Super 8 – 4K UHD Blu-ray – Review

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Paramount Pictures | 2011

PG-13 | 1hrs 52 min | Teen | Sci-Fi | Adventure | Action

HD | 1080P | Dolby TrueHD 7.1

Upscaled 4K | 2160P | HDR10 |  Dolby Vision | Dolby TrueHD 7.1

Aspect Ratio 2.39:1

Staring: Kyle Chandler | Elle Fanning | Joel Courtney | Gabriel Basso | Noah Emmerich | Ron Eldard

Directed by: J.J. Abrams

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? Very good.

Entertainment: 5-

Video: 4+

Audio: 5

Technical Review – Upscaled 4K UHD HDR10

While this is a newly remastered version there is no indication that it is a new 4K re-scan of the original camera negatives. This seems to be born out by some haloing visible on high-contrast edges and the lack of very fine image detail.

Super 8 was shot on 8, 16, and 35 mm photochemical film, using a variety of Arriflex, Beaulieu, Bell & Howell, Canon, and Panavision cameras, with some insert shots captured digitally in Redcode RAW at 4.5K, using Red One cameras. It was originally finished as a 2K Digital Intermediate in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio, however for this 10th anniversary version Paramount appear to have only up-sampled the original scan and given it a UHD grading in both HDR10 and Dolby Vision on a dual-layered BD66 disc. (There is no HD Blu-ray disc included.)

The image isn’t poor, but its not reference either. The overall dark image does present excellent blacks with good shadow detail and little crush, and taken together with no visible peak white compression, and strong highlights, creates a high dynamic range. The image does boast good cinematic texturing but lacks fine detail, while fine grain is observable with no distracting blocking or clumping. Facial features and close ups are clear showing, pores, hair, sweat, tears and freckles but lacks the expected 4K refined intimate detail. There were also several moments where the image became slightly soft on wider shots and some CG effects.

The overall palette is a little muted in it’s color spectrum due to the image darkness and color grading that would be representative the 70s. Whether it is the bright blue skies and white snow, solid yellows, realistic flesh tones, colorful clothes, brilliant explosions, or warm accents inside homes, the image displays a color presentation that is notable for its neutrality. A few examples of more intense colors would be the purple lens flare streaks against the black nighttime backgrounds and the saturated blue and red neon shades of the alien ship.

While the image is good, this HDR10 version does not compete at a reference level.

Audio – Dolby TrueHD 7.1

Super 8‘s Dolby TrueHD 7.1 lossless soundtrack is exactly the same as that found on the original HD Blu-ray release and it is sonically excellent. The movie posses several reference level scenes that will test your audio system to the max, fully exercising its dynamics and supported by several scenes with room flexing bass that digs down deep giving your subs something to bite on.

The soundtrack presents the listener with both extremes and everything in between from the quiet outdoor ambience, the gentle breeze, the barker dog in the distance, the buzz of the gas station neon sign, to the highly aggressive and powerful train crash, whizzing bullets and shells and earth shattering explosions. The soundstage is big, wide, and immersive, with very active surrounds, smooth movement, and aggressive dynamics. The surround channels are extensively used to support the film’s action, ambience, and music, both score and popular alike being well integrated into the sound stage. Effects placement are accurate and natural, with extensive movement in both the rear and side surrounds, with the various atmospheric effects consistently pulling you into the many locals and environments. Action scenes are impactful, exercising all speakers with gunfire, chaos, pops, bangs, explosions and crashes, all enveloping the listener. Even the quieter dialogue-driven sequences come with subtle ambient effects, all helping to maintain a strong enveloping presence.

Great sub action certainly makes itself known during all of the action sequences, explosions and firefights, with a solid and extended bottom end, having good punch and muscle. Imaging continuously feels broad and expansive as action moves on and off-screen, with dialogue always clear and detailed with solid front-center imaging and prioritization, even during the movies more intense sonic moments. The train crash sequence, a highlight of the film both visually and sonically, will move you and your house foundations.

There is little to criticize regarding this soundtrack, providing as it does, a reference mix.

Story Overview

It is the summer of 1979 in the small rural town of Lillian in Ohio, and a group of six friends, Joe (Joel Courtney),  Charles (Riley Griffiths), Preston (Zach Mills), Martin (Gabriel Basso), Cary (Ryan Lee) and Alice (Elle Fanning) are in the midst of making a zombie super 8 movie. During the filming of the night railroad scene a train roars through the station and is spectacularly and purposefully de-railed by their science teacher (Glynn Turman), why? The trains total destruction releases not only thousands of strange metal cubes but something seems to be lurking in the darkness. The government quickly descends upon the town and as people, objects and power all start to disappear the six friends investigate the goings on, unravelling what the troops are looking for. As the town is evacuated Joe and his group of friends discover that Alice has been taken. So teaming up they set out to find her, only to come face to face with the alien.

My 2 cents

This was my first viewing of this popular movie and I have to say it was very entertaining, sounded stellar and looked very good, especially for an up-converted movie. Its sound track reaching reference proportions on several occasions. If you like kids and alien movies this one is for you. Recommended.

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