No Time To Die – 4K Blu-ray Review
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Universal Studios | 2021
PG13 | 2hrs 43 min | Action | Adventure | Thriller
HD | 1080P | Dolby Atmos | Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Native 4K | 2160P | Dolby Vison | HDR10 | Dolby Atmos | Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Aspect Ratio 2.39:1
Staring: Daniel Craig | Léa Seydoux | Rami Malek | Lashana Lynch | Ralph Fiennes |Ben Whishaw
Directed by: Cary Joji Fukunaga
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’.
So what did the 7.1 soundtrack sound like? Excellent in all respects, and the 4K HDR10 video? Truly reference.
Entertainment: 5
Video: 5+
Audio: 5
Technical Review – Native 4K UHD HDR10
No Time To Die was shot on both 35 mm and 65 mm photochemical film by cinematographer Linus Sandgren, using a variety of Arriflex, IMAX, and Panavision cameras and lenses. It was finished as a native 4K Digital Intermediate at the 2.39:1 aspect ratio and graded for both HDR 10 and Dolby Vision for this theatrical release. This triple-layer BD-100 disc has been well authored, shows no excessive use of noise reduction or edge sharpening and no obvious compression artifacts. Its large format cinematography produces very light and uniform grain with no signs of swarming or clumping. The finished result is truly reference quality.
Detailing is very sharp and clear starting with the opening town scenes in Italy that show the towns stone architecture, exposing cracks, crevices, pockmarks and imperfections of the walls, roads and bridges. Clothing, threads and facial close-ups provide excellent detail and definition with natural skin tones and accurate rendition of pores, eyelashes, hair strands, cuts, bruises and features without any undue exaggerations. With CGI integration going unnoticed at all times.
Deep blacks abound throughout, were noise free, and showed very good low level and shadow detail as found in the night scenes and various room sequences, helping to provide a three-dimensional quality. Peak whites and specular highlights provided clean detail with no clipping; like small particles of debris, the bright edges of clouds, lights and explosions, the suns glow as it bounces of the sea and the high sheen off various metallic surfaces. Taken together providing a solid dynamic contrast range and enhancing visibility of objects in both interior and particularly exterior shots like mountains, building outlines and foliage. At times almost providing a “window” view of the action, especially in Matera and Port Antonio.
The film’s color palette is lush, nuanced, and natural, an equal match for the movies excellent detailing and dynamic range. Primaries and secondaries are well saturated having good color depth and density, hues are vibrant and accurate. Many exterior shots tend to focus more on natural earth tones of blues, browns, foliage greens and cooler arctic blue hues. Not to be outdone there are plenty of solid reds, greens, blues, fiery oranges and golden yellows, these vibrant colors, on occasion, almost popping of the screen.
This image is excellent on all fronts, providing a top notch HDR10 reference image.
Audio – Dolby TrueHD 7.1
No Time To Die primary audio is an excellent Dolby Atmos mix that in my system defaults to Dolby TrueHD 7.1. It is perhaps one of the better home theater reference tracks that I heard this last year. It is not highly aggressive but it is very enveloping and extremely atmospheric. Right from the opening track by Billie Eilish, the surrounds come alive with Hans Zimmer’s score, helping blanket the listener in a wall of sound throughout the entire movie.
Imaging feels broad and expansive as action moves on and off-screen, with dialogue always clear and detailed with solid front-center imaging and prioritization, the mid-range continually providing excellent clarity and detail no matter how loud and aggressive the effect. Music is smooth and detailed, with effortless integration within the sound stage, being well balanced between the dialogue and effects as Hans Zimmer’s score envelopes the whole listening environment with light bleeding into the surrounds and all with effortless integration within the sound stage.
The soundstage is quite deep and wide, and surrounds are constantly active with ambience, directional cues, and movement. From the quieter and subtle sounds of wind blowing, leaves rustling, reverberant room conversations and the forest scenes, to the bombastic racket of crashes, explosions and falling debris. The side and rear surrounds always helping pull you into the various environmental atmospheres keeping you engaged at all times. Cars zoom across the room, helicopters fly by, debris scatters and gunfire erupts from all directions. All helping to generate an enveloping surround sound-field pulling the listener further into the movie.
While the bass is good, a little more depth and punch wouldn’t have gone amiss. It lacked just a little muscle and impact that I felt were warranted by some of the more intense action sequences.
There is little to criticize regarding this soundtrack, providing as it does, a reference mix.
Story Overview
The story opens with a brief recap of Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) younger years and the loss of her mother. James Bond (Daniel Craig) has retired from active service in the MI6 and prepares for a new life with the now mature Ms. Swann. Trying to make peace with a ghost from his past, Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), Bond is almost killed and suspects Swann of betraying him, ending their relationship. It’s now several years on and Bond is contacted by an old friend Felix Lighter (Jeffrey Wright) to help find a kidnapped MI6 scientist Valdo Obruchev (David Dencik) who had been working on a secret weapons project called Hercules. Traveling to Cuba to rescue Valdo, Bond meets up with a CIA agent named Paloma (Ana de Armas), and while infiltrating the “remote” birthday celebration of Ernst Blofeld (Christoph Waltz), who is now in MI6 jail, witnesses all the SPECTRE agents at the party die in a mysterious mist. The Hercules trail now leads back to M (Ralph Finnes) and Swann in London who had been working with the MI6 interrogating Blofeld. Finally secrets are revealed and a new enemy appears on the horizon with a plot far more sinister than anything the world has ever seen before. M reinstates Bond as a “00” agent and partnering with Nomi (Lashana Lynch), his replacement 007, launch on a mission to prevent this terrible worldwide catastrophe from happening. Will Bond save the day and at what cost?
My 2 cents
Having been a “fan boy” of the Bond franchise since a young boy I am saddened to see both the end to Daniel Craig’s run and to a masculine 007. While the movie may not have been the pinnacle of the Bond series, that accolade would probably have to go to Casino Royale, it provided a fitting exit to conclude Craig’s role as 007. The movie was very entertaining, had a good story and just looked gorgeous and natural, with a solid, if not outstanding, soundtrack.
Well done Daniel, you have done your bit for our country and Queen, we all thank you for your service.
Highly recommended.
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