the cardinal's red outfit in the Vatican, the red hair of Aleera, the green ribbon at the masked ball, the yellow and purple eyes of Dracula's women, the blue photograph), very powerful lighting and/or reflections (the glow of electric discharges, the beautifully excessive heat of the flames, the radiation on the surface of the water) and blacks at considerable depth.
SOUND – Are you there?
Very powerful sound tracks that do not make in lace. The dynamics are impressive, the dialogues are audible in all circumstances, the effects are on both sides of each movement sequence (the arrows of the murret-murreuse), the atmospheres are ultra-enveloping (villagers wielding torches) and the many serious descents feel physically.
And if hearing insanity is only more accentuated on the VO DTS:X, it is because it is not content to considerably widen the acoustic space (the wind's breath), it adds a vertical dimension far from being anecdotal (torch throws, roaring flames, arrows and/or flying creatures, lightnings, etc.) to the mixing.
CONCLUSION – Mordu or not?
Put on your hat wide, put on your leather houppeland, take your guns and embark on an adventure « eternal » Populated with vampires, werewolves and other fantastic creatures even more fierce on 4K Ultra HD support!
Artistic note
7
Video quality
8
Audio quality
10
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