Eric and fellow warrior Sara, raised as members of ice Queen Freya’s army, try to conceal their forbidden love as they fight to survive the wicked intentions of both Freya and her sister Ravenna.
The Review at a Glance:
(max score: 5 )
Film:
Extras:
Audio/UHD Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
80
Details:
Studio and Year: Universal – 2016
MPAA Rating: PG-13/Unrated
Feature running time: 114 minutes/120 minutes
Genre: Action/Adventure
Disc Format: BD-66
Encoding: HEVC
Video Aspect: 2.40:1
Resolution: 2160p/24
Audio Format(s): English DTS:X, English DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio, English DTS Headphone: X, Spanish/French DTS 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
Starring: Charlize Theron, Jessica Chastain, Emily Blunt, Chris Hemsworth, Nick Frost, Sam Claflin, Rob Brydon
Directed by: Cedric Nicholas-Troyan
Music by: James Newton Howard
Written by: Evan Spiliotopoulos & Craig Mazin
Region Code: A,B,C
Blu-ray Disc release Date: August 23, 2016
“The Story Before Snow White”
My Take:
The Huntsman: Winter’s War stars Charlize Theron as the evil Queen Ravenna, who betrays her good sister Freya (Emily Blunt) with an unforgivable act, freezing Freya’s heart to love and unleashing in her an icy power she never knew she possessed. Retreating to a kingdom far to the north, Freya raises an army of Huntsmen as her protectors, with the only rule that no two of them should ever fall in love. As a war for domination escalates between the two queens, the hero standing between good and evil is Freya’s most elite Huntsman, Eric (Chris Hemsworth). Alongside fellow warrior Sara (Jessica Chastain) — the only woman who has ever captured his heart — Eric must help Freya vanquish her sister or Ravenna’s wickedness will rule for eternity.
2012’s Snow White and the Huntsman wasn’t exactly a cinematic masterpiece but when all was said and done I kind of liked it, for what it was. Most of my appreciation for that film was due to the portrayal of the character Ravenna and Charlize Theron’s handling of the role. When I saw that this sequel was coming out I raised an eyebrow in wonderment. I mean, the first story wasn’t strong by any stretch but managed to make the most with what was offered. I couldn’t imagine how or why it would be necessary to build upon it further. However, when I saw that Charlize was back, Kristen was gone AND both Emily Blunt and Jessica Chastain were onboard, I was certainly willing to give it a shot.
Unfortunately all the good looks, epic scope and stalwart casting, wasn’t enough to bring this half-baked script to a boil. Poorly designed characters, unfocused direction, boring action/adventure, and unconvincing romance, mated with flatulence, posing as comic relief, resulted in a lackluster genre entry that left me shaking my head. Conceptually speaking the storyline was shallow and unimaginative, given the potential of its basis. I love Jessica Chastain but she was miscast as the film’s female badass. I think that she and Emily Blunt should have switched roles, not that it would have saved the day but, just saying. Charlize wasn’t in the movie enough to matter and Chris Hemsworth essentially phoned in his performance. The production elements were fine although the use of CGI was taken to fairly high levels. I wanted to like The Huntsman: Winter’s War but came away from it with a reaction that would barely qualify as lukewarm.
Both the theatrical and an extended cut are included. I watched the latter which runs approximately six minutes longer.
Parental Guide:
The rating is for fantasy action violence and some sensuality.
AUDIO/VIDEO – By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100/EXCELLENT = 83-91/GOOD = 74-82/AVERAGE = 65-73/BELOW AVERAGE = under 65
**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**
UHD Presentation: 80
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
HDR: Dark Highlights:
HDR: Bright Highlights:
HDR: Expanded Color & WCG:
Resolution:
Visual Impact:
DTS:X Rating: 80
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Level of immersion:
Soundstage integration:
Audio object placement:
Effectiveness of platform:
Entertainment factor:
Ultra HD Blu-ray has finally been released and eager enthusiasts are ready and willing to see what it has to offer. For those not familiar with the details regarding Ultra HD Blu-ray you can refer to my article that includes some pertinent data on the subject. Here is the link:
Ultra HD Blu-ray Has Come to AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
For those not willing to refer to the article linked above, I have included some comments here. The implementation of high dynamic range as it stands currently, doesn’t appear to have exacting standards and no calibration tools to allow for a foundational threshold for setting up a visual system. This leaves us to do the best we can to determine what appears to be accurate, at least for the time being. With that in mind, my approach to reviewing Ultra HD Blu-ray will be to assess the elements observed which I find to generate the most significant visual impact when compared to standard high definition Blu-ray.
For me, high dynamic range, with its broader spectrum of colors and emboldened highlights in the areas of contrast and brightness, is where the potential lies in the format. The increase in resolution, while an important component, isn’t going to be definitive in every case, especially given that currently many of the Ultra HD Blu-ray releases are derived from 2K Digital Intermediates that are up-converted to 4K. This shouldn’t be strictly construed to mean that such up-converted images won’t look noticeably better than their 1080p counterparts. Conversely, a release finished on a 4K Digital Intermediate isn’t a guarantee that it will be heads and shoulders above the rest. So, what can you expect to hear from me when discussing what I observed from Ultra HD Blu-ray? I will hit upon the things that struck me, the impact, or lack of impact, of HDR and the improvement, if any, in resolution when compared to 1080p Blu-ray. The outcome will be a rating as seen above.
Front projection for home theater is just stepping through the door with respect to the reproduction of HDR. My goal is to present readers with a reasonable expectation of what they can expect when viewing the same content that I have. There may be variables that differ slightly however I believe that in general the outcome will be close. As we are exposed to more and more content and calibration tools come onboard we will have better perspectives from which to gauge. Thanks for reading!
