6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.8 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Bob Stone, a one-time bullied geek who grew up to be a lethal CIA agent, comes home for his high school reunion. Claiming to be on a top-secret case, he enlists the help of the former "big man on campus", now an accountant who misses his glory days. The two enter a world of shoot-outs, double-crosses, and espionage that could get them both killed.
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Amy Ryan, Danielle Nicolet, Jason BatemanAction | 100% |
Comedy | 90% |
Crime | Insignificant |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
UV digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
The dreaded high school reunion. Everyone’s been there. Personal perception says expectations have not been met, and what should be a joyous time becomes a reminder of the rapid passage of time and one’s place in life, which is rarely exactly as it was diagramed years prior. But it’s only in special cases when the reunion really turns into mayhem and the Grosse Pointe Blank scenario becomes reality. Director Rawson M. Thurber’s (Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story) Central Intelligence is another high school reunion movie, pairing the jock and the fat kid who have taken different paths in the two decades since graduation but who are reunited not over a punch bowl but rather at the barrel of a gun as they become mixed up in dirty dealings with high stakes and a higher body count.
The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc. Watch for 4K screenshots at a later date.
Central Intelligence was reportedly photographed at 2.8K and finished at 2K, making this an
upscale-to-4K UHD release. The Blu-ray version looks great, and the UHD offers modest, but at times critical,
improvements. Textural increases aren't drastic. Clothes, skin, and environments don't offer the sort of commanding boldness and sharpness over the
Blu-ray that sets the best UHDs apart. There are some fine subtle differences in textural density and stability, but nothing that is going to make the
audience respond with a "wow!" On the other hand, the 10-bit HDR color adds a depth and refinement that gives the image much more pop, balance,
and brilliance. Colors appear more stable, more firm, presenting with a greater lifelike vitality. They do increase the movie's textural gloss, however,
adding another layer of glossy veneer to the digitally sourced image, but the add to boldness and nuance is certainly worth the trade. Black levels are
excellent and flesh tones, like every other color, enjoy significant refinement. The UHD image is clean, with noise a very minimal bother and other
artifacts never distracting. This is not amongst the elite of UHD presentations, but it does offer a noticeable upgrade over Blu-ray, mostly in color, and
does enhance the overall presentation enough to recommend this version over the 1080p disc.
Central Intelligence rocks out like Robbie Weirdicht with a hugely impressive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The opening En Vogue song, a true 90s classic and a hilarious tune for the scene, absolutely explodes into the stage. It powers through every channel with vigor, spitting out the dance beat notes with not only huge volume but impeccable instrumental and lyric clarity as well as a strong, balanced low end. Such holds true through the remainder of the track, a track which never shies away from powering through various tunes with toe-tapping authority. The track opens wide up for every other sound element as well. There is some incredible reverberation in the school gymnasium near film's start; the soundstage almost literally expands to encompass the entirety of the location. Surrounding crowd cheers and fully engaged music follow, and if audiophiles aren't grinning five minutes in, then they never will. The track never relents. Action scenes are all of reference quality. The first big one comes at the 39 minute mark and sets the tone for all to follow. Gunshots burst forth with ridiculous potency from all directions, pounding with a prominent low end and impacting just as hard. Music and dialogue remain balanced and loud throughout combat. Background din at an outdoor cafe eight minutes in is filling and immersive, and every location that's not dominated by gunplay or music enjoys well-versed environmental nuance and clarity. Dialogue is clear and precise, center focused, and always well prioritized, even in the movie's most intensive moments of sonic mayhem, which come frequently. This is a top-tier 5.1 lossless soundtrack.
Central Intelligence contains regular and unrated special features, all of which can be found on the bundled Blu-ray. A UV digital copy code is
included with
purchase.
Central Intelligence works through a pair of interesting character arcs that are much more parallel than they appear. Thurber does a good job of balancing out the film's dramatic character angles with its robust action and comedy, though certainly the film leans to the latter two as its primary modes of entertainment. With a little TLC (thinking of 90s music) here and there ("Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" for the movie to be just a mite more balanced) Central Intelligence could have been great. As it is, it's a solid entertainer with good character moments and hearty action and humor, an enjoyable film that's just some balance away from being all the better. Universal's UHD disc is enjoyable. The picture is an improvement over the Blu-ray, particularly concerning color. It does feature the same 5.1 lossless soundtrack as the Blu-ray and carries over the same supplemental content. Recommended, and this is the release to buy over the basic Blu-ray.
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