5.8 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Devoted lifeguard Mitch Buchanan butts heads with a brash new recruit. Together, they uncover a local criminal plot that threatens the future of the Bay.
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, Priyanka Chopra, Alexandra Daddario, Jon BassAction | 100% |
Comedy | 49% |
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, 24-bit)
French (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
UV digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
It seems like an impossible task, and probably a fool's errand, to try and make a movie based on a '90s TV show that was all about big muscles and ample bosoms crammed into tight one piece swimsuits. One would think the best-case scenario would be a hot, glossy, vibrant movie akin to Pain & Gain, where flash overtakes substance, though with enough substance to compliment the flash. That's not the case here. Baywatch deals in tired plot mechanics and generic comic relief. Lifeguarding is little more than a backdrop and the movie loses the simple charms of its television predecessor. Were it made a bit more slickly and its contrast pushed up to "scorched," one might have indeed mistaken it for a Michael Bay movie; it's essentially Pain & Gain meets Bad Boys. One could easily see Will Smith and Martin Lawrence replacing Dwayne Johnson and Zach Efron, and a morgue scene midway through feels ripped right out of Bad Boys II.
The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc. Watch for 4K screenshots at a later date.
Paramount has confirmed to Blu-ray.com that Baywatch was finished at 2K, making this an upscaled 4K UHD presentation. The
2160p/HDR-enhanced picture looks very good, making for a satisfying little upgrade over the fantastic 1080p Blu-ray. Both the change in color depth and improvements in detail are
evident right away. The red film titles are much more deeply saturated here, and darker to be sure, less of a punchy, vibrant red to be sure. The HDR
color
enhancements also further bronze tanned skin and give the movie a slightly hotter overall appearance, though it definitely doesn't approach Michael
Bay territory, at least not in this way. The palette overall appears firmer, with even less dynamic colors like clean waters and blue skies benefitting from
enhanced fine-tuning and saturation. Detailing improvements are readily obvious, again, as with the colors, without even the need to perform a
thorough A-B comparison. Depth of pores is greatly improved. Skin is sharper and much more finely defined, surpassing the already complex Blu-ray
by a fair margin.
Clothes, sandy beaches, and various additional object details boast an increased sharpness and depth, but none of them are quite so obvious as
Johnson's face. Black levels aren't quite as effortlessly inky here, but they hold deeper than most UHDs to this point. As with the Blu-ray, noise is
extremely light and a non-issue, and no other source or encode flaws are readily apparent. This isn't a leap in quality over the Blu-ray, but it's a nice
little bump, even for a movie finished at 2K. Of the two choices, it's the clear winner.
Baywatch features a Dolby Atmos soundtrack that delivers the movie's rush of music with verve and authority. Clarity is excellent no matter the style, whether sharp Rock riffs or Hip-Hop beats. Detail is impeccable, aggression is unmistakable, width and immersion are obvious and balanced, and the low end belts out prodigious notes. Listeners will often feel completely enveloped by music. It can be overbearing at times, narratively, anyway, but even in excess there's no mistaking the excellence of delivery and the track's want to push systems harder than most. Action effects, such as exploding fireworks, watercraft engines, or raging flames on and around an engulfed yacht deliver supreme potency and detail through the aggressiveness. The top layer doesn't engage frequently, often used for support, but some of those action scenes, and the fireworks during the climax in particular, offer a pleasantly tangible top-side presence, particularly as they shoot towards the sky. Counter to the track's nearly constant intensity are pleasantly light ambient effects, like seagulls and gently rolling waves, which can be heard during calmer dialogue scenes. The spoken word presents firmly and effortlessly from the center. Prioritization could stand to tighten up a bit during the most intensive scenes where effects and music can compete rather hard with verbal exchanges.
Baywatch contains all of its supplemental content on the included 1080p Blu-ray disc. No supplements are to be found on the UHD disc. A
UV/iTunes digital copy code is included with purchase.
Baywatch is hardly the biggest dud of all time, but it is one of the most unnecessary and unoriginal films ever made, and that's not simply because it comes based on preexisting content. The plot finds not even a smidgen of creativity between its character construction and action-intrigue details, and Heaven help the future of cinema if characters like Ronnie are here to stay, though with a clone of him in just about every Comedy of the 21st century, it seems a safe bet. The movie has its moments, particularly when Johnson and Efron get on the same page, which is most every scene they share. Otherwise, this one's a sad Michael Bay clone with no redeeming value, either dramatic or entertainment. Paramount's UHD offers excellent 2160p/HDR video that's a step above the Blu-ray. The Atmos track is great and a few supplements are included. If one wants to watch the movie and is 4K capable, this is certainly the release to choose.
with Instawatch, and Pain & Gain VUDU Digital Copy
2017
Bonus Disc
2017
Limited Edition
2017
2017
2017
2012
2014
2018
2016
2016
2017
2011
2014
2019
2007-2008
2018
IMAX Enhanced
2020
Mastered in 4K
2003
2015
2013
35th Anniversary Edition
1987
2021
2019
2018