The Thing – 4K UHD Blu-ray Review
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Universal Studios | 1982
R | 1hrs 49 min | Action | Adventure | Thriller | Sc-Fi
HD | 1080P | DTS-X | DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
Native 4K | 2160P | HDR10 | DTS-X | DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
Aspect Ratio 2.39:1
Staring: Kurt Russell | Wilford Brimley | T.K. Carter | David Clennon | Keith David | Richard Dysart
Directed by: John Carpenter
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? Very good in all respects, and the 4K HDR10 video? Excellent.
Entertainment: 5
Video: 5-
Audio: 4+
Technical Review – Native 4K UHD HDR10
The Thing was originally shot by Dean Cundey on 35 mm photochemical film using Panavision Panaflex Gold cameras, with Panavision C- and E-Series anamorphic lenses, and it was finished on film at the 2.39:1 aspect ratio. For its 2021 rerelease on Ultra HD, Universal has rescanned the original camera negative in native 4K and graded the result for high dynamic range in HDR 10. This triple-layer BD100 disc has been well authored and shows no excessive use of noise reduction or edge sharpening and no obvious compression artifacts. Film grain is light to medium, but is always organic, and there’s no sign of excessive grain management. There is little CGI and green screen in this movie as most effects were real. The package also contains the HD version with DTS-X and a redeemable digital code.
This is a moderately dark movie for many of its scenes, however, the overall detail and clarity are excellent, saving a few optically soft, as shot scenes. There is still an abundance of crisp detail and plenty of refined texturing. From the clothing, threads and facial close-ups providing excellent definition, natural skin tones and accurate rendition of pores, to the facial stubble, wrinkles, eyelashes, hair strands, cuts and bruises, all without any undue exaggerations. There is a lot more vivid detail in the various grotesque shots of the partially imitated people and animals.
Deep blacks were plentiful showed little noise, with excellent low level and shadow detail as found in all the camp night shots, generator room and various room sequences. Peak whites and overall highlights provided clean detail with no clipping, like the suns glow on the white snow, the helicopters coppery brown metallic surfaces and the luminosity of the flashlights and flames at night. All providing a solid dynamic contrast range and enhancing visibility of objects in both interior and exterior shots and helping to create a good depth of image.
Color fidelity is very good throughout with well saturated primaries and secondaries, all having good color depth and density, hues are vibrant and accurate. Blues and reds benefit most, given the film’s Antarctic setting and the reds, yellows and oranges of flame throwers, burning buildings and the helicopter light up the screen. Add to that the bright yellow bulldozer, The Things arctic blue ice pit and various splashes of color as the camera pans around labs. Flesh tones are very accurate, and the various creature distortions look even more grotesque than ever.
This image is very good on all fronts, managing to hit HDR10 reference quality on occasions.
Audio – DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
The Thing primary audio is presented in a new English DTS:X lossless mix that defaults to DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 in my system and it is certainly a step above the previous Blu-ray’s 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. I found the track highly engaging during all action scenes with solid bass and punchy dynamics. While it is not a very aggressive, this new surround mix is very moody.
The overall sound presentation is quite dynamic, with sufficient sub involvement and action from all surrounds. The soundstage is a little shallow but it is wide, and surrounds are moderately active with ambience, directional cues and movement from flying helicopters, the growl of flame throwers, creature noises to the bombastic racket of explosions, collapsing buildings and shots fired. Effects placement are accurate and natural, with low level movement in both the rear and side surrounds together with the general environmental and room acoustics effects consistently pulling you into the many locals and environments. From silence to the howling winds, bullets fired, screams and shouts, howls, grunts and groans as The Thing imitates, all surround you helping to pull the listener further into the scene and keeping you engaged at all times.
Sub action is not extreme but it is does provide a solid and extended bottom end. Certainly making itself felt during several of the action sequences, having good punch and muscle from the gun shots, flame throwers, explosions, helicopter mayhem and collapsing buildings. Imaging feels quite expansive as action moves on and off-screen. Dialogue is always crystal clear and well detailed with solid front-center imaging and prioritization, even during the more intense sonic moments no matter how loud and aggressive the action.
Complementing the movie throughout its entire length, the films evocative and foreboding score, composed by Ennio Morricone, nicely flushes out the soundscape. Hitting a good balance between the dialogue and effects the score envelopes the listening environment with very light spill into the surrounds and effortless integration within the soundstage.
There is little to criticize regarding this soundtrack, providing as it does, a step up on the original 5.1 mix and creating an excellent but not quite reference mix.
Story Overview
The Thing opens at a US research station, Antarctica, early-winter 1982. Two men from a nearby Norwegian research station buzz the camp in a helicopter trying to kill a loan dog. After landing, the helicopter is destroyed and the two men are killed, so several members of the US team fly over to the Norwegian base only to find the base destroyed and all its occupants either dead or missing. Upon searching the base remains the US team spots a partly burned strange creature. Taking it back to their base Dr. Blair (Wilford Brimley) deduces that it is some form of alien life. To their horror he discovers that the creature is capable of infecting and perfectly imitating any living, breathing, organism. The question is how many of the US team have now become inhabited by The Thing? Now helicopter pilot MacReady (Kurt Russell) and the survivors of the US station must find a way of identifying and killing each imitation before it’s too late.
My 2 cents
This is one of my favorite scary Sci-Fi movies and my wife’s favorite scary movie after Alien. This native 4K version has to be the best this movie will ever look and the new 7.1 mix certainly adds a little something extra to the movies impact.
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