Fully Immersed, Volume 24
Happy summer, folks! Yes, the season of huge, tentpole blockbusters is once again upon us. And for those of us unwilling to pay crazy theater ticket prices, or be encroached upon by that rude guy - who just HAD to sit right behind us with his crunchy nachos and crinkly candy! - the better news is that we're just months away from seeing the films of summer debut on disc with immersive audio soundtracks. While we're waiting for films like Mission Impossible: Fallout and Ant-Man and the Wasp to arrive on Blu-ray, here are a few immersive audio titles coming soon to a home theater near you:
I plan to cover at least a few of the above titles soon. Until then, here's what I've listened to most recently...
Forrest Gump 4K
Paramount | Buy Now | Dolby Atmos available on 4K UHD only
It's hard to believe it's been nearly 25 years since Director Robert Zemeckis and star Tom Hanks teamed up to bring us Forrest Gump. Recounted for a variety of passengers waiting at the bus stop with him, Forrest slowly shares the charming tale of his simple but extraordinary life. From his childhood adventures with first (and only) love Jenny to his stint as a soldier in Vietnam with Bubba and Lieutenant Dan, Forrest Gump is filled with great performances, amusing stories, and genuine heart. Paramount now brings the Oscar-winning film to 4K Ultra HD complete with a newly-created Dolby Atmos soundtrack. Forrest Gump is a front-heavy, dialogue-driven film, so this isn't apt to be the disc you reach for to show off the benefits of Dolby Atmos. That said, the film's fantastic music soundtrack sounds more robust than ever before and the ambush sequence in Vietnam features a burst of immersive activity in the surround and overhead channels. Bullets whiz past overhead and explosions all around convincingly transport the listener, albeit briefly, to this dark chapter of Forrest's life.
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation 4K
Paramount | Buy Now | Dolby Atmos available on 4K UHD only
Director J.J. Abrams re-awakened the Force in 2015 with his crowd-pleasing Star Wars Episode VII. Before that, he beamed Star Trek back from the dead with his thrilling 2009 prequel reboot. But you need to go back to 2006 to find the film that established Abrams as Hollywood's fixer of flailing franchises. That film was Mission: Impossible III, a perfect blend of action, drama, humor, and heisty teamwork - signature elements of this entertaining franchise. In anticipation of the latest installment, Fallout - which hits theaters July 27 - Paramount has delivered new 4K Ultra HD editions of all five films in the series. It's worth mentioning that the new 4K video on each of the films looks spectacular, thanks in part to their use of Dolby Vision HDR. However, on the audio front, it's slightly disappointing that only Rogue Nation (the most recent film) features a Dolby Atmos soundtrack. The older films do receive an upgrade to lossless Dolby TrueHD, but Rogue Nation is definitely the sonic standout in the set. The opera sequence is an exquisite bit of filmmaking and now sounds better than ever, but one of my favorite Atmos moments in the film is a brief, subtle effect following Ethan's rescue from the water-filled vault. After Ilsa saves a drowning Ethan, we cut away to a cavernous stone room where Ethan is revived and Benji speaks to him. Thanks to the overhead channels, the ceiling is completely peeled away from the listening space and Benji's voice reverberates and echoes around, completely befitting the much larger room we see on screen. It's a subtle detail, but it perfectly captures the benefits of immersive audio. It also helps that this scene gives way to one of the most thrilling, face-melting motorcycle chases ever captured on film. Crank it up, this is great stuff.
