Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City – 4K Blu-ray Review
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Sony Pictures | 2021
R | 1hrs 47 min | Sci-Fi | Action | Horror
HD | 1080P | DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Native 4K | 2160P | Dolby Vision | HDR10 | Dolby Atmos | Dolby TrueHD7.1 | DTS-HD MA 5.1
Aspect Ratio 2.39:1
Staring: Kaya Scodelario | Hannah John-Kamen | Robbie Amell | Neal McDonough | Tom Hopper | Donal Logue
Directed by: Johannes Roberts
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 4K HDR10 video look like? Good in almost all respects, and the 7.1 soundtrack? Good to.
Entertainment: 4-
Video: 4+
Audio: 4+
Technical Review – Native 4K UHD HDR10
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City was captured digitally in the ARRIRAW codec on Arri Alexa LF, Arri Alexa Mini LF, Arri Alexa Mini and Arri Alexa SXT cameras with resolutions of 3.4K and 4.5K using Hawk V-Lite lenses. The film was then finished as a 4K Digital Intermediate at the 2.39:1 aspect ratio and graded for HDR in both Dolby Vision and HDR10 for this theatrical release. The package also contains the HD version and a redeemable digital code.
This dual-layer BD-66 disc has been well authored, shows no excessive use of noise reduction or edge sharpening and no obvious compression artifacts. The resulting image quality, detail and clarity are all good. CGI integration was mediocre and there were several occasions were it was a lot less than stellar like the final monster metamorphosis, in particular during its semi-human moments.
Another dark movie, set at night, with very dark and dimly lit scenes in buildings, rooms, corridors, forests and roads. Although the overall imagery is often quite dark, with only a patch or two of light and color, the overall resolution and textures are quite good, with clean fine detailing that’s visible in the sets, wall coverings, dog fur, rain drops and skin. Clothing, uniforms and facial close-ups provide good detail and definition with natural skin tones and accurate rendition of pores, eyelashes, hair strands, cuts and features without any undue exaggerations.
Black levels were generally good throughout, were noise free, and showed moderately good low level and shadow detail as found in the various room, corridor and internal mansion sequences, often only lit by a cigarette lighter, torch, gunfire, incandescent or fluorescent bulb. Peak whites and specular highlights provided clean detail with no clipping; like torch lights, muzzle flashes, sweat and the sheen off various metallic surfaces. Taken together providing a respectable dynamic contrast range and enhancing visibility of objects in the interior shots.
The film’s color palette is not what you would call lush, wide and colorful. Primaries and secondaries are well saturated having good color depth and density, hues are accurate. Interior shots are mostly dark with low level lit rooms, brown wood and gray stone lit by occasional flashes of light from gun muzzles and cigarette lighters. Strong saturated primaries do erupt at times from the blood stained clothing and splatter to intense reds, flame yellows and blues.
This video provides a respectable HDR10 image but isn’t close to reference.
Audio – Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City features a new, Dolby Atmos mix, that defaults to Dolby TrueHD 7.1 in my system. The excellent DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix is also included. The overall sound presentation is very dynamic, with good sub involvement and action from all surrounds, like the rain, gunfire, crashing helicopter, explosions, and various creaks and groans. Action scenes are very impactful, exercising all speakers with gunfire, explosions, sirens, chaos and crashes, all enveloping the listener. Effects placement are accurate and natural, with movement in both the rear and side surrounds and the various atmospheric effects consistently pulling you into the various locals and environments. From the silence of a rooms blackness, the rain drenched streets, the Lickers’ attack, and the creepy mansion sounds to the moaning of the un-dead and scratching, all fill the surrounds with subtle ambient effects helping to pull the listener further into the scene.
Good sub action makes itself known during many of the action sequences with a solid bottom end, having good punch and muscle from gun-fire, explosions and the crashing helicopter and truck. Imaging is pin-point and continuously feels broad and expansive as action moves on and off-screen. Dialogue is always clear and well detailed with solid front-center imaging and prioritization, even during the movies more intense sonic moments.
Mark Korven’s moody score and the many 90’s hits compliment the movie throughout its entire length, being well balanced between the dialogue and effects with low level spillage into the surrounds and all with effortless integration within the sound stage, providing good support for the various moods of the movie.
Generally a good mix with enough LFE action to let you know that your subs are working. However, I prefer the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix which I found to be an improvement over this new Dolby TrueHD 7.1 core.
Story Overview
After the giant pharmaceutical Umbrella Corporation left Raccoon City this booming Midwestern town slowly slid into decay, leaving it a wasteland with a hidden evil. Clair Redfield (Kaya Scodelario) returns to this hometown wasteland following a lead from an internet chat room conspiracy theorist. Reuniting with her estranged brother Chris (Robbie Amell), these siblings join forces with fellow police officers Wesker (Tom Hopper), Jill Valentine (Hannah John-Kamen), and Leon Kennedy (Avan Jogia) finding themselves trapped in a nightmare of horrors and fighting the deadly evil that Umbrella’s Dr. Birkin (Neal McDonough) tried to coverup. This small group of survivors must now work together to uncover the truth behind the Umbrella research, but will they live to see another day?
My 2 cents
I am not a game fan or player but I do own all the original Milla Jovovich Resident Evil movies and I was rather looking forward to this prequel. I found the the first half of Resident Evil: Welcome To Raccoon City quite entertaining as it introduces the characters and added a few creepy moments. However, its second half was a lot less than stellar and while the imaging and sound were still good, not much else was.
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