6.4 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Based on Peter Carey's novel. The story of Australians bush-ranger Ned Kelly and his gang as they flee from authorities during the 1870s.
Starring: George MacKay, Russell Crowe, Nicholas Hoult, Travis Fimmel, Essie DavisBiography | 100% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1, 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1, 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Filmmakers love to make movies about the history of the Bushrangers, and the saga of Ned Kelly is a particular favorite, with his story repeatedly brought to screens of all sizes, presenting different creative visions a chance to get to the core of Kelly’s propensity for violence and bruised sense of honor. Talents from Mick Jagger (in 1970) to Heath Ledger (in 2003) have played the man, offering different takes on dangerous behavior, but it’s George McKay (recently seen in “1917”) who’s permitted to go absolutely bonkers with the part. “True History of the Kelly Gang” isn’t your average period outlaw experience, with director Justin Kurzel (2015’s “Macbeth,” “Assassin’s Creed”) looking to shake things up with his take on the Kelly Gang and their legendary days, blending in brash cinematic style and sneering punk rock attitude to fully realize the primal instinct found within the screenplay by Shaun Grant, who adapts a 2001 novel by Peter Carey.
Kurzel intends to put on a cinematic showcase with "True History of the Kelly Gang," and the AVC encoded image (the aspect ratio changes throughout the movie) presentation supports the feature's different styles and levels of cinematographic hostility. Detail is sharp throughout, surveying a substantial amount of skin surfaces, which vary as elements of age and bodily harm are introduced. Homesteads are surveyed, with noticeable decay and weathered appearances, along with more regal interiors, which retain a full read of decoration. Costuming is especially fibrous, from Harry Power's ratty wool outfits to the thinner, lacy dresses worn by the gang. Facial surfaces are exact, picking up on health issues, and facial hair emerges with distinction, especially with Power's greasy, bushy beard. Exteriors are dimensional, exploring the vastness of open world. Colors are direct, favoring earth tones with Kelly's living spaces, which also supply excellent greenery. Uniforms introduce dark blues, and the movie's heavy use of candlelight maintains a warmer amber glow. Delineation handles limited lighting without losing frame information. Some mild banding is detected.
The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix offers an immersive listening experience, with emphasis on dialogue exchanges. Performances remain clear and accents distinct during the listening experience, while argumentative behavior doesn't slip into distortive extremes. Scoring selections provide musical support with exact instrumentation, generating softer moods of introspection and driving, percussive moments of violence. Soundtrack selections deliver on the punk vibe, with buzz saw guitars and snappy beats. Surrounds excel with atmospherics, offering an understanding of nature and isolation, while room tone is understood, moving from tight spaces to echoed lecture halls. Group activity is noted, and use of directional activity is welcome. Low-end offers some rumble with galloping horses and heavier weaponry. Sound effects are sharp.
"True History of the Kelly Gang" doesn't fall apart in full, but it sheds emphasis in the second half, where Ned tastes the good life with Mary, only to find everything destroyed by Fitzpatrick, inspiring him to go to war with the law, activated by persistent dreams of a naval legend involving the sheer power of a steel warship. There are furious men in bright dresses (offering pleasure and rebellion in one fell swoop), frenzied shoot-outs, and Ned's creeping metamorphosis into a mulleted feral state, allowing McKay to perform at maximum physicality, which resembles the rest of his recent performances. The fireworks display is there, but Kurzel dials down deep feelings, trying to give the story a grand Shakespearian lift that's unnecessary. Closeness to Ned's varied experiences with growth and trauma is always more compelling than his spittle-drenched outbursts, and "True History of the Kelly Gang" gradually loses urgency when it transitions from a tale of cockeyed manhood to an act of war.
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