Resident
Evil: Vendetta
(2017/Sony 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray w/2 Blu-rays)
Picture:
A/B+ Sound: A Extras: B Film: C+
The
Resident
Evil
franchise continues (with very little relation to the Paul W.S.
Anderson/Milla Jovovich films) with the third realistically animated
feature film set in the world of the tyrannical Umbrella Corporation
and its world full of the undead. The most polished of the animated
installments (the first two being Resident
Evil: Degeneration
in 2008 and Resident
Evil: Damnation
in 2012, Resident
Evil: Vendetta
(2017) aka Biohazard:
Vendetta,
has impressive digital animation and an interesting story that gamers
will find familiar to the tone of the video games and features a few
classic characters but not much else new.
However,
for Sony, this disc is something of a landmark in that it is their
first title to feature both Dolby Vision high-dynamic range 12-bit
color (HDR) and Dolby Atmos 11.1 immersive audio, which makes this an
impressive title in terms of home theater presentation.
The
creative team behind the project include director Takanori Tsujimoto
with a screenplay by Makoto Fukami (Psycho
Pass),
was produced by Hiroyasu Shinohara and executive produced by Takashi
Shimizu, with music by Kenji Kawai (the 1995 animated classic Ghost
in the Shell,
Sadako
3D,
the Ip
Man Trilogy).
The
story is set between the sixth and seventh video game titles, and
brings to life the Chris Redfield, Leon S. Kennedy and Rebecca
Chambers characters. Invading a creepy mansion, our heroes battle
hordes of zombies while trying to prevent a devious madman from
unleashing a deadly virus in New York and further destroying any home
that humanity has left.
The
presentation here is spot on and quite immersive with a 2160p 4K UHD
transfer and a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and HDR (High
Dynamic Range) with nary a flaw. The sound mix is incredibly
impressive with Dolby Vision 12-bit color HDR, Dolby Atmos 11.1
lossless mix and a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mixdown as well. No doubt Sony
wanted to use this film as a test to see how far they can push the
limits with satisfying results.
Also
included is a 1080p Blu-ray disc with a 1.78:1 widescreen aspect
ratio and the same audio mixes as the 4K UHD. The image isn't nearly
as clear as the former, but suits the format fine.
No
digital UV copy, which is a surprise.
Special
Features...
Three
Featurettes:
"The
Creature"
"Motion
Capture Set Tour with Dante Carver"
"CGI
to Reality: Designing Vendetta"
Still
gallery (30 sketches/designs)
Filmmaker
Audio Commentary (in Japanese) with Director Takanori Tsujimoto,
Executive Producer Takashi Shimizu and Writer Makoto Fukami
Bonus
Blu-ray disc with three featurettes:
"BSAA
Mission Briefing: Combat Arias"
"Designing
The World of Vendetta"
"2016
Tokyo Game Show Footage"
These
CGI Resident Evil films are animated nicely and are pretty
bloody, which will please fans of the series. At some points I
couldn't help but feel like I was playing one of the video games and
watching the 'cinema mode' between levels, this is still fun to
mindlessly watch.
The
artificially created performances are at times a bit dry but its easy
to be sucked in by the animation detail and eye candy.
-
James Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/
