Madame Web 4K review
Apr 25, 2024- Permalink
“It’s not nice to be a part of something that’s ripped to shreds, but I can’t say that I don’t understand.”
That’s probably not the best staement a studio can expect from a movie’s star but that’s just one of the choice quotes that Dakota Johnson gave the online publication Bustle when asked about Sony’s Madame Web getting ripped to shreds by critics and audiences.
Directed by S.J. Clarkson, it’s the origin story of Cassie Webb (Johnson), a paramedic with visions who is confronting her past while trying to save three young women (Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, Celeste O’Connor) from Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim), who was also involved in the death of Webb’s mother. Sims does everything in his power to prevent the three from reaching their destiny. The film is probably best known for becoming online meme fodder. Sony has now released it on 4K, aimed at either Marvel Universe completists, Dakota Johnson stans , or those who want to own a savaged piece of pop culture.
The 2160p HEVC / H.265 encoded native 4K digital transfer with Dolby Vision and HDR10 is presented in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. You can say what you want about the script, but the transfer team have done a great job with the video presentation. The image is crisp and clean with great detail in facial features, textiles and environments. Black levels are deep and inky with no loss of detail in the shadows, while bold primaries pop off the screen.
On the audio side of things, you have the choice of an English Dolby Atmos track that folds back to Dolby TrueHD 7.1, as well as a French Dolby Digital 5.1 track. Subtitles are available for English SDH, French and Spanish. From the jungles of Peru to the action-packed bustle of the city, the track does a good job immersing the viewer with atmospheric sounds and action effects. The subwoofer does a good but not overpowering job adding some extra bass floor, while the meme-worthy dialogue is clear and centred.
The Madame Web 4K also comes with a Blu-ray copy and a Digital code, though no code is available in Canada. The extras, located on the Blu-ray, are a short collection of behind-the-scenes and story pieces. There are also deleted scenes and a gag reel.
Whether it’s destined to be a drinking game or grow into a “so bad it’s good” midnight screening cult film, the Madame Web 4K does have a very good audio and video transfer. Marvel completists may want to consider adding this to their home library.