7.9 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.4 |
In the mid-1980s, the streets of Compton, California, were some of the most dangerous in the country. When five young men translated their experiences growing up into brutally honest music that rebelled against abusive authority, they gave an explosive voice to a silenced generation. Following the meteoric rise and fall of N.W.A., Straight Outta Compton tells the story of how these youngsters revolutionized music and pop culture forever the moment they told the world the truth about life in the hood and ignited a cultural war.
Starring: O'Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell (XVI), Neil Brown Jr., Aldis HodgeCrime | 100% |
Biography | 83% |
Music | 38% |
Period | 27% |
History | 19% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: DTS 5.1
French (Canada): DTS 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Straight Outta Compton, Director F. Gary Gray's (Law Abiding Citizen) fantastic film about the rise of hardcore Hip-Hop and Gangsta Rap in the late 1980s, is not about music. Music plays central to the film to be sure -- from its soundtrack to the group's rise to stardom and beyond -- but the music is only the driving force behind a much more deeply rooted human interest story, the world in which the characters experienced life and from which they drew the inspiration for their music. As Ice Cube says in the film, "our art is a reflection of our reality." That's the center, the lifeblood, the beat of the film. Their music is sometimes a metaphorical representation of life, sometimes a vulgar and literal reflection of it, but it's all created from the passions and experiences of the journey. Certainly the commercial aspect of the music plays heavily into the film, too, but the success all returns to the roots, to a life of abuse at the hands of police, clashes on the street, and a mistrust of the social structure, all of which yielded a poetry of edgy lyrics and infectious beats, much of which was first scribbled down in a notebook before becoming the anthems of a generation of people and the soundtrack of an era.
"F*** the police."
Straight Outta Compton arrives on Blu-ray with a fundamentally solid 1080p transfer. Image clarity is consistently strong. Faces reveal intimate little details. Clothing -- particularly ball caps with raised lettering -- shows the finest details of its heavy texturing. Urban concrete and home façade elements are intricately weathered and worn. Little equipment details on stage and in the recording studio come effortlessly defined. The color palette is attractively lifelike. Darker shades dominate, particularly on clothes, but splashes of color, such as swimsuits at a pool party, lights up on the stage, and record album jackets, enjoy natural and effortless presentation. Nighttime and low-light concert black levels are deep and pure, and they're accentuated by flashing blue and red police sirens and stage lights. Skin tones appear natural. The image, sourced from digital photography, offers no serious debilitating artifacts beyond the occasional trace of light noise or insignificant background banding.
Straight Outta Compton's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack impresses across the board. Music is the obvious highlight. Score is well defined and boasts crisply detailed notes. Spacing is naturally wide across the front, surrounds are gently enveloping, and bass is deep and supportive. But it's the artists' beats that dominate the experience and prove most impressively authentic. Bass is potent yet balanced. Lyrics are crisp but raw and honest. The music richly saturates the listening area, resulting in a full-on immersive experience that, in the studio or overlaid atop the movie, is cleanly detailed and vigorous, while concert segments are marked with surrounding crowd noise that helps shape the moment but never lifts over the easily dominant music. Environmental details are terrific. Club beats feel a little more open and diffuse but naturally so. Sirens, buzzing overhead helicopters, and barking dogs dot the stage to help better define exterior environments. Party segments are a little more raw but no less immersive in the mixture of music, chatter, and varied other sounds. Dialogue delivery is clean and detailed with positive center focus, perfect articulation, and no problems with prioritization. This is everything a track supporting a movie if this nature should be; fans will be delighted and audiophiles will be left smiling, too.
Straight Outta Compton contains a commentary track, deleted scenes, and several short featurettes. The disc includes two cuts of the film:
an extended cut (2:46:44
runtime) and the theatrical cut (2:26:44). A DVD copy of the film and a voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy are included with purchase.
Straight Outta Compton is a terrific film that should be carefully considered for Oscar contention for many of the key awards, including Best Picture (though not everyone agrees). But considering the movie on its technical merits and the striking impact of its narrative excellence, it'll be a shame if it's not recognized with several nominations, if not wins. The movie should enjoy a broad appeal beyond fans and the Hip-Hop community, too. It's a terrific portrait of life, friends, the business world, and the cultural impact of music. The film tells a raw and honest human interest story about a rise to success through creative genius. The inevitable downfalls and controversies follow, but that's real life, too. The movie is every bit a captivating watch and one of 2015's best. Universal's Blu-ray release of Straight Outta Compton delivers excellent video and audio. Supplements are not completely thorough but they're well done and informative. Straight Outta Compton comes very highly recommended.
Unrated Director's Cut
2015
Unrated Director's Cut | Walmart Exclusive Includes 30 Minutes Of Bonus Content
2015
Unrated Director's Cut
2015
2015
Unrated Director's Cut
2015
Unrated Director's Cut
2015
Unrated Director's Cut Collector's Edition
2009
2013
2001
2018
2015
2005
2017
2018
2020
2015
2017
1990
Collector's Edition
2010
2019
2018
2014
2016
2019
2007
2017