Bob Marley: One Love Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Bob Marley: One Love Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 31, 2024

Music Biopic fatigue may very well be settling in, but audiences should nevertheless seek out an opportunity to watch Bob Marley: One Love, a film that doesn't necessarily break free from genre cliche but which does enough with structure and with the lead character's humanity to make a compelling film where an ordinary one should sit. Director Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richard) nails the musical tempo of the film, for sure -- and how could he not with Marley's legendary music spearheading the content -- but he also nails the emotional tempo, too, building a story of real heart amidst the powers of internal unrest and external strife to produce a satisfying journey through the key points of Marley's illustrious, and too brief, career and life.

Kingston, Jamaica, 1976. The nation is on the brink of civil war, but the island’s top talent, Bob Marley (Kingsley Ben-Adir), seeks to unify the warring factions through music. "His guitar is his machine gun," one character keenly observes. An assassination attempt cannot derail the concert, but it does redirect Marley’s life. He and his band begin seeking additional opportunities to bring love, healing, and peace to people and begin work on an album that will become legend. However, deteriorating health threatens to derail the man and the music, but not his legacy.

What sets this movie apart is that it’s not the typically linear childhood to stardom story but rather begins with an assassination attempt and Marley’s place at a critical juncture in the history of his country. It’s a refreshing change of pace and change of focus, to present the story through the prism of cultural upheaval and go straight to some of the stars’ defining moments rather than slog through what would have assuredly been interesting content but instead aim the film at the heart of the matter. The film then blends Marley’s personal life with his music quite nicely by focusing on his latter days only, and building the whole man through that time instead of the more rote approach that has become all too familiar in these genre films.

The film is very well made technically, too, looking great and sounding amazing. Its soundtrack is a literal pulse and heartbeat. The music serves a purpose, defines an era, and represents a place. Of all of these music biopic sorts, this is one where the music is a lifeblood because it really did aim to serve a purpose. Kingsley Ben-Adir is magnificent in the title role. He looks and sounds just like he needs to look and sound, but the sense of both reverence for the character and total occupation of him is special. Ben-Adir plays the character from the inside out yet still manages to nail the external cadence and mannerisms, building a complete character who keeps the film compelling from beginning to end.

Bob Marley: One Love Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Paramount releases Bob Marley: One Love to the Blu-ray format with a stellar 1080p transfer. I couldn't find a single negative thing to say about it. While it lacks the sharpness and the color richness found on the 2160p/Dolby Vision UHD, it is nevertheless a standout within the constraints of the elder high definition format. The picture delivers exceptionally good detail, offering rich and sharp definition to faces and hair, the latter of which is very textured and practically tactile in every close-up, and even many of the medium distance shots in the film deliver the sort of tangible, "reach in and touch" level of complexity fans have come to expect of the best of 1080p releases. The Blu-ray's dominance extends to various locales as well, interior and exterior, natural and manmade, plush or worn. Color expression is wonderful. While there are some tonal shifts that see some different temperatures and contrast settings throughout, the core color characteristics of any given shot, scene, or sequence appear to be dialed in to perfection on Blu-ray, yielding a sum total palette that is bold, rich, and confident throughout. Depth and accuracy are as good as any other Blu-ray, an observation which also extends to black levels. White balance is strong and skin tones look accurate. There is no noise or compression issues present at any level worthy of a mention. This is a wonderful Blu-ray and everything a new release 1080p image should be in 2024.

Bob Marley: One Love Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

This Dolby Atmos track is absolutely phenomenal. The highlight, of course, is the music, which is incredibly rich and vibrant with superior detail to not just primary instrumentals and lyrics but also every minor musical element that gives the songs a complete sound. Clarity reaches to the finest points, volume is just right at reference levels, and spacing around the stage is perfect, with core musical elements presenting firmly in the front left and right channels and vocals in the center. The surround and ambient Atmos channels pick up some support to immerses the listener, but not with so much discrete presence as to overwhelm the primary front channels. And the bass…wow! Listen to the concert at the 25:30 mark for some of the most prominent and balanced bass support ever. The goodness doesn't stop there. Several gunshots are heard in the 12-minute mark, for example, and present with highly impressive crispness, depth, and detail, not to mention wonderful stage fill. Of course, with these elements performing so well, it should come as no surprise that ambient fill is nicely balanced and integrated as well, not to mention crystal clear. Dialogue is likewise wonderful, perfectly centered, prioritized, and lifelike with every syllable.

Bob Marley: One Love Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Bob Marley: One Love contains a handful of extras. No DVD copy of the film is included, but Paramount has bundled in a digital copy code.

• Becoming Bob Marley (1080p, 7:28): Kingsley Ben-Adir discusses his performance philosophy for the lead role, his dedication to the part, the physical transformation necessary for the role, learning music, employing Jamaican crew, and more.
• The Story: Bringing Bob Marley's Story to Life (1080p, 7:25): Looking at the making of the film away from the traditional Biopic beats, telling Rita's story alongside Bob's, the attempted assassination, his call for unity amidst political strife, and more.
• The Cast (1080p, 9:49): Exploring some of the key actors who appear in the film, including the qualities and characteristics they brought to their roles.
• On Location: Jamaica and England (1080p, 8:27): As the title suggests, this extra takes a close look at the shooting locations used throughout the film.
• The Band (1080p, 9:50): Exploring in detail the musicians who helped to bring the movie to life.
• Extended and Deleted Scenes (1080p, 10:23 total runtime): Included are Reading the Bible - Deleted, Hope Road Interview - Deleted, Cemetery - Deleted, Leaving Delaware - Deleted, Ganja Is a Bird - Deleted, Meet Mick Jagger - Deleted, Wailers Breakup - Deleted, and Interview with Bob - Extended.

Bob Marley: One Love Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Bob Marley: One Love is a much better film than most might expect. It is in some ways another cut-and-paste musical Biopic, but its also a film jammed with heart and earnest character beats that explore the purpose of music, and man, both in the studio and on the stage but also in the world. With a wonderful lead performance and, of course, legendary music, it's one of the better of the recent crop of likeminded films. Paramount's Blu-ray is exceptional, offering excellent 1080p video, a reference quality Atmos soundtrack, and a nice selection of extras. Highly recommended!