6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.4 |
A devastating assassination attempt leaves the president in a coma with Agent Mike Banning the only likely suspect.
Starring: Gerard Butler, Morgan Freeman, Jada Pinkett Smith, Lance Reddick, Tim Blake NelsonAction | 100% |
Thriller | 28% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Sometimes public relations marketing hype can provide at least a wry smile or two, if not outright laughter. Case in point: the press sheet accompanying the film currently under review breathlessly touts that this is “the latest stand alone installment of the full throttle Has Fallen action series”. That may strike some grammarians as at least a little oxymoronic, in terms of combining “stand alone” with “series”, but what really made me chuckle a bit was this nascent franchise being labeled with the (to me, anyway) kind of funny Has Fallen moniker. But of course there have been previous “Has Fallen” entries, beginning with 2013’s Olympus Has Fallen and then continuing on with London Has Fallen. Olympus Has Fallen wasn’t exactly met with critical love letters, though it did reasonably well at the box office, but London Has Fallen was met with pretty withering critical assessments, which of course means that it was a pretty massive box office hit, raking in well over 200 million, which obviously helped pave the way for this latest installment. Angel Has Fallen is arguably better than its immediate predecessor, which may in fact be damning with faint praise, but the film knows what it wants to deliver and does so in a reasonably engaging fashion.
Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080p Blu-ray.
Angel Has Fallen is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Lionsgate Films with a 2160p transfer in 2.39:1. While digitally captured with Arri Alexas
and finished at a 4K DI (according to the IMDb), one of the first things that struck me about this 4K version was a more evident digital grain field, one
which is clearly visible against brighter backgrounds in particular. It gives this version a more traditionally filmic appearance, though there are some
occasional issues I noticed. In a number of dark scenes in particular, there's a kind of peculiar pixellation that is often alternating splotches of red and
blue that can be seen (admittedly very quickly at times) as in the opening tunnel sequence at circa 2:40, or around 33:26 when some
headlights hit mist. The increased resolution actually ended up showing a few seams of some of the visual effects at times, notably for me at around
20:15 where what appears to be green screen or some kind of composite in a quick shot of Freeman being saved on a boat which I frankly hadn't
noticed being an effect in the 1080p version. That increased
resolution is arguably not all that kind to CGI that I noted even in the 1080p rendition can look pretty soft (and at times, unconvincing). The shoddy
looking composite at circa 1:30:06 that I noted in the review of the 1080p version probably looks even worse here. On the plus side, there is
noticeably better shadow detail throughout this presentation, and Dolby Vision also helps to elevate a number of interesting highlights in this version. I
mentioned "thriller blue" in the 1080p review, and this version can add a slightly green tone at times which can tip things toward teal. It's noticeable in
the whole opening sequence that introduces the Wade Jennings (Danny Huston) character, but it shows up later in some of the hospital scenes as well.
Some actual green is more evident in the forest scene introducing Nolte as Mike's Dad. A later scene with Jennings visiting Mike's home has
whites that come closer to blooming in this version. Fine detail also enjoys a noticeable uptick here, and is remarkably consistent throughout the
widely variant grading and lighting choices.
Angel Has Fallen offers a really fun and immersive Dolby Atmos track, one that utilizes the surround and Atmos channels fairly aggressively at times, starting with the kind of swooping and thumping cues from David Buckley's score that start the film (there's a nicely evocative low end droning sound that is repeatedly utilized to up the angst level at various junctures). Speaking of drones, there's a great set piece in the film featuring an "army" of drones that attack the President and that scene offers some of the best overhead and panning activity in the film. Other big action moments, like a crazy truck chase, or several gigantic explosions that occur, offer bursts of LFE that can be quite impressive. Dialogue is always rendered cleanly and clearly throughout this problem free and very enjoyable track.
Note: Both the 1080p and 2160p discs contain the same special features:
One of the things that always makes me wonder a bit in films like this is the so-called "collateral damage" that is never really ever addressed. It's one thing to take out a force of bad guys, but this film includes a number of deaths or implied deaths of not just good guys but innocent bystanders (notably in the climax where a hospital, yep, goes boom). Niggling concerns like that are probably the domain of folks like me who overthink movies like this, but for those willing to go with the flow, Angel Has Fallen is brisk and generally exciting, even if it's resolutely rote almost all of the time. Technical merits are first rate and the supplemental package quite enjoyable, for those who are considering a purchase.
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