6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 3.7 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, Rachel Weisz, David Harbour, Ray WinstoneAction | 100% |
Adventure | 96% |
Comic book | 95% |
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
Japanese: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
English SDH, French, Japanese, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
It's difficult to say how Black Widow will ultimately be remembered one, five, ten, or twenty years from now -- probably as an entertaining if not somewhat superfluous footnote within the much larger Marvel Cinematic Universe of films -- but for now, in September 2021, the film's place in today's cinema discussions include its thrice delayed release due to the COVID-19 pandemic (it was originally slated to release in May 2020) and the subsequent simultaneous debut in theaters and digitally on Disney+ which led star Scarlett Johansson to file suit against Disney, essentially claiming that her payout would be reduced without a dedicated theatrical release window. Regardless of the noise around the release, Black Widow proves to be a capably entertaining diversion suited to escapism, even as it's not a particularly robust or original film, never mind one that is fully versed in and attached at the hip to the larger stylings and proclivities of the average Marvel Superhero film.
The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.
Disney's UHD release of Black Widow delivers a tangible upgrade from the standard and concurrently released 1080p Blu-ray. This 2160p/HDR UHD presentation delivers a more robust color
spectrum, with tones notably more bold and brilliant, presenting everything from Romanoff's red hair to natural greens with a brilliant intensity that
serves the film well and speaks highly of HDR's ability to bring out the punchiest colors possible without betraying natural appearances. The colors
are
not gargantuanly more brilliant than the SDR Blu-ray counterpart, but the differences are obvious and do not stop in the middle. Whites are clearly
brighter, healthier, and more intense, obvious during a snowy battle halfway through the film, a battle in which the heroes are also clad in white. The
feel for
white brilliance and faithfulness is off the charts. At the other end, black level depth is first-rate. There's no mistaking the deep, penetrating depth
that
holds steady and refuses to crush out details within and around. The color spectrum is healthy through the entire range and a worthy upgrade over a
well defined Blu-ray counterpart.
The native 4K resolution further allows for a brilliant bit of textural gain as well. The picture is obviously crisper and cleaner. There's something of a
glossier sheen to it at this resolution but the increase in overall clarity is obvious even without a direct comparison; simply watching the movie a
second
time reveals the jump. Still, A-B comparisons do demonstrate the exceedingly good uptick in textural gain, particularly obvious in close-ups where
skin
details, for example, leap off the screen with newfound depth and precision. Look at a Romanoff close-up at the 1:34:22 mark for a terrific example
of
the UHD bringing out a fairly substantial increase in clarity and fine detail. This extends to practical and digital elements, clothes, and various
environments as well. Add in the absence of distracting noise and the picture's freedom from compression and encode issues and there's nothing to
dislike here. This is a first-rate UHD presentation from Disney.
The UHD receives an audio upgrade with a Dolby Atmos soundtrack (as opposed to the Blu-ray's DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack) and the presentation depth and detail are upgraded, too. Rather than just add some overhead channels, Disney has assuaged, though not at all eliminated, the low volume and troubling absentee bass from the Blu-ray to offer a bit more of a kick with this one. The opening action escape scene enjoys more obvious intensity and depth, still struggling to kick the low end into overdrive but certainly presenting with a healthier punch and depth. Gunfire here and elsewhere still lacks full body punch but, again, there's a little more substance at work with this Atmos presentation. Explosions further into the movie hit with some level of authoritative bass, even heard at distance, such as during an action scene at the 59-minute mark. The Atmos layer integrates some overhead sound elements, like a chopper hovering above a prison in the 57-minute mark. While none are so discrete as to turn the listener's full attention upwards, there's enough complimentary height to create a more full-bodied and spatially aware sound experience. Surround elements in general are well positioned, whether naturally discrete or more broadly enveloping. Music is clear and detailed but could stand some more depth. Dialogue is clear and center positioned for the duration.
While Black Widow's UHD disc houses no supplements, the bundled Blu-ray contains a disappointingly scant collection of extras, including a
couple of featurettes, a gag reel, and
deleted scenes. There is also an optional director introduction, accessible from the "Play" menu tab (which is curiously absent from the UHD, too). A
Movies Anywhere
digital copy code is included with purchase.
Black Widow explores a key fan favorite MCU character with appropriate depth and detail, but the larger film around her isn't necessarily the most robustly original ever assembled. The action is particularly rote, albeit very well done, but the focal story beats are well versed in the art of increasing the audience's appreciation for the title character. The film plays well enough as standalone entertainment but it will best serve hardcore MCU fans who know the story ins-and-outs and character actions and proclivities from the heart. Disney's UHD is pretty solid. The picture quality is great, which is where many will focus their attention, anyway, and the Atmos audio track, while imperfect, offers a better listen than the flat and bland Blu-ray. The supplements are nothing of great value. Recommended for serious Marvel fans.
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