Avengers Endgame – Blu-ray 4K Review
This post contains affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure here.
Avengers – End Game -2019
Disney/Buena Vista 2019
PG13 | 3hrs 1 min | Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi
HD | 1080P | Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Upscaled 4K | 2160P | HDR10 | Dolby Atmos | Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Aspect Ratio 2.39:1
Staring: Robert Downey Jr. | Chris Evans | Mark Ruffalo | Chris Hemsworth | Scarlett Johansson | Jeremy Renner | Gwyneth Paltrow
Directed by: Anthony Russo | Joe Russo
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’.
Not having immersive audio yet, what did the 7.1 soundtrack sound like? Very good in all respects, and the 4K HDR10 video? Also good.
Entertainment: 5-
Video: 4+
Audio: 4+
Technical Review – 4K UHD HDR10
Avengers: Endgame is yet another 2K movie that was upscaled to 4K. It was shot digitally in the ARRIRAW codec at 6.5K, using the Arri Alexa 65 IMAX camera with Ultra Panavision 70, Panavision Sphero 65, and APO Panatar lenses. It was graded as HDR10 and finished as a 2K Digital Intermediate. This high resolution capture provides very good clarity and plenty of detail and texture to the image.
However, overall this is not demonstration material and certainly not in the top UHD echelons. The movie posses good highlights and deep blacks that provide a good contrast ratio, both with solid levels of detail. While the films palette is a little muted it does support a wide and natural color gamut. Skin tones were very natural and well detailed and props, costumes and fabrics also showed very good levels of detail. Generally speaking the image appears a little muted, I assume by design, but overall it is a good looking and satisfying image with virtually no grain.
CGI integration was generally good throughout and there were no signs of any up conversion or compression artifacts.
Audio – Dolby TrueHD 7.1
The film’s soundtrack is offered in English Dolby Atmos which on my system defaults to Dolby TrueHD 7.1. If you own the HD version you only get Dolby TrueHD 7.1. Continuing the trend from Captain Marvel , Disney is definitely improving their mix and level control as this presentation sounds more solid and weighty without increasing the volume level. However, I did notch it up and additional 2dB just to get a little more impact. At this slightly elevated level the dynamics where strong and the bottom end definitely made its presence known, giving my subs something to bite on. Like when Captain Marvel returns the ship holding Tony Stark and Nebula to Earth and several of the time jumps. Never the less these LFE effects are still less than stellar when compared to many other action adventure movies LFE effects. Good use of the surrounds and rears are made to convey the various locals atmospherics and various panning effects that help pull the listener into the scenes action. The music soundtrack by Alan Silvestri is clear and clean and is given top priority on a number of occasions, supporting both aggressive and more relaxed scenes equally well. The soundtrack also includes a number of rock songs from well known artists to include; Rolling Stones, Steppenwolf, The Kinks and Traffic. Dialogue was always clear and detailed with solid front-center imaging, prioritization and smooth panning. There is nothing to criticize regarding this soundtrack, providing as it does, a very good mix.
Story Overview
Adrift in space with no food or water and a failing oxygen supply, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) gets a distress message out to Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). Meanwhile, back on earth, Black Widow, Bruce Banner, Captain America and Thor are trying to find a way to bring back their defeated allies for a final showdown with Thanos, who has now decimated earth and the universe.
So moving on five years to the present, the Avengers had failed to stop Thanos from using the Infinity Stones to eliminate half of all life in the Universe, and the Earth is in a complete shambles. Tony Stark and Pepper start a family, Bruce Banner makes peace with the Hulk (yes really), Thor has lost all his self respect and physique, Hawkeye has become an assassin, and Black Widow, Captain America, and War Machine are trying to hold the world together.
Just in time, a lucky twist of fate causes Ant-Man to emerge back from the quantum realm, presenting a possible solution to time travel to the Avengers………. What if they can use the realm’s properties to travel back in time, find the Infinity Stones before Thanos does, and use them to bring back everyone who died? This highly risky and improbably approach might give them a second chance to defeat Thanos and save the people they’ve lost. Unfortunately its never that simple, and the outcome is not quiet what you expect.
Avengers: Endgame isn’t a typical action movie, and its not your typical spectacle, despite the final epic battle sequence. Its really a character movie, showing just how far these characters have come since we were first introduced to them, and introducing several comedic and genuinely emotional moments along the way. The movie opens with a long look at the characters and spends a goodly amount of time bringing out their history, suffering and pain as they slowly develop a plan to destroy Thanos and reverse his dastardly deed.
Even if the Avengers win this final battle, you can bet there will be ongoing consequences that seed the creation of another movie in the series.
