Source United Kingdom | Publisher : Arrow Films | Release date 26 June 2023
Video format
2160p24 – Ratio 1.85
Dolby Vision / BT.2020 – HEVC encoding
Master intermediate 4K
Soundtrack
English Dolby Atmos
English DTS-HD MA 5.1 and 2.0
Subtitles
English
Rated 4 out of 5
Artistic : 8 | Video : 8 | Audio : 9
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 : Sony Bravia XR-65A80J (Dolby Vision Luminous)
Sources : Oppo UDP-203 Audiocom Reference | Zappiti Reference
Pregnant : Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar (Dolby Atmos), SVS SB-4000
WORK - Max Rockatansky lifts anchor
Following an ecological disaster, the Earth is covered by the oceans. The few survivors live on artificial atolls and dream of a mythical land, Dryland, covered with vast forests and deep valleys.
Cursed film par excellence (budgetary inflation, natural disaster swallowed up the scenery, disagreement between Kevin Costner and Kevin Reynolds), Mad Max At the same time, aquatic adventure entertainment is perfectly calibrated. The scenario is original, the delusional characters (The Deacon), the memorable soundtrack, the ecological message more than welcome, the styled rafting boats, the incredible floating city and the spectacular maritime waterfalls. Still as impressive as ever, this underestimated blockbuster is to be reconsidered.
IMAGE - Ocean as far as you can see
If UHD master is identical to that concocted by Universal in 2019 (which had received the approval of Dean Semler), the present transfer encoded into Dolby Vision (not HDR10) which benefits from a otherwise stronger compression (performed by David Mackenzie of Fidelity in Motion) strikes with the increased finesse of its details (the broad planes of the atoll), the greater refinement of its grain and the best composition of its chrominance. The upgrade is therefore even more mastoc vis-à-vis the Universal Blu-ray (published in 2009), without however devading a rather uneven rendering from one plan to the next (even 4K restoration has to be done).
In this way, it can come to the definition of flickering despite much richer textures, some planes are still blurred (difficult to free from the source) even though the stitch is much more sharp than in the past (the rust of environments and wear of clothing), the colorimetric palette is not always uniform (notably on the large expanses of water) but has deeper and nuanced hues (grey clouds, blue sky, carnation) and the attack of the old zinc presents a strange tingling (a irregularity certainly due to the insertion of special effects) in some corners of the frame.
On the other hand, film defects (such as dust) have been very well cleaned, the silver structure is less thick, contrasts are more pronounced (deep blacks and clean whites) and light sources are clearly more intense (reflections on water, daylight, flames).
Compared to the TV-Cut and the "Ulysses" Cut (a 2K restoration resulting from a 4K scan of the original negative with 35 mm intermediate elements for additional sequences), the image displays more natural colors (the skin is no longer also burned by the sun and the primary less for free saturated), a necessarily extended dynamic range and more precise details (while a light DNR has been applied).
SON - Houle or wave?
Most certainly from the same 3D mixing as the VO DTS:X delivered by Universal, this equally stunning Dolby Atmos proposal delivers an acoustic show of all the moments by accentuating the precision of spatialization (the ocean seems more agitated) and improving the seat of the LFE channel in low frequencies.
The aggressiveness is there, each channel is well used, the effects as the atmospheres are very detailed, the score of James Newton Howard made of a wide width, the dialogues are of comfortable clarity and the low support box all with great efficiency (cf. the depth of attack of the atoll by the Smokers). However, some noises do not have any impact (such as when the harpoon is ripped off) and thus indicate with the rest.
Harmonizing without difficulty with the lower layer, the aerial scene is well integrated and delivers an excess of information to the relative calm of the vast expanse of salt water (the cracking of the mast, the breeze, the slamming of the sails) and to the chaos of the attacks (fires, an airplane, inflamed projectiles and several explosions).
Despite the loss of the acoustic dome resulting in less wrapping, the DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack of the TV and Ulysse cuts maintains a wide dynamic range, attractive sound panoramas, a partition removed (sometimes a little intrusive) and active atmospheres.
CONCLUSION - Call from the offshore
Less subject to sea sickness (even though again heterogeneous image has been consolidated) and still also waterproof (the soundtrack DTS:X gives way to a Dolby Atmos track even more comfortable in the depths of the ocean), this Ultra HD Blu-ray that had the right idea to board a truly complete set (a large collection of bonuses including Maelstrom: The Odyssey of ‘Waterworld‘, the fantastic documentary dedicated to shooting) composed of three discs (a 4K Ultra HD for the 135 min Theatrical Cut, and two Blu-rays for the 176 min TV-Cut and the 178 min "Ulysses" Cut), imposes as the ultimate effort (?) for this atypical post-apo work not to fail and reach the banks of Dryland!
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