6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The joyous, emotional and heart-breaking celebration of the life and music of Whitney Houston, the greatest female R&B pop vocalist of all time.
Starring: Naomi Ackie, Stanley Tucci, Ashton Sanders, Tamara Tunie, Nafessa WilliamsMusic | 100% |
Biography | 45% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
French (Canada): DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Portuguese: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Thai
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The musical biopic feels almost as prevalent a stalwart in today's multiplexes as do the Marvel Cinematic Universe films. Turn around, it seems, and find yet another film about a Pop icon adoring the big screen. Popular culture phenoms like Elton John, James Brown, Elvis, Freddie Mercury, and Aretha Franklin have recently graced the screen, and to some critical and commercial success at that. This isn't really a new thing, though. Movies about the likes of Jim Morrison, Eminem, Loretta Lynn, Selena Quintanilla, and Ritchie Valens show the genre's history and excellence in decades past. But in this era of super-saturation, they're coming in hot and heavy and vying for the attention of audiences of millions who have loved the music and, now, might wish to see the film. One of the latest in this increasingly lengthy string is Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody, a linear Biopic about the title character whose rise to stardom was only matched by her personal struggles and premature death.
Sony releases Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody to Blu-ray with a high quality 1080p transfer. The image was digitally sourced and transitions well to Blu-ray, delivering good, clean imagery and stout detailing throughout the film. The picture is capable of presenting facial characteristics, hair, and of course the many costumes seen throughout the film very impressive clarity and precision. Viewers will never be left wanting more substantial clarity and detail on anything the film has to offer. Color accuracy is also impressive, with a wide range of bright colors appearing throughout the film, including, again, on clothing (the white track suit Whitney wears to the Super Bowl looks particularly amazing) and various supports throughout the picture. Black levels are wonderfully deep with no obvious push to either crush or unnatural lightness. Skin tones look healthy and delightful. There is some source noise at work in lower light shots, but it is never a distraction. The image reveals no other source or encode issues.
As a movie centered on music, it is vital that the soundtrack hit, and hit it does. Sony's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless presentation of Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody lives up to expectations. Vocals are rich and lifelike, the music is smooth and engaging, and the stage is nicely filled throughout. The track offers wonderful elements beyond that. Probably the most impressive element, outside of music, comes at the Super Bowl when fighter jets scream through the stage, accompanied by a hearty low-end response. Here and at various concert venues, crowd immersion and din is first-rate for surround use and dropping the listener into the locations. Dialogue is clear, centered, and well prioritized for the duration.
This Blu-ray release of Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody contains a handful of extras. No DVD copy is included, but a digital
copy voucher is. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody is a serviceable, by-the-book, A-to-Z look at the star's early life, rise to stardom, the impact of success on her life, personal demise, and tragic death. It's well done even if it is, technically, not anything new within the genre. Fans will flock to it, and rightly so, and it's good enough to entice newcomers, even if the story winds up being more paint-by-numbers than truly gripping. Sony's Blu-ray is rock-solid, delivering high end video and audio and a nice mix of supplements. Recommended.
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