6.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.6 |
In 1973, a spiritual awakening captures the hearts of the Woodlawn High School Football team. Lead by their coach, Tandy Geralds, and fueled by the team's dedication to love and unity in a school filled with racism and hate, the team makes an astounding run at the playoffs, leading to the largest high school football game ever played in the torn city of Birmingham, Alabama, and the rise of its first African American superstar - Tony Nathan.
Starring: Sean Astin, Nic Bishop, Caleb Castille, Sherri Shepherd, Jon VoightFamily | 100% |
Sport | 42% |
Drama | 5% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Faith is a powerful thing. Whether that faith is in God or just in the belief in the power of togetherness, goodness, and equality amongst people, faith can be the centerpiece in accomplishing the impossible. Woodlawn tells the true story of a recently desegregated high school football team in the middle of the most volatile environment in the American Civil Rights and Jim Crow South era: Birmingham, Alabama, home to the prison cell from which Civil Rights Leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. penned his "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and, of course, the infamous 16th Street Church bombing that killed four young African-American girls. It's the story of how the team found inspiration from Biblical scripture -- the word of God -- to leave behind the differences that had long set the community at odds and play together, disregarding skin color, under the name of unity and faith in God's protective and guiding hand. The movie isn't so much about the on-field success that followed the team's transformation as it is the positive impact that their unity had on the community that was in desperate need of something -- anything -- to not simply ease tensions but begin the process of healing from, and erasing, a history of violence, mistrust, fear, and hatred.
Together.
Woodlawn's 1080p transfer comes sourced from a digital shoot that never quite reaches a level of visual excellence. The image presents basic details -- faces, period attire, mesh football jerseys, little bits around homes and offices -- with only a satisfactory amount of intimacy but never that striking, tactile, lifelike look and feel. Image clarity is healthy enough and sharpness nearly constant; minor smearing lessens a few textures here and there, but never where it counts, in character and broader environmental details. Colors occasionally favor a heavy sepia but generally settle in for a decidedly period, but not excessively so, shading. Primaries reveal adequate depth and precision, particularly on uniforms and grasses. Flesh tones are largely natural, but the transfer runs into some problems with black levels that seem to run the entire spectrum, pushing far too bright here, far too purplish there, and occasionally showing minor crush. Noise is another intrusion that spikes to extreme levels in places, notably in darker scenes. Still, the overall image is positive, but Woodlawn lacks the polish of a bigger production.
Woodlawn is the first Blu-ray to release under the cooperation of Pure Flix Entertainment and Universal Studios. While older Pure Flix titles disappointingly, but understandably considering the more limited resources available, featured only lossy multichannel audio tracks, the norm for Universal titles has been lossless DTS audio. Woodlawn, however, retains the lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 presentation from Pure Flix's past. It's by no means a terrible listen, but veteran audiophiles will almost immediately note the drop in fidelity and richness in music. Front side spacing is fine, but the track, particularly regarding music, never commands the listening area like the best of lossless. The track does open up a bit during Woodlawn's first true challenge game against the undefeated team around the 45-minute mark. Crowd ambience and football sounds prove a little more energetic and enveloping than expected. Driving rain during another key game midway through the movie is never so saturating as to leave the listening audience scrambling for cover, but the basic effect is conveyed well enough and across the entirety of the stage, along with a positive rolling thunder effect. Dialogue is delivered clearly and efficiently from the center with a good example of wide-open reverberation when Hank Erwin first addresses the team in the school's gymnasium.
Woodlawn contains a number of extras, including a commentary track, deleted scenes, and many featurettes. A DVD copy of the film and a
voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy are included with purchase.
One cannot deny that Woodlawn is a fairly derivative movie, but it's an important movie that tells a story well worth sharing and spreads a message well worth hearing. It's a Christian-centric story of the unifying power of faith, belief, honesty, and integrity under God. It's not about winning on the field but rather capturing the heart and purifying the soul. These are messages that similar movies have preached for years, but another voice in the wilderness is never a bad thing. Universal's Blu-ray release of Woodlawn features fair 1080p video and passable lossy audio. Supplements are many in number and informative. Recommended, though primarily on the strength of the film alone.
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