7.6 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 3.8 |
A look at the life of the astronaut, Neil Armstrong, and the legendary space mission that led him to become the first man to walk on the Moon.
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Corey StollDrama | 100% |
History | 72% |
Biography | 64% |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1, 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
French: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (192 kbps)
English, English SDH, French, French SDH, Spanish, Spanish SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
First Man is not only a dramatic recreation of the lead-up to man's first steps taken on the moon but also, and more prominently, an exploration of the man who took those steps. Director Damien Chazelle's (La La Land, Whiplash) film is not a grand epic of space travel, not a film concerned with detailing every last morsel of information in the technical build-up to Apollo 11's mission to the moon. It is instead a thorough, intimate portrait of a man who carried tragedy and heartache through his career as an astronaut, who balanced inner pain and vulnerability with a more rigid and focused outer façade. Though Armstrong was driven to the moon by thrust, fuel, and physics, it was his perseverance that ultimately allowed him to take that small step off the ship and the giant leap required to overcome unspeakable pain.
The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc. Watch for 4K screenshots at a later date.
First Man was primarily shot on film, much of it 16mm, and finished at 2K. This upscaled UHD
with Dolby Vision color grading offers a slightly solidified, more prominently filmic presentation compared to the Blu-ray, which is excellent. The image is a little more inherently soft than some
films. The UHD does not magically make any scenes sharper, per se, but it does
create a finer filmic presentation, with more natural grain and slightly greater clarity to the base elements. The UHD's benefits are evident from the
opening sequences, with Armstrong punching a jet through Earth's atmosphere and into space. The picture is nothing short of beautiful, appearing, it
would seem, about as close to filmmaker vision and source integrity as possible. Nevertheless, image clarity and raw textural intimacies are not greatly
improved over the Blu-ray here, or elsewhere. Scene and still comparisons do not show significant boosts to either, but the UHD does find a mild uptick
in object definition and detail and it handles grain a little better, presenting a firmer, more organic field than the Blu-ray, though even here the
differences are less dramatic than they are on many other UHD releases.
The Dolby Vision color grading offers a modest stabilization and improvement, yielding superior, brighter, and more stable and accurate whites,
including NASA lab coats, white dress shirts in mission control, fluorescent lighting, and text on the screen. A shot at the 40:26 mark is a good
example, where also some of the colder steely blues and grays present with subtle improvements to saturation and color density. There's a mild
improvement to flesh tone presentation and a mild improvement to black level depth. Those in search of a picture that is a major departure from the
Blu-ray will not find it. The UHD's improvements are subtle, but arguably critical, in
elevating the filmed elements to a slightly higher plane where modestly improved textures, image clarity, grain refinement, and color
accuracy can make a small difference in isolation but a more pronounced improvement in total.
The Dolby Atmos track engages immediately during a test flight sequence. Exceptional detailing encircles the listener in the sonic form of rattles, rumbles, the pilot's heavy breathing, and engine hum underneath it all. It's a chaotic cacophony that gives way to momentary peace when the test plane reaches the space above the Earth's atmosphere, only to regain an intensity as the plane finally makes a return to Earth. It really encapsulates the entire track. Big, pronounced, detailed, discrete, and harmoniously jumbled sounds draw the listener into space capsules and training modules with strikingly efficient, loud, and balanced intensity. As Gemini 8 prepares for launch, the creaks and moans creep in from all over the stage, effortlessly transporting the listener into the pre-launch capsule, while take-off and ascent offer a revelatory sense of rise, depth, heft, and movement as the ship approaches and crosses the atmosphere. Overhead channels are generally folded in rather than used for individually discrete effects, helping to create a more thoroughly convincing sound design which is critical to shaping several of the movie's most dramatically intense scenes. Light atmospheric supports gently envelop the listener in a few scenes, dialogue clarity and positioning are seamless, and musical fidelity, front and surround spacing, and balanced low end depth are also track hallmarks but nothing comes close to the several reference quality scenes involving upward or downward thrust and rattle. This is a demonstration-worthy soundtrack from Dolby and Universal.
First Man's UHD release contains deleted scenes, several featurettes, and an audio commentary track. A Blu-ray copy of the film and a Movies
Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase. This release ships with an embossed slipcover.
First Man does not tell the story of a journey into space but rather a journey into a man's soul. This is an exceptionally well made and emotionally pulling film that rarely finds a stumbling block. It's brilliantly directed and photographed, exceptionally well performed, and the picture's ability to find a tonal balance between epic scale historical and astral awe and intimate character depth is striking. First Man is one of 2018's best films. Universal's UHD is terrific, featuring exceptional picture and sound qualities paired with a healthy allotment of bonus content. First Man earns my highest recommendation.
2016
2023
Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
1971
1964
30th Anniversary Edition
1983
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1993
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2010