Annihilation Blu-ray Review
2018 – Annihilation
Paramount Pictures | 2018
R | 1hr 55 mins | Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi
HD | 1080P | Dolby Atmos | Dolby TrueHD 7.1
2.39:1 Aspect Ratio
Starring: Natalie Portman | Jennifer Jason Leigh | Gina Rodriguez | Tessa Thompson | Tuva Novotny | Oscar Isaac
Directed by: Alex Garland
Ratings & Reviews
Please see here for my comments on reviewing movies.
My ratings are simple being marked out of a maximum of 5+. My reviews are biased towards the technical production aspects of the film with brief comments about the story line. Extras, sorry, that’s just not my ‘bag’.
Let me first say I am very glad that I borrowed the Blu-ray version from my local library for this review. This was neither a visually stunning movie nor was the Dolby TrueHD 7.1 sound track impressive. A good concept but in my opinion poorly executed and produced.
Entertainment: 4
Video: 3+
Audio: 3+
Technical Review – HD Blu-ray
Annihilation was shot digitally using the Sony X-OCN, Sony F65 RAW, and Redcode RAW codecs (4K and 6K resolutions) using Sony CineAtla and Red Weapon Dragon cameras with Panavision anamorphic lenses. It was finished as a native 4K digital intermediate, graded for high dynamic range in both Dolby Vision and HDR10, and is presented here in its original 2.39:1 theatrical aspect ratio. If you are looking for visual dazzle you are not going to find it here. In a word it’s hazy. The movie often has the potential to be a visually stunning film, it provides lots of atmospheric detail with smoke and fog but seems to use digitally enhanced detail which is very difficult to appreciate in this HD version. This produces an image that on occasions looks to be out of focus, but is really just softened and hazy by these effects. There are plenty of lush scenes, particularly inside the Shimmer, that provide a broad color pallette from the greens of the vegetation, the blues, reds and yellows of the flowers to the saturated yellow and reds of flames. Black levels and overall contrast were generally adequate, but often appeared grey and washed out in nature, from the use of smoke. The Shimmer effect was a riot of hues, blues, cyans, reds, purples but even that had a flat feel to it and once entered seemed to play little part in the movie. The image is never bold, other than in the scenes at the beach and lighthouse. Costumes were generally well detailed and skin tones and texture were realistic without being over saturated, with some excellent facial close ups. No compression artifacts were seen. This HD version definitely misses the visually impressive mark. However, I have read that the 4K UHD version is much better in all visual respects and is a much more impressive visual feast.
Annihilation provides Dolby Atmos as the primary audio track on both the Blu-ray and 4K discs. This defaults to Dolby True HD7.1 in my system. You could say that the mix is a perfect match for the video – less than spectacular. Imaging was precise with dialogue always clear and well defined, being accurately located across the front mix. The music sound track was quite full sounding with a couple of classic tracks from Crosby, Stills and Nash, but it never really came to life, providing a subtle background to most of the movie. The rear and side surrounds do get a good work out during a number of action sequences with helicopters and flying bullets. They also provide a good ambience for the atmospheric sense of space from the Shimmer’s forest environment. Subtlety abounds for most of the soundtrack except during the few action sequences from gunfire, animalistic sounds and general environmental chaos. This is not an aggressive mix by a long way, and provided minimal subwoofer action. That being said, the tracks sonic subtleties are a good match to the story and action sequences.
Story Overview
After the earth was struck by a small, innocuous meteor, that seemed to cause little damage, strange changes start to take place in the surrounding animal and vegetable kingdoms at the impact site, a lighthouse.
After numerous attempts by the military to enter an expanding field of light, referred to as the Shimmer, that now surrounds the lighthouse, only one returns! So a team of researchers, a biologist – Lena (Natalie Portman), an anthropologist – Cass Sheppard (Tuva Novotny) , a psychologist – Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh), a paramedic – Anya Thorensen (Gina Ridriguez) , and a physicist – Josie Radek (Tessa Thompson), start out on a journey to reach the source of the light. In doing so they enter a zone where the known laws of nature no longer exist.
Annihilation had a great premise, but I felt it was poorly executed. There were some good ideas but they just didn’t seem to be well realized. I felt that the continuous flash backs and story telling caused the movie to become disjointed. Nor did I feel that the script or acting were particularly stellar. I am not a prude, in any shape or form, but I saw absolutely no need for the couple of sex scenes that were used for Lena’s flash backs.
This Paramount Blu-ray feature provides a respectable 1080P transfer but I have read that it pales when compared to its 4K UHD sister image.
The HD version is worth borrowing and viewing. But only once!