Pacific Rim: Uprising
Universal | Buy Now | Dolby Atmos available on Blu-ray, 4K UHD
It's hard to overstate just how much I enjoyed Director Guillermo del Toro's (The Shape of Water) Pacific Rim. His giant monsters-versus-giant robots confection seemed borne from the same 13-year-old id I still navigate life with - somehow capturing and translating to the screen every ridiculous notion that ever started with "You know what would be cool...?" (Elbow rockets, I'm looking at you.) It is this love of the original Pacific Rim that left me so profoundly disappointed in Uprising. Although its first half hour is serviceable enough, introducing us to our new soon-to-be-heroes, the film goes completely off the rails the moment "Alice" arrives. I won't elaborate in fear of ruining things for you - though the filmmakers did a fine job of ruining things all by themselves. On a slightly more positive note, Universal brings Uprising to disc sporting a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, available on both the standard Blu-ray and the 4K Ultra HD edition. Although not as impressive-sounding as the first film, Uprising features a capable mix with crisp dialogue, sufficiently deep bass, and routine use of the surround channels. Oddly, I didn't notice the overhead channels adding too much to the equation here. The only scenes where I felt a true sense of immersion were those in Gypsy's cockpit, where the overhead channels were cleverly used to layer in the Jaeger's control sounds and the pilot voices sounded appropriately confined in this smaller, more intimate setting. It's fitting that even Uprising's music is a missed opportunity. My kids and I kept waiting for that kickass and distinctive theme music to rear its head - but when it does, it's a butchered remix that pales in comparison to the original. If only the same couldn't be said for the film itself.
Terminator: Genisys
Paramount | Buy Now | Dolby Atmos available on Blu-ray, 4K UHD
Genisys is the fifth and most recent installment in the Terminator franchise, and frankly, it's a bit of a mess. However, it's not nearly as bad as some folks would have you believe; if you can wrap your head ahead around the convoluted story and timeline they're attempting to weave, there is fun to be had here. Khaleesi herself, Emilia Clark, stars as a young Sarah Connor still trying to make her own fate and battling Skynet alongside Kyle Reese, played here by the ever-so-bland Jai Courtney (Suicide Squad). In the mix too is John Connor (Jason Clarke) and the one and only Arnold Schwarzenegger - though I won't even attempt to briefly summarize how these guys factor into things. Just roll with it. When Genisys was first released on Blu-ray in 2015, it received a reference quality Dolby Atmos soundtrack. Paramount has now brought the film to the 4K Ultra HD format and they have wisely carried over that same gangbusters Atmos track. From the opening scene, which features machine aircraft flying and firing above intense ground fighting between resistance fighters and the machines, this soundtrack wastes no time announcing it means business. The overhead and surround channels are used aggressively and extensively throughout the film - so much so that it's actually difficult to name a scene where the overhead channels weren't used to round out the action. One of the film's standout action sequences is the thrilling bus chase on the Golden Gate Bridge. Before the bus flips end to end - a terrific sonic somersault rife with gut-gripping bass - the moments before the flip sound just as good. While Sarah drives, Kyle listens to heavy metal footsteps on the roof of the bus. Like the characters on screen, we the listeners are struggling to pinpoint exactly where their pursuer is about to attack from. It's just another example of how engaging immersive audio can be when done well. Franchise purists may not love Genisys, but it's hard to fault this incredible Dolby Atmos soundtrack. Highly recommended.
Tomb Raider (2018)
Warner | Buy Now | Dolby Atmos available on Blu-ray, 4K UHD
After two attempts at turning video game star Lara Croft into a full-fledged action movie star, Hollywood has gone back to the drawing board. This time out, the series is going back to Lara's beginnings, taking a more grounded and realistic approach. Angelina Jolie is out and our new Lara Croft is the lovely Alicia Vikander, best known for her work as the alluring cyborg in Alex Garland's brilliant Ex Machina. Vikander's Croft is strong and street-smart, but the quest the film's writers send her on feels too much like a recycled early draft of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Gripes aside, the film is well acted, the action set pieces are compelling without being overblown, and Vikander convincingly raids a tomb like nobody's business. Warner brings the film to disc featuring a highly capable Dolby Atmos soundtrack, available on both the standard Blu-ray and the 4K Ultra HD edition. At sea before her ship is lost, Lara's run-down vessel endures intense storm winds and crashing waves and the entire sequence is quite immersive. The same can be said later in the film when Lara is fleeing thugs on Bad Guy Island; Lara's escape involves climbing on and through a downed war plane. The surround and overhead channels are used to excellent effect here, as the rotting plane creaks and groans in response to the newly-added weight. Hopefully we haven't seen the last of Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft. Recommended.
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