The Huntsman: Winter’s War comes to Ultra HD Blu-ray from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment featuring 2160pHEVC encoded video and lossless DTS:X/7.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 3.6 Mbps.
For its presentation in Ultra HD The Huntsman: Winter’s War was rendered from a 2K DI and up-converted to 4K. With the limited exposure to Ultra HD either sourced from 2K or 4K Digital Intermediates we are left to judge based upon what we have seen thus far.
I received The Huntsman: Winter’s War on Blu-ray and Ultra HD a day apart and watched it on Blu-ray one evening and Ultra HD the next. Each experience was fresh in my mind which helped when making comparisons. The film was shot with a specific visual aesthetic in mind and that comes through in both presentations. The Ultra HD presentation bests the 1080p version in most respects. This isn’t an overly colorful film however its palate of autumn based hues, sepia tones and variants of blue benefited from UHD’s wider color gamut, appearing noticeably warmer and pleasing to the eye. Resolution gets a noticeable boost as well. Close-ups tend to offer improved refinement and deeper resolvable texture on surfaces and physical features when compared to the Blu-ray. This is readily apparent in the first sequence that takes place in Freya’s throne room.
There is intermittent use of visual elements that utilize high dynamic range. I wasn’t especially impressed with its application although some of that may be owed to the nature of the photography. There were instances where bright elements looked appreciably vibrant, and alternatively, low level sequences had excellent depth of field and emboldened contrast. Viewing The Huntsman: Winter’s War in Ultra HD, wasn’t an eye opening experience, however I found it to be a complimentary improvement over the standard Blu-ray presentation.
In listening to the DTS:X mix I found it to be of the less aggressive variety, which considering the source material, was a bit disappointing. This soundtrack contains an abundance of elements that would allow for a busier object based mix with respect to the overhead channels. In general its use of audio objects placed above is limited to atmospherics and occasional panning fills. I would say that where applied it’s done to good effect and created a fair level of immersion that coincides with the onscreen events nicely. As an enthusiast I appreciate a well-crafted sound mix that draws me into the onscreen elements, regardless of where the sounds are emanating from. This mix is fair and incorporates a correlated and broad soundstage where effects swirl, shift and traverse the listening area. I think that this DTS:X mix would have benefited from more active use of immersive sounds which in turn would have enhanced the source material.
Blu-ray Video:
Video: 96
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Resolution/Clarity:
Black Level/Shadow Detail:
Color Reproduction:
Fleshtones:
Compression:
Audio: 88
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Dynamics:
Low frequency effects:
Surround Sound presentation:
Clarity/Detail:
Dialog Reproduction:
The Huntsman: Winter’s War comes to Blu-ray Disc from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 30 Mbps.
This film intentionally uses muted colors and uneven lighting to depict is fantasy world. Deep defining blacks and revealing details in low lit backgrounds and shadows provide excellent depth and gradational highlights to the film’s pervading darkened sequences. Detail is characterized by intricate and transparent imagery that has three dimensionality and defining resolution. This was the case in all but a few instances where definition softened slightly. I suspect that this was more than likely innate to the photography rather than related to the encoding. The sequence that takes place in the forests is abundantly rich with earth toned greens and browns that look great in high definition. I thought that the creative choices made regarding the visual style of this film were right on target.
The lossless DTS-HD MA 7.1 soundtrack has good dynamic range, detail rich clarity and makes ample use of the entire surround platform to drive the film’s elements. The detection of subtle background sounds, off camera cues and spatial dimension within the room’s acoustic environment is notable. The low frequency effects channel is active as the subwoofer works in tandem with the rest of the system to convey the palpably rich bass and dynamic impact associated with the action based sequences. Dialog is firmly planted in the center channel and renders voices and effects with appropriate distinction. I enjoyed this audio presentation but for an action based film there was little about it that left an indelible impression on me
Bonus Features:
Disc 1: The Huntsman: Winter’s War Ultra HD Blu-ray
Disc 2: The Huntsman: Winter’s War Blu-ray (plus bonus features)
(HD) *Exclusive* Two Queens Two Warriors – 7 minute featurette
(HD) *Exclusive* Meet the Dwarfs – 8 minute featurette
(HD) *Exclusive* Magic All Around – 8 minute featurette
(HD) 4 Deleted Scenes with optional director commentary
(HD) Gag Reel – 9 minutes
(HD) Dressed to Kill – 6 minute featurette
(HD) Love Conquers All – 6 minute featurette
Feature Length Audio Commentary with Director Cedric Nicholas-Troyan
Digital HD Copy
Final Thoughts:
The Huntsman: Winter’s War is an unnecessary sequel that features a lackluster script that fails to capitalize on a good cast and high production elements. It comes to Blu-ray in this Ultra HD Combo Pack from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment featuring fair Ultra HD video, solid DTS-HD Master Audio surround sound, including a DTS:X immersive mix and a fan friendly supplemental package. Fans of Snow White and the Huntsman will probably want to check out The Huntsman: Winter’s War. My advice would be to rent first and keep expectations in check.
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Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS500 3D/4K Ready High Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Calman 5 & C6-HDR Meter from Spectracal)
Stewart Filmscreen – Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16×9 Screen
Carada Masquerade Horizontal Masking System
Marantz AV8802A 13.2 Channel Audio/Video Processor
Sherbourn Technologies – 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
B&K Reference 200.7 Series 2 Seven Channel Amplifier
Oppo BDP-103D Universal Disc/3D capable Blu-ray Player
Samsung UBD-K8500 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player
System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule Pro HD Universal Remote Control
Canton “Ergo” and In-Ceiling series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SVS PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
SVS PC12-NSD
Panamax M5400-PM Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Wireworld, Better Cables (Silver Serpent) – Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components – CP-CP102 cooling package
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