7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.6 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.3 |
Despite knowing nothing about horse racing, stay-at-home mum Penny Chenery agrees to take over the Meadow Stables in Virginia after her father falls ill. With the help of veteran trainer Lucien Laurin, Chenery manages to overcome the odds by navigating her way through an aggressive, male-dominated business and ultimately producing the champion racehorse, Secretariat, who becomes the first Triple Crown winner for 25 years in 1973.
Starring: Diane Lane, John Malkovich, Margo Martindale, Nelsan Ellis, Dylan WalshFamily | 100% |
Sport | 15% |
History | 13% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Bonus View (PiP)
BD-Live
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Disney is billing Secretariat as an underdog story, but don't be fooled. Secretariat isn't just an underdog story; it's an underdogged underdog story of triple-crown underdoggedness. The titular horse is an underdog, his owner is an underdog (in at least four different spheres), her father is an underdog (fighting first with dementia, then with a stroke), the veteran trainer she hires is an underdog, her feisty jockey is an underdog (who burst his previous horse's heart), her lead stable hand is three-shades of underdog, her chief investor is an underdog, her children are underdogs vying for her attention, her oldest daughter is an underdog protesting the war in Vietnam, her husband is an underdog in his own marriage... even her horse's rival, Sham, and his arrogant owner emerge as underdogs by the time they face Secretariat in the Belmont Stakes. Come to think of it, practically everyone in the film is an underdog, making it as predictable as it is formulaic.
But when a film is as earnest and spirited as Randall Wallace's racetrack drama, when the surge of a magnificent horse and the crescendo of a rousing score make the hair on your neck bristle, does it really matter?
"He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing. He can not stand still when the trumpet sounds."
Several minor issues haunt Secretariat's 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer, and it's probably best to mention them right up front. First, black levels are inconsistent -- ranging from ashy to muted to inky -- and moderate crush takes its toll. Dark suits, hair and shadows tend to merge (particularly in poorly lit interiors) and finer details are consumed in the process. Second, soft shots pop up from time to time. No, I'm not referring to anything that traces back to Dean Semler's luminous photography or his use of diffused lenses; there are simply a string of shots that are smeared or downright blurry (whether by selective noise reduction or terribly unfocused camerawork remains a mystery). It doesn't help that a small portion of the race footage was shot using lower quality horse-mounted cams.
All that being said, Secretariat's presentation is by no means a failure. Far from it. More often than not, Disney's encode is a faithful representation of Wallace and Semler's intentions; enough so to readily satisfy fans of the film. Colors are rich and vibrant, primaries are gorgeous, skintones are warm and relatively natural (despite the occasional oversaturated or flushed face), contrast is bright and bold, and delineation is decidedly decent. Overall detail is notable as well, and many a scene looks every bit as extraordinary as a new theatrical release should. Textures aren't always crisp per se, but they are refined, filmic and well-resolved; edge definition isn't razor sharp but, minor ringing aside, it's more than commendable; and the entire presentation rapidly outpaces its DVD counterpart. Moreover, artifacting, banding and other digital anomalies aren't at play (minus one jagged racetrack roof, a brief burst of macroblocking during the Kentucky Derby, and a fleeting shot of a noisy night sky, none of which amount to anything of significance). Like the film, Disney's video transfer is imperfect, sure, but all things considered, it's also perfectly pleasing.
I don't have any major qualms with Disney's thunderous DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. Though light and leisurely during its quietest moments, Secretariat's lossless sonics prove their worth, imbuing the film's soundscape with deceptively unbridled power, commanding presence and remarkable precision. LFE output is brash and breathtaking, transforming every hoof-fall into a stampede and every pack of racehorses into a devastating earthquake. The resulting weight and heft of each resonant thoom lends the experience tremendous authority and helps intensify its most gripping scenes. Rear speaker activity is aggressive and charismatic, granting the rustle of hay in a stable the same attention as the roar of an enraptured crowd. Races take advantage of the entire soundfield to truly immersive effect, decisive directionality only heightens the illusion and Nick Glennie-Smith's score surges and relents beautifully beneath it all. Dialogue isn't entirely pitch-perfect -- a handful of lines are a bit muddled -- but a few negligible missteps shouldn't give anyone pause. Voices are warm, clear and intelligible, and hardly a word goes by that isn't neatly prioritized in the mix. All in all, Secretariat sounds fantastic; even more so as it nears its endgame.
Secretariat crosses the finish line with a solid selection of supplemental features that include a worthwhile audio commentary, several revealing featurettes, a lengthy conversation between director Randall Wallace and the real Penny Chenery/Tweedy, archive video of Secretariat's victory at Belmont Park, and other bonus materials.
Secretariat is the sort of feel-good underdog sports story some enjoy and some find derivative. I'm not sure which camp I belong in. I enjoyed Wallace's earnest period drama and its endearing characters, all the while wincing at its sticky sentiment, familiar narrative and predictable plotting. I never felt surprised or involved in Tweedy's trials, just swept up in the sincerity of the film's performances and the thrill of its races. Disney's Blu-ray release isn't flawless either, but it's more than capable. Its faithful video transfer only suffers from a few issues, its DTS-HD Master Audio track is a sonic treat, and its supplemental package, while rather traditional, is exactly what I've come to expect with similar releases. I'd still advise renting the film itself first, but if you know you're a sucker for genre pics of its ilk, then by all means add it to your cart and enjoy.
2006
2015
2004
2002
2006
2005
2003
2005
2018
2011
1994
1992
2012
2015
2015
2011
2013
2014
2014
Warner Archive Collection
1944