Super 8, the review of JJ Abrams’ 4K sci-fi film
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Super 8, the review of JJ Abrams’ 4K sci-fi film
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Super 8 the 2011 film directed by JJ Abrams and produced by Steven Spielberg, arrives on the market with a new Home Video edition 4K Ultra HD. The film was a box office success and grossed more than $260 million worldwide.
Super 8 – The plot of the film
The plot of the film follows a group of teenage friends from a small American town who, intent on making an amateur film in 1979, witness a mysterious train crash that will soon reveal an important government secret.
The plot of the film is filled with mystery and adventure, with a series of surprising events and twists that keep the viewer glued to the screen. It all kicks off with a mysterious train crash, in which a freight train crashes into a bus full of students, causing a devastating explosion. Joe’s young friends witness the accident and decide to investigate on their own. In the course of their investigations, they uncover a government secret that sends them in a race against time to uncover the truth and save their city.
More specifically, the film was set in the summer of 1979, a time when America was going through social change with the onset of booming pop culture. The film perfectly captures the essence of that period, and leads the viewer to immerse themselves in a retro atmosphere that transports the eyes of the beholder back in time.
Production
The cast of the film is made up of young actors, including Joel Courtney and Elle Fanning, and Kyle Chandler, all of whom received praise for their performances in the film. Joel Courtney plays young Joe Lamb, the leader of the group of friends who are shooting the amateur film. Elle Fanning plays Alice Dainard, a young actress who joins the group and finally Kyle Chandler plays Joe’s father, Captain Jackson Lamb, a man intent on struggling to overcome the death of his wife and become a father best for your son.
Finally, the soundtrack of the film was composed by Michael Giacchino and perfectly captures the essence of the era and fits perfectly with the plot of the film. The film’s soundtrack also received an Academy Award nomination.
The quality of the video sector
The new 4K Ultra HD edition of the film is able to offer a noteworthy visual experience even if from the first images the feeling is that something may be missing. HEVC H.265 encoding is outstanding and gives us sharp and detailed images. However, despite using a native 4K transfer, we don’t notice any major differences compared to the high definition version. Obviously, compared to the latter, there are some appreciable improvements, such as the presence of sharp lines and well-defined objects, but overall the leap in quality we hoped there was not completely on target, especially in night scenes, where the technical limitations are more evident.
However, a very positive note with regard to the contrast and brightness sectors, both improved together with the colors on the support of Dolby Vision HDR technology.
Overall, although this 4K Ultra HD edition is not perfect from a video point of view, we are still dealing with a film capable of conveying the nostalgic vibes of its times. Therefore, Super 8 is worth seeing and enjoying.
The quality of the audio sector
This 4K Ultra HD edition of Super 8 is able to give its maximum audio expression, first-rate, through the Dolby TrueHD 7.1 soundtrack in English. However, as far as the Italian language is concerned, this edition has a lighter trace at 5.1. Among the sore points we find the lack of the Atmos option, which certainly could have offered an additional level of depth and a greater width of the stage.
Having said that, this edition remains from an excellent audio point of view, almost a point of reference capable of putting any enthusiast’s system to the test. Indeed, the tracks are rich and well-balanced even in the loudest and heaviest scenes, maintaining what is extraordinary detailed clarity, with precise and well-defined vocals. Finally, there is also space for the bass, which with this film is powerful and fast enough to follow the scenes on the screen.
We also remind you, in case you are looking for the ultimate audio experience, that most commercially available receiver amplifiers are equipped with some mixing functionality. These usually have the ability to expand the soundstage even further, effectively creating an enveloping atmosphere and completely immersing the listener in the plot and action of the film. Therefore, if you haven’t done so yet, we strongly suggest you pick up the instruction booklet of your equipment so as to discover all its secrets!
The conclusions on the edition of Super 8 in 4K UltraHD
Finally, this new edition of Super 8 in 4K UltraHD, the 2011 film directed by JJ Abrams and written by Abrams and Steven Spielberg, honors the cult production. The edition, subject of this review, is standard in terms of packaging, with a plastic case protected by a light cardboard cover. When it comes to editions taken from the past, we believe that a little more effort can give more taste to collectors, such as even the implementation of a steelbook alone. From a technical point of view, the 4K UHD edition defends itself well, bringing high video quality to the screen which, however, does not differ much from what was seen in the Blu-ray edition. The audio sector is instead really a tornado with its Dolby TrueHD 7.1 version in English that expresses its best. Too bad that the track in Italian stops at only 5.1 channels and the lack of Atmos support which certainly would have given the stage even more breadth. However, thanks also to the presence of numerous additional contents, such as 14 extra scenes and the director’s commentary, Super 8 in 4K UltraHD has proved to be an excellent proposition that deserves the addition in any self-respecting collection.