7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
T'Challa, after the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king.
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Martin FreemanAction | 100% |
Comic book | 87% |
Sci-Fi | 82% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 MVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1, 1.90:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
German: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
French: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
English SDH, French, German, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Blu-ray 3D
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Black Panther was a special production for many involved in its construction, representing not just another movie about a fictional hero capable of great feats but standing as a symbol as the first superhero of African descent. The character debuted in the 1960s, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, at the height of the Civil Rights movement in the United States and has become one of the most beloved icons of the Marvel, and indeed the greater comic book, universe. The character was introduced to moviegoers in the fantastic Captain America: Civil War and is now the focus of Director Ryan Coogler's (Fruitvale Station, Creed) third feature film. Black Panther is a rip-roaring Superhero film steeped in culture and tradition while simultaneously presenting cutting-edge technology and modern-made excitement. The film's arcing plot line is a little stale, but it's a fine, fun flick that performs well above most of its cliché-riddled parts.
Black Panther's Blu-ray 3D release is awesome. The image yields some awe-inspiring perspective, fantastic area shape, and some
truly stunning environmental creations. Just look at the train tracks around 110 minute mark. The camera is positioned down low on the tracks, which
stretch for quite some distance. It's one of the absolute best 3D stretch shots the format has ever seen. It's one of those that will wear out the
remote's pause and rewind buttons. Just soak it in (why, again, is this format dying in the United States, where this disc is not locally
available?).
Strongly defined environmental shape is a regular feature. It's not just basic depth on display but rather a very tangible, a very well defined
presentation of total area. The 1992-era apartment in Oakland seen in the film's opening minutes sets a very good 3D tone for the entire movie (and it
only gets better!). Though the scene is fairly dark, the Blu-ray 3D disc reveals a very firm, very realistic openness and sense of distance to various
objects and walls. The same holds true for a ship interior a few minutes later in which the spacing inspires a great deal of respect for its flawless
perspective. The third dimension so regularly defines the shape of the film's environments that the image sometimes almost starts to feel
commonplace, and then
another A-list 3D scene pops in to dazzle. The waterfall atop of which battles for supremacy are fought is quite striking and perhaps the most amazing
of the more extensively seen set pieces in the film (that train track shot is still the best 3D moment in the film). The large volume of the
space, the jutting rock formations, the vertical stretch, the combatants standing in the water, the separation between onlookers…it's a striking visual
setting that is even more so in 3D. It's one of those rare set pieces where every visual component compliments the 3D platform and its strengths to
perfection. Even relatively confined spaces, such as seen in a shot of a person sitting just a couple of feet away from a bank of computer monitors at
the 17:55 mark, offer a very realistic sense of measurable volume.
Some of the more core visuals that really lend themselves to a 3D presentation shine. Ships appear to fly through space with a tangible sense of
distance from land, more distant sky, and one another. The holographic technology various character employ, as screens and images and readouts
appear to hover over their wrists, is quite impressively shapely. Additional extra-screen goodness abounds. Rifle barrels stick out during an action
scene in chapter two and plenty of extension and depth alike draws the viewer in close to the climactic battle sequence.
There are some crosstalk effects, a few of which are severe, scattered throughout the film as seen on the review Sony XBR65Z9D. Such are not enough
to
deteriorate the entirety of the image but enough to dampen enthusiasm for it just a little bit. Otherwise, the presentation is stellar. The 3D image loses
very little, if any, of its textural integrity or color saturation. Both are very strong elements and perfectly compliment the consistently stellar 3D work
on display.
Note that this 3D version of the film offers shifting aspect ratios that jump from 2.39:1 to 1.85:1.
Black Panther roars onto Blu-ray 3D...assuming one cranks up the sound loud enough to properly hear it. This DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack is another in a growing line of Disney films to present at a very low volume. On this reviewer's system, a -12.5db setting is generally a sweet spot, but this, and other recent Disney titles, requires cranking it up to a calibrated reference level of 0.0db to appreciate; at -12.5 the track is audible, but lacks any kind of dynamic command of the stage. Once the volume is properly set, though, the track is quite good, though not quite a beast. Bass is present but not often in any prodigious quantities. There's enough support heft to music, explosions, power flying craft, car chases, and a large-scale battle at film's end to add some dynamism to the track, but this one certainly doesn't rock the stage with any serious, big-time authority. Percussion drum beats are perhaps a notable exception, offering plenty of weight to each strike. Still, the track is never shy about engaging every speaker at its disposal. It's frequently very open, sprawling about and drawing the listener square into the middle of any given scene, from fights for supremacy to the film's climactic battle where all sorts of chaotic sound elements present but never draw the listener's attention away from the main-draw, on-screen action. Several discrete effects are very enjoyable. A tire rolls into the back right speaker following the big car chase in the middle of the film, and craft distinctly fly through the stage towards the climax. Minor atmospheric details are handled well, and dialogue is clear and detailed with natural front-center positioning and some excellent reverberation at the 97-minute mark.
Black Panther's Blu-ray release contains a large assortment of extra content, all of which can be found on the bundled 2D Blu-ray; the 3D disc
contains no extras.
Black Panther is not a bastion of narrative creativity, but it's done well, it's exciting, it's well acted, and it's beautifully and passionately crafted. Action, costumes, and conviction make up for a fairly linear storyline that has precious few surprises up its sleeve. It's not the best entry into the MCU, but it's a lot of fun in its exploration of one of the most interesting worlds and engaging characters on the Marvel roster. Disney's Blu-ray 3D release is oftentimes striking and consistently excellent, the one drawback being a abnormal spike in crosstalk (at least as seen on this reviewer's Sony XBR65Z9D). Audio and extras are the same as the U.S. 2D Blu-ray. Highly recommended.
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with Comic Book
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