Hancock 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Hancock 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

'Hancock' soars with terrific Atmos sound and tight UHD/HDR visuals.

The future is here! Sony has released its first wave of UHD Blu-ray (4K/3840x2160p resolution) discs. We've posted a companion article detailing the UHD upgrade experience here. Watch for more reviews for these Sony UHD Blu-rays in the coming days and, of course, Blu-ray.com will be covering every UHD release in the future.

A hero rests.

Hancock 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Hancock was filmed on 35mm and, according to IMDB, it was finished at 4K, presumably the source for this 4K UHD release and, by all comparative indications, the 2008 Blu-ray as well.

Hancock is another stunner right out of the gate from Sony. The HDR (High Dynamic Range) image pushes fairly warm -- flesh tones can range from rosy to red (and that's not a result of the occasionally errant "red push" outlined in the article above) -- but there's a consistency to the movie's stylized palette that accentuates every color, whether flashing police sirens, red spaghetti sauce, or small accents on clothes. Detailing is terrific. The 2160p image brings out an amazing array of fabric details, evident right off the bat on Hancock's ratty, grimy cap. All sorts of intimate textures are clearly visible there and elsewhere, whether his shoddy, tattered clothes seen early in the movie or the shiny, form-fitting black outfit he wears later on. Skin details are incredible. The transfer reveals fine facial pores with a tangible, intimate depth. Facial stubble and even very fine makeup textures are clearly visible. Grain retention is welcome, even, and consistent. It's a little thicker than the very fine grain structure seen in Pineapple Express, but there's no mistaking this transfer's gorgeous cinematic texturing.

Almost any shot will yield a good comparison between the UHD and the Blu-ray, but a few examples follow. First, look at a shot of Hancock passed out on a bench (the first screenshot in this review). There's actually not a serious increase in tangible resolution here. The bench, the cap, the jacket's outer material and inner lining, the facial stubble, none of it is worlds away more textured than the Blu-ray. Colors are a bit deeper, particularly the face and the red on the hat, but there's no significant leap in either color or detail. Next, skip ahead to chapter three, which begins with a several-second-long overhead shot. The color alteration is immediately evident, including the UHD's greater sense of warmth, but so too is the improved saturation and depth, evident on red rooftops, green grasses, fall leaves, blue swimming pools, even a bright yellow house that stands apart, seen at the top of the screen right at the end of the shot that looks more orange in UHD. Which is more accurate to the source is anyone's guess, but there's an increased firmness and boldness to the UHD/HDR presentation to be sure. The 21:27 mark offers a good, clear close-up of Will Smith's face. Again, raw detail isn't particularly boosted on the UHD -- pores are well pronounced on both and even a fine vertical line on his nose is very clearly delineated -- but his face definitely looks more flush and full with the HDR color scheme. Darker scenes offer refined black levels and shadow detail; a nighttime, outdoor dinner scene in chapter 10 is a terrific example of how the UHD disc offers a richer black level and shadow detail experience.

There's no mistaking that Hancock features a gorgeous transfer. The UHD/HDR presentation isn't so much more finely detailed as it is more punchy and warm in color and able to more finely delineate blacks and shadow detail. But unlike San Andreas, Hancock offers a carefully tuned refinement of its color whereas Warner's disc simply looks like a change in the contrast setting. As with all of these early UHD reviews, a refinement of the review process will evolve along the way as more titles become available, the studios' patterers emerge, and greater understanding of the format, particularly HDR color, comes into focus.

Hancock 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Hancock makes its UHD debut with a brand-new Dolby Atmos soundtrack, replacing the standard release's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack. This review is based on a 7.1.4 setup, which is the "traditional" seven-channel plus subwoofer configuration with the addition of four "object" or "overhead" speakers to the mix.

There's a new reference Atmos track on the block, and it's Hancock. Sony's remix offers a slick presentation that finds just the right balance between aggressive use of the overhead speakers and balanced use of the overhead speakers. The movie's opening action sequence is of reference quality. A hungover Hancock blasts off from a bench with a mighty push, sending a soaring, almost majestic wave of energy into the stage. As he flies to a freeway chase, the whoosh of flight practically pulls the listener alongside him. Any time he flies, really, that gust of air that pushes through the soundstage is amazingly robust and full. Around the same time in that opening action sequence, a large jet plane zooms through with one of the finest examples of sound imaging this reviewer has ever heard. Moments later, Hancock lands on top of the bad guys' car with a noticeable thud emanating from above. Fast forward to a bank shootout midway through the movie. Gunfire pops with good authority and immersive placement. Shots ring out from all over the stage and impact surfaces all around the listener. A cacophony of chaos shreds the listening area and immerses with an added overhead height presence that gives the scene a wonderfully full and satisfying feel. A storm rips through the stage in chapter 12, again sending a heavy, but refined, punishing wind into the stage that, mixed with tossing and turning debris, makes for another spectacular example of the Atmos track's ability to fully immerse the listener into the movie. But the track doesn't just jump on the big effects. In that bank robbery scene, a dialogue exchange between Hancock and the criminal offers excellent, room-filling reverberation with a clear, but finely integrated, overhead support. Sprinklers are set off during a climactic action scene, and listeners can hear and practically feel water dripping down from the ceiling.

There are a couple of moments when the track could probably use a slight boost. Dialogue can be ever so slightly muffled under the most chaotic conditions, and there are a few points where one could argue for a little more bass, particularly when train cars topple over after Hancock saves Ray early in the movie. But it's otherwise so rich and dynamic it's hard to numerically knock it, especially considering how well it handles other elements, like music. Of note in that department is a Rap song that plays when Hancock begins his prison sentence. It's wide, aggressive, and thumps. Music in general sports wonderful clarity throughout the range and welcoming and very wide stage presence. Dialogue, save for those few muffled lines, comes through with perfect center focus, articulation, and prioritization. Overall, this is a terrific track from Sony and easily one of the best reference level Atmos mixes on the market.

Hancock 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

While Hancock contains no new "supplements" on the UHD disc, it does offer a slick new menu system (and presumably the early standard for Sony UHD releases) in which different pages are selected by scrolling up and down and side-to-side. Beyond the usual scene selection and language tabs, there's also an option to watch highlight segments entitled Hancock (10:15), Mary (13:02), Ray (8:46), and Action (21:28), all of which offer both 2160p and Dolby Atmos goodness. There's also a Cast & Crew tab that appears to only offer a still image accompanied by character and actor name. All of the previous edition's supplements carry over on the included 1080p Blu-ray disc (click here for more information). A UV digital copy code is also included with purchase. Also note that the UHD disc does not include the film's extended and unrated cut.

Hancock 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hancock is a fun and creative, and overlooked, Action/Superhero movie that offers a superb performance from Will Smith. Though hardly a classic, it's a good movie and one that will welcome back viewers for multiple watches. Sony's UHD Blu-ray has it all. Dynamic Atmos audio and a superb film-quality presentation make this, perhaps, the ultimate go-to reference disc out of the gate for those wanting the best of both the video and audio worlds, though Pineapple Express still beats this out in terms of pure filmic beauty. Very highly recommended.