7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
When Nancy is attacked by a great white shark while surfing alone, she is stranded just a short distance from shore. Though she is only 200 yards from her survival, getting there proves the ultimate contest of wills.
Starring: Blake Lively, Óscar Jaenada, Angelo Josue Lozano Corzo, Joseph Salas, Brett CullenHorror | 100% |
Nature | 35% |
Thriller | 30% |
Drama | Insignificant |
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)
Czech: Dolby Digital 5.1
French (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
German: Dolby Digital 5.1
Hungarian: Dolby Digital 5.1
Italian: Dolby Digital 5.1
Japanese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Polish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Russian: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Thai: Dolby Digital 5.1
Turkish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Castilian and Latin American Spanish; Polish VO
English, English SDH, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, Greek, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Mandarin (Traditional), Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Swedish, Thai, Turkish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
UV digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
There will probably never be a better shark movie than Jaws, Director Steven Spielberg's acclaimed and beloved 1975 film that famously made people "afraid to go into the water." Others haven't necessarily tried to top it, but many have tried to duplicate its essence. From silly creature films to inspirational tales of survival, the "Shark" genre may not be a prolific turnstile breadwinner for studios, but it's something of a mainstay in popular culture and always, seemingly, a popular draw when one is released. The Shallows may very well be the best Shark film since Jaws, essentially transforming 127 Hours into a movie about a wounded girl trying to survive with a deadly shark encircling her one and only watery refuge. It's well done, emotionally impacting, and very absorbing, a testament to the power of simple storytelling that gets down to the very essence of humanity, life, and death.
Predator and prey.
Note: The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc. Watch for 4K screenshots at a later date.
The Shallows looked fantastic on 1080p Blu-ray, and the 4K UHD/HDR release takes it a step
further. Even as the film was photographed at less than 4K resolution -- primarily 3.4K according to IMDB -- and finished at 2K, the UHD represents a nice little upgrade for
the movie. Viewers will immediately note the transfer's prowess on the dry and still fully healthy Nancy. Extremely fine facial definition is clear,
individual hairs are sharp and plainly visible, and the pickup truck's exterior features richly and realistically featured dull paint, rust, and weathering.
The beach is gorgeously textured with a finer detail to sand. Colors are brilliant. Water is a striking aqua color. Greens pop with amazing precision.
Clarity is breathtaking, particularly out on the water. The image's high-end attributes are easy to spot, and its improvements over Blu-ray become ever
more
clear with a side-to-side comparison. Colors are the real winner here. The HDR enhancements are more refined than anything else, but still make a
big, immediately obvious impact. Color saturation
is improved, authenticity and punch are increased without sacrificing integrity. Water is the standout winner, improving on the Blu-ray with greatly
increased saturation, fullness, and lifelike presentation. It's hard to imagine real life looking much better. Details are more incrementally improved
than
anything. Overall image clarity receives a boost. Many of the film's longer, overhead shots are sharper, and intimate close-ups are more revealing.
Again, as with many UHD releases, this isn't an astronomical leap in quality, but The Shallows represents the current best the format has to
offer,
particularly for movies that are upscaled to 4K. This is a reference UHD title top to bottom.
Whereas the Blu-ray release of The Shallows contains a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack, the UHD earns a premium Atmos sound mix that, like the video, offers a tangible, enjoyable upgrade over the basic release. The most enjoyable moments come underwater, when that sense of total aquatic immersion, pressure, and density is at maximum. The speakers are pushed hard, and the overhead channels add a legitimate sense of total saturation. The listener will feel everything but wet. Even as there's not really a "bottom layer" as there is a top, the added wrap-around and upper level really make several such moments, whether Nancy be in great peril later or enjoying the surf early on, all the more authentic and enjoyable. The overhead channels add a bit of atmospheric help, too. Light details aren't prominent up top, but little environmental ticks gain better traction and stage immersion, whether seagulls or gently rolling waves heard from the beach. Of course, all of the basics are terrific, too. Music is remarkably clear and makes good use of the added surround-back channels to create fuller envelopment. A strong low end supports various action scenes, and dialogue maintains crisp, polished, prioritized, and natural front-center placement. With the video alongside, this disc does represent one of the best UHD demo discs on the market.
Beyond Sony's usual assortment of "Moments" (2160p, HDR, Dolby Atmos, here including Nancy [14:28], Memorable Moments
[15:15], Survival [11:39], and The Shark [15:39]) and cast and crew stills (which, here, are limited to Actress Blake Lively and
Director Jaume Collet-Serra), this UHD release of The Shallows contains no additional bonus content. All of the core extras are included on
the standard 1080p disc. A UV digital copy code is included with purchase.
The Shallows is just a really good movie. It's slickly made but never feels so, capturing a gritty essence of danger and soulful presentation of the human spirit. With a great led performance, excellent construction, a terrific pace, and classic edge-of-seat intensity, the film serves as a reminder of cinema's ability to lure in an audience and take it on a journey of both peril and triumph. Sony's 4K UHD/HDR release of The Shallows is fantastic. The 2160p/HDR-enhanced presentation is a dazzling display of the format's capabilities, and the Atmos sound is a clear step above the other release's 5.1 track. This is a must-own for every UHD-capable viewer and earns my highest recommendation.
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[•REC]⁴: Apocalypse / [•REC]⁴: Apocalipsis
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