Venom – Blu-ray 4K Review
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Sony Pictures 2018
PG13 | 1hrs 52 mins Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller | Comic Book
HD | 1080P | DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Upscaled 4K | 2160P | Dolby Vision | HDR10 | Dolby Atmos | Dolby TrueHD 7.1
2.39:1 Aspect Ratio
Staring: Tom Hardy | Michelle Williams | Riz Ahmed | Scott Haze | Reid Scott | Jenny Slate
Directed by: Ruben Fleischer
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, and the 4K HDR10 video? Good also.
Entertainment: 4+
Video: 4+
Audio: 4+
Technical – Upscaled 4K UHD HDR10
Venom is yet another 2K movie that was upscaled to 4K. Not too surprising considering the number of special effects. It was shot digitally, mostly in the ARRIRAW codec at 3.4K, using iSF and Zeiss Ultra prime and Angenieux Optimo lenses. Several scenes were shot at 8K using a RED Monstro camera. It was graded as HDR10 and finished as a 2K Digital Intermediate. This high resolution capture provides very good clarity, high levels of sharpness and plenty of detail and texture to the image.
Even though this 4K movie is up-converted it looks good on the 4K UHD format and manages to significantly improve upon its 2K HD Blu-ray brother by a notable degree in all aspects of the image; depth of colors, hue and saturation, rendering detail, clarity and dynamic range. Closeup shots show excellent details in the building structures, pavements, cars, vegetation, clothes and facial closeups. Digital FX are well integrated with live motion providing a fairly natural feeling, in particular, to Venoms (Tom Hardy’s) transformations. Blacks are deep and solid, supporting good shadow detail and no crush, while the peak whites showed very good high level detail with no clipping, resulting in excellent contrast levels for both luminance and chrominance. This is no more apparent than when watching the Venom effects that contrast its inky blacks against its shiny black reflective surfaces. Colors are well defined, providing punch and intensity for various colored items such as those found in the convenience store scenes. Skin tones look natural and noise is mild, even in the lower lit scenes. No signifiant encode or source artifacts are readily apparent nor was there any significant grain.
Overall a good example of an upscaled digitally sourced 2K movie.
Audio – Dolby TrueHD 7.1
While the UHD features a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, Venom‘s Blu-ray only includes a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio presentation. In my system the Dolby Atmos track reverts to Dolby TrueHD 7.1. A bungled re-entry scene at the beginning of the movie kicks off with an enveloping surround field, buckets of deep bass upon the crash and plenty of impact site noises that follow. As the film progress its sonic environment builds supported by a the sound track by Ludwig Grandson and others that integrates well with the action, helping deepen the surround immersion, supporting both aggressive and more relaxed scenes equally well. Ambience is handled well as all seven speakers are frequently engaged with the rear and side surrounds pulling you into the action through their use for directional clues and movement, or providing a locales high action or subtle atmospherics. Action sequences are where the seven channels shine with the seamless integration of movement, plenty of directional effects, be they the mundane sounds from general conversations or from various locales to include the city streets, restaurant or the lab. The overall sound field provides a good sense of depth as felt from the slam of doors and when Eddie/Venom attacks and flees Carlton Drakes’ henchmen.
Dialogue was always clear and detailed with solid front-center imaging and prioritization except when the “inner” Venom talks to Eddie Brock, providing a boomy diffused sound field that surrounds and immerses you. All accompanied by prodigious bass during many of the action scenes.
Story Overview
Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) is an investigative journalist working for Jack (Ron Cephas Jones), the director of the Eddie Brock Report news channel. After an interview gone wrong with Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed), the Life Foundations notorious owner and brilliant founder, his career and life fall into ruins. Six months later, he is contacted by scientist Dr. Dora Skirth (Jenny Slate) from the Life Foundation. While investigating Dr. Skirth’s claims about the “goings on” at the Life facility, his resulting contact with an alien life force has dire consequences for him. His body merges with that of the an alien symbiotic known as Venom….leaving him with superhuman strength and massive recuperative powers. Venom is now left with the task of controlling Eddie who has become full with rage and desire as his new found powers and strengths give Eddie a lust for more. But that isn’t where it all ends. The worlds’ fate is now in Eddies and Venoms hands, as is Eddies future with his ex ‘wife to be’ Anne Weying (Michelle Williams).
Not one of the most entertaining movies, but it managed to keep my interest peeked throughout. An interesting concept of privatised space travel and investigation by a meddling multi-billionaire, ring any bells?
An interesting approach to how alien life might arrive here and how it can go all wrong when money is involved and life is cheap. Some impressive visual effects and room rattling bottom end.
It’s rumored that there will be a Venom II, but I am not too sure where it will take the storyline.
