6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
European mercenaries searching for black powder become embroiled in the defense of the Great Wall of China against a horde of monstrous creatures.
Starring: Matt Damon, Tian Jing, Willem Dafoe, Andy Lau, Pedro PascalAction | 100% |
Adventure | 76% |
Fantasy | 46% |
Thriller | 13% |
Mystery | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.38:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
French (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The Great Wall isn't revisionist history, it's just dumb fantasy. The film, which posits that China's Great Wall -- one of the seven wonders of the world -- was not built to keep invading humans out but rather invading monsters out, offers nearly nonstop human vs monster mayhem centered around China's hallmark landmark. The scaly green foes, who send their queen into the middle of every battle and protect her with a reptilian-type Testudo Formation, attack en masse and are repelled by defenders along the wall. They're also vulnerable to...magnets. It's an exercise in imagination and creativity, but the movie proper offers anything but. Made up of the same old, same old in terms of acrobatic action scenes and nonsensical scenarios, Director Zhang Yimou's (Coming Home) film can't escape its vacuous story, even with its barrage of visuals meant to blind more forgiving audiences from the emptiness around them.
The Great Wall looks fantastic on Blu-ray. Though many of the exterior backdrops are earthy and dull, the various armor excels in terms of both detailing and color. The shades of blue, red, green, and even a barrage of gold inside a Beijing palace leap off the screen with tremendous punch and vitality. Saturation and transitional nuance are terrific. The palette is consistent, bold, and always pushing the format and the display as far as it will go. Even those earthy backgrounds are solidly stable. Black levels are appropriately deep and detailed and skin tones appear accurate. Detailing is exemplary. That same armor is the clear standout. It's intricate, ornate, and heavily textured, and never is the viewer left wanting any more. Structural details are sound, earthen terrain is well defined, skin textures such as pores and hairs are right on the money, and even scaly digital creatures hold up. Image clarity is robust and consistent. The digital photography never pushes flat or glossy. Source noise is minimal and no other source or compression issues of note appear. This is Blu-ray at its best.
The Great Wall's Blu-ray features a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, and it's a good one. For much of the film, overhead elements are more complimentary than they are obvious, but several moments, and two standout, take place later in the movie. In one scene, Matt Damon's character yells "above you!" and, sure enough, the sound seems to emanate from the ceiling. In another, the creatures seem to scurry right above the heroes; the top layer is filled with their various maneuverings, making for one of the most intense and direct overhead elements yet in an Atmos soundtrack. Otherwise, the top end serves to support the rest of the track. Chaotic battle scenes spring to life with countless examples of whoosh, swish, zip, and zoom. Arrows pierce every inch of the stage. Enflamed projectiles sling through the listening area. Every speaker is engaged, and the top layer adds space to the excitement. Both multidirectional and discrete effects litter the stage in every battle scene, and Universal's track is pinpoint and very fun. Music is well defined, stretching the stage in every direction and making full, but not overbearing, use of the surround channels. Coverage and clarity are complete. Dialogue is firm, well positioned in the front-center, and both detailed and well prioritized. Reverberation is exacting as allowed. This is a tremendous, first-class listen from Universal.
The Great Wall contains deleted and extended scenes and half a dozen brief featurettes. A DVD copy of the film and a voucher for a
UV/iTunes
digital copy are
included with purchase.
The Great Wall is more sophomoric than it is serious. True, not every film can be a dark, gritty, unbearable slice of (make-believe) wartime devastation, but this one just feels too contrived, over-the-top, dependent more on empty and needless spectacle than story. Of course, when the story is "monsters attacking China's Great Wall," there's not much to go on there, anyway. It should find favor with a forgiving audience, and it is decent time killing entertainment. It does its thing very well, but don't just leave the brain at the door, leave it tucked away in a safety deposit box, just to be sure. Universal's Blu-ray release of The Great Wall features reference 1080p video and amazing Atmos audio. A decent smattering of extras are included. Worth a look on a lazy weekend.
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