7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.8 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Follows the epic Biblical story of the Resurrection, as told through the eyes of a non-believer. Clavius, a powerful Roman Military Tribune, and his aide Lucius, are tasked with solving the mystery of what happened to Jesus in the weeks following the crucifixion, in order to disprove the rumors of a risen Messiah and prevent an uprising in Jerusalem.
Starring: Joseph Fiennes, Tom Felton, Peter Firth, Cliff Curtis, María BottoAction | 100% |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Polish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
UV digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Director Kevin Reynolds' (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, WaterWorld) Risen attempts, and largely succeeds in the effort,
to explore the concept of faith through the eyes of a worldly nonbeliever who finds himself a firsthand witness to Christ's miracles. But it's not simply
another straight Biblical retelling. The movie intermixes Biblical scripture with some dramatic license as the movie explores Christ's crucifixion, His
resurrection, and the miracles that occurred in the days following. By this approach, even as the film doesn't deviate from, but rather adds to, the
story, it humanizes it in a way
never before experienced on the screen, resulting in a unique and, in some ways, more impactful narrative arc that gives more relatable, "outsider"
eyes and ears to some of the key details, teachings, miracles, and foundational faith elements from Christianity.
It starts at the end.
Risen's 2160p/HDR-enabled UHD presentation offers an honest upgrade from the movie's 1080p counterpart. At least going on the early returns here, this appears to be a very good representation of the sort of upgrade one should expect of a UHD release, particularly one that was, by all accounts, up-sourced from a 2K digital intermediate. The image remains ever faithful, even in its colors (by-and-large), and the improvements are evident without making the experience in any way grossly different. Unlike other recent 4K releases, like The 5th Wave, where any uptick in quality was negligible, Risen reveals better defined textures and punchier, but still reserved and within the movie's intended parameters, colors. The 1080p transfer occasionally struggled with softer, maybe even very mildly smeary, details. Weathered faces, raw earthen terrain, and rough structural elements never quite found that finishing touch. Here, improvements in those details are immediately obvious. Faces -- pores, stubble, sweat, blood, dirt -- are much more complex. Terrain is sharper, including pebbles and plants alike. Stone façades are tactile and naturally sharp. Garment textures and particularly frays are another area where the UHD reveals clear and convincing increases in definition. The color palette, while firmer and deeper, doesn't betray the film's otherwise fairly cold, at times, and earthy, at others, look. Reds are certainly a bit fuller and more aggressive, but in no way to the detriment of the movie's intended appearance. Black levels hold up and flesh tones likewise look good. Noise remains, but seems less perceivable and heavy throughout.
Risen's audio likewise receives a boost for its UHD release, but the difference isn't quite so immediately obvious, and sometimes dramatic, as with the video. Forgoing the 1080p Blu-ray's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack for a Dolby Atmos track, the UHD boasts a more immersive listen that's not overbearing with the added channels, but fuller and more complimentary to the source. Music finds a richer delivery and deeper space. More than the added overhead channels (this review is based on an 11.1 setup with four "overhead" channels added to the more traditional 7.1 setup), it's the back-rear channels that make the most difference. Spacing is more refined and the sense of immersion greater. More subtle musical detail and depth is obvious. Rolling thunder at the beginning likewise benefits from a greater field, as does crowd noise at the crucifixion; the general sense of place and immersion is impressive. The opening battle scene, a point of some moderate disappointment in 5.1 lossless, is a bit improved upon here. Surrounds still carry some swooshing, but the overheads add a small sense of greater range as arrows and pila almost seem to pass overhead, however briefly or lightly the effect may be. Bass is a bit more deep and detailed here, and the heavy shield clanking in formation fuller and more satisfying. Buzzing flies swarm to good effect at the mass gravesite just beyond the crucifixion area, and a swarm of birds later in the movie pushes through the stage, mostly along the left hand side but with a clear, but not overpowering, sense of added overhead depth. The earthquake near film's start rattles with a little more density in the listening area. Dialogue is clear and well prioritized, with only a slight bit of garbling during the battle scene near the beginning.
While Risen contains no new "supplements" on the UHD disc (the commentary track is available 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 character-specific highlights, dubbed "Moments," for Clavius
(15:29),
Yeshua
(17:33), Lucius (6:12), and Pilate (9:35), all of which are presented in 2160p video and Dolby Atmos sound. There's also a
Cast & Crew tab that only offers a still image accompanied by character and actor name.
All of the 1080p-only edition's supplements carry over on the included 1080p Blu-ray disc. Below is a list of what's included:
Risen may not have the raw, visceral impact of The Passion of the Christ, and it may not ever find the same legacy as The Greatest Story Ever Told, but it's a unique and engaging motion picture that shakes up traditional formula and explores the key tenants of Christian salvation from a new perspective. The film boasts solid production values and several top-quality performances, particularly from Cliff Curtis as Christ. By all accounts, this is a very good example of UHD done right. It's offers an honest improvement over a 1080p transfer that was good, but not great. Part of that is the source, but the UHD takes it all a step or two further in a noticeable way. For a movie that's apparently been up-sourced from a shoot that wasn't native 4K (or higher) or from film, this, at this point in the game, seems like about the best case scenario improvement. The Dolby Atmos track, while not aggressive by the movie's nature, shows a little more range, depth, and detail, mostly by way of the added back rather than height channels but also a slight perceivable uptick in clarity. No new extras have been added, but what's available on the 1080p disc is quite good. Very highly recommended.
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