6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 3.9 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.9 |
Young lawyer Arthur Kipps travels to a remote village to organize a recently deceased client's papers, where he encounters the ghost of a scorned woman set on vengeance.
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Ciarán Hinds, Janet McTeer, Roger Allam, Sophie StuckeyHorror | 100% |
Supernatural | 48% |
Thriller | 45% |
Period | 2% |
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 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English, English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
UV digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Superstitious rubbish.
The Woman in Black may not be "rubbish," but neither is the film a priceless jewel. Nice-looking CZ probably best describes it. Here's a movie
with the spit and polish and sheen of a top cinematic venture. The movie looks undeniably great, flows well, enjoys fine acting, and tells a passably
interesting story. But glance beyond the surface, take a closer look, and discover a phony, a movie with little substance and comparatively minuscule
value outside of precision replication. It's just another well-made film in a sea of well-made (and, to be sure, a whole lot of not-so-well-made) films
that rely on the same tactics and a smooth façade to cover over the fact that there's nothing novel about them, movies that offer paying audiences
little more than a cool 90 minute escape from the heat, the realities of life, or whatever the case may be. Certainly, there's a place for such escapist
entertainment, and there's a necessary market for new escapism even if it only channels the old. The Woman in Black is a perfect example of
a top-of-the-line, factory-assembled escapist picture that's just different enough to warrant a watch on those days when a new recipe for the same old
cinematic comfort food sounds just like the thing to hit the spot.
In trouble.
The Woman in Black shines on Blu-ray. This is another top-tier Sony transfer, and viewers are in for a wonderful treat of well-defined shadows and visual gloom. The image impresses from the first shot of a child's tea set. The intricate definition dazzles. The transfer captures consistently high quality film-like textures throughout. Facial and clothing details are above reproach. Worn wooden accents, well-used objects, chipped paint, and all of the shadowy background objects are true and cinematically precise. Even foggy scenes yield picture-perfect details. Not only does the image remain clear and accurate even through the haze, but there's not a single trace of banding or any sign of difficulty in reproducing a very challenging visual. Colors are drab by design. The image favors a cold, gray appearance, lessening the brilliance of red-accented clothes and green grasses. But balance remains true to filmmaker intent, and every shade appears as required of it. Skin tones are balanced and, like the color palette, accurate according to that same filmmaker intent. Blacks are generally very strong and pure, with only a handful of dark shots appearing slightly washed out. This is another straight-out-of-the-theater-perfect transfer from Sony, and it ranks amongst the finest "dark" images on Blu-ray yet.
The Woman in Black's DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack fares as well as its stunning video companion. This is a smooth, clear, accurate presentation. It offers good, deep, precision bass that remains tight at the bottom and both aurally and physically effective, for instance when Kipps searches out the source of a heavy, repeating thud in the house. The track yields precise booming thunder and a realistic, heavy, and encircling sensation of a raging inferno, frighteningly placing listeners in the midst of the heat. Heavy rain drenches the stage in one or two shots, and a chorus of light country ambience, such as chirping birds, effortlessly sets the stage for the environment. Music plays with the expected smoothness and natural clarity. Dialogue, likewise, flows from the center with no discernible struggles. This is a superbly engineered, natural, and engaging track. It suits the style of movie brilliantly, and is another example of Sony's commitment to the highest Blu-ray quality.
The Woman in Black contains a commentary track and two featurettes.
The Woman in Black falls for genre convention hook, line, and sinker. But it maneuvers through all of those recycled areas with the precision of a luxury automobile, purring and making its turns on a dime. But for as well as it gets there, the destination is nothing of particular interest. The ride is fine and the scenery is pretty -- that counts for quite a bit -- but there's nothing more to the experience. But sometimes a good, fun ride is worth the nowhere destination. If the reward comes in the journey rather than the destination, The Woman in Black is a good choice for Scary Movie Night. For those looking for something unique, however, better wait for the next movie. Sony's Blu-ray release of The Woman in Black features wonderful video, fantastic audio, and a few supplements. Definitely worth a rental, and fans of the film or its style can and should buy with confidence.
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