Venom: Let There Be Carnage 4K Blu ray Review
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Sony Pictures | 2021
PG13 | 1hrs 37 min | Action | Horror | Sci-Fi
HD | 1080P | DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Upscaled 4K | 2160P | Dolby Vision | HDR10 | Dolby Atmos | Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Aspect Ratio 1.85:1
Staring: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Naomie Harris, Reid Scott, Stephen Graham, Woody Harrelson
Directed by: Andy Serkis
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 most respects, and the 7.1 soundtrack ? Also quite good.
Entertainment: 4+
Video: 4+
Audio: 4+
Technical Review – Upscaled 4K UHD HDR10
Venom: Let There Be Carnage was captured digitally at 4.5K and 6.5K using Arri Alexa 65 and Mini LF cameras with Arri Prime and DNA lenses. It was finished as a 2K Digital Intermediate at the 1.85:1 aspect ratio and then upconverted and graded for HDR for this 4K release in both Dolby Vision and HDR10. This dual-layer BD66 disc has been well authored and shows no excessive use of noise reduction or edge sharpening and no obvious compression artifacts. The package also contains the HD version with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and a redeemable digital code.
Overall the imagery is often quite dark with the many night and internal room shots, but all are generally sharp and clear with good detailing. Deep blacks abound throughout, were noise free, and showed good low level and shadow detail as found in the night and alleyway sequences and various inside shots like Eddies room, the club and the church. Peak whites and overall highlights provided clean detail with no clipping providing a sheen to the black of Venom and the reds limbs of Carnage. Clothing, threads and facial close-ups provide good detail and definition with natural skin tones and accurate rendition of pores, eyelashes, hair strands, cuts, bruises and features with few exaggerations. CGI integration was very good for both Venom and Carnage revealing good textures and imperfections from their skins to their tongues.
The color palette is rather dreary at times with the muted grays, blues, browns and greens. Eddies apartment is a little warmer and brighter and as the movie progresses, Carnage’s red hue brightness up the image as do the bright neon lights and lights of the club scene. With the fires and explosions providing a good range of vivid yellows, reds and oranges.
Overall a good image but not reference quality.
Audio – Dolby TrueHD7.1
Venom: Let There Be Carnage primary audio is English 7.1 Dolby Atmos that defaults to Dolby TrueHD7.1 in my system. Action scenes, particularly those in the jail, are very energetic with the sounds of clinking metal and death and destruction. The side and rear surrounds are continually engaged helping pull you into the various environmental atmospheres from the total mayhem and chaos of motorcycles and cars zipping through the city, Venoms flailing arms, explosions, gunshots, screams and rainstorms to the quiet of street conversations.
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. Music is smooth and detailed, with effortless integration within the sound stage, being well balanced between the dialogue and effects and making good use of the surrounds.
Sub woofer workout is solid during the various action sequences, explosions and gunshots, but not excessively so.
There is little to criticize regarding this soundtrack, providing as it does, a good mix.
Story
With Eddie Brock’s (Tom Hardy) ex-wife Anne Weying (Michelle Williams) now determined to move on with her own life, investigative reporter Eddie struggles to come to terms with his new life and hosting a shape shifting alien extraterrestrial Symbiote, Venom, that gives him super-human abilities. Eddie decides to restart his career and put himself back on the journalist map by interviewing the sadistic death-row serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson) who is in San Quentin State Prison. Venom has become tired of his bland diet and is becoming restless. On the day of Cletus’s execution Eddie visits with him and during a heated verbal exchange Venom becomes aggressive, ultimately giving Cletus the ability to side-step his pending execution. This unforeseen complication gives rise to an unstoppable arch-enemy, a red-hued shape-shifting creature, Carnage. Now Cletus, or is it Carnage, must settle his debts with the prison staff, find the love of his life Frances Barrison, alias Shriek (Naomie Harris) and destroy Venom. With Venom in the process of looking for a more understanding host how will Eddie and Venom stop the ensuing wrath and chaos?
My 2 cents
Good performances by both Hardy and Harrelson weaved with some comedic and almost romantic moments, plus some solid action packed scenes made for a short and entertaining sequel with both good video and audio.
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