7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A young man learns how to survive a monster apocalypse with the help of an expert hunter.
Starring: Dylan O'Brien, Jessica Henwick, Michael Rooker, Dan Ewing, Ariana GreenblattSci-Fi | 100% |
Horror | 56% |
Action | 6% |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English, English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Perhaps apocalypse apathy has set in but since the grim days of The Road and The Walking Dead the genre has spawned a lighter side with movies like Zombieland (and its sequel) and now Love and Monsters, a movie that explores human essence and the innate need for closeness and connectivity no matter the circumstances, in this case humanity forced underground to hide from overgrown, and overly dangerous, creatures. Michael Matthews' film finds a fine balance between sour beats and cheerful hope in something greater than the mere, and sometimes seemingly futile, act of simple survival. The film seeks the human condition in a world no longer governed by humanity yet still defined by the human heart.
The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.
Love and Monsters' 2160p/Dolby Vision UHD release offers a series of subtle upgrades that altogether make for a superior viewing
experience
when compared to the excellent Blu-ray. The resolution boost brings out a modestly sharper image, one in
which
the movie's varied locations -- a dim and densely packed underground bunker, sunny surface exteriors, a sandy beach -- all benefit from the 2160p
output, allowing for fine detail amplification whether in close-up (faces and clothes and Joel's backpack) or seen at distance (the sand in the third act
is
a notable standout). The textural output is superior to the 1080p counterpart but this certainly does not reach UHD pinnacle. That's not to badmouth
it
-- it looks quite nice -- but instead to say that it's of a fairly average output level for its type of release (an effects-heavy, mid-budget, digitally shot
movie).
There are some very good examples of the Dolby Vision's amplified color output. Look at a simple cutaway shot of a girl hanging a ballcap on a
pegboard
shrine at the 15:56 mark. The scene offers a good contrast between the improved detail of light output -- the glowing candles -- and the deeper
blacks
in the background. Object clarity in and around the light is excellent, too, representing a clear, if not small, step up from the Blu-ray. Explore most
anything
on the surface, particularly in the bright daylight, the sun high in the sky, as Joel begins his journey. Natural greenery pops with tighter, deeper, more
intense punch across the board (and grasses and leaves are markedly sharper, too). The white-black extremes are both beneficiaries, too, for
luminance
and depth, respectively, the latter particularly critical for the low light interiors where shadow detail is vital for transmitting the story's essence for all
it's
worth. Noise management is a bit better on the UHD as well (even as it wasn't much of a problem on Blu-ray) and there are no obvious encode
anomalies to report. This may not be the best looking
UHD on the market, but it's very representative of the baseline: it looks very good and improves on a great 1080p image in several small, but
meaningful, ways that altogether make this the obvious best choice for viewing the movie at home.
Love and Monsters mutates onto Blu-ray with an exceptionally good DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack. During the first monster attack on the bunker, listeners are treated to some incredibly deep sounds, capturing the structure's metallic hollowness and the creatures' weight with effective depth. It is here that the track first demonstrates its laudable command of space and detail, not to mention low end depth, that together fully bring the listener into the terrifying underground death trap. Throughout the film, and as Joel leaves the bunker to undertake the journey, the track offers a steady diet of precise surround activity in practically every scene. Monsters creep and crawl and click and make whatever sounds they make with world-class imaging, whether the sound be static in a single location or scurrying around from speaker to speaker. It's fluid, seamless, it's a joy and the perfect, and necessary, compliment to the movie's sonic demands. The final action sequence springs to life with a terrific blend of all these elements, including a prodigious low end, perfectly pulling the listener into the beachside frenzy. Additional world support is terrific, like falling rain and thunder in chapter eight. Here is one place, amongst many, where Atmos would have benefited the presentation, but it's hard to argue against the 7.1 track; it's just so effective as it is. Music is well versed in clarity and space, too, and dialogue is perfectly balanced, positioned, prioritized, and detailed through the film. This is a ceaselessly fun track from Paramount.
Love and Monsters UHD disc houses no extras, but the bundled Blu-ray includes deleted scenes and two featurettes. A digital copy voucher is
included with purchase. This release ships with a
slipcover.
Love and Monsters blends dystopian survival, monstrous terror, mild humor, and a romance that's driven by a different kind of survival instinct. Joel may as well not go on if going on means going it alone, and the film does a fine job of building his journey from the heart out. The action is not ancillary but it's not empty. Joel fights monsters, and himself, along the way, as he follows where his heart leads, even if it leads him straight through a living nightmare, albeit one watered down a bit for wider audiences. Paramount's UHD delivers solid 2160p/Dolby Vision video and audio presentations and a few extras. Recommended.
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