https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Creed-II ... 64/#Review
Warner Bros. presents Creed II in a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack and as a separate 4K UHD edition. The former serves up a solid A/V presentation with near reference-quality audio and a handful of short but enjoyable bonus features. Although my slight reservations about the film itself keep it from receiving a higher recommendation, this is a fairly well-rounded package that established fans will enjoy and newcomers should definitely look into.
Video Quality 4.0 of 5
Much like the first movie in this series, Creed II was shot on an ARRI Alexa Mini and ARRI Alexa XT with an output resolution of 2.88K (2880 x 1620) and, on this Blu-ray disc, was scaled down to 1080p.
Also like the original, Creed II favors slice-of-life drama over non-stop visual excitement and Warner Bros.' transfer, framed at the film's approximate original aspect ratio of 2.40:1, handles both sides well enough. Wide outdoor shots and brightly-lit arenas obviously fare the best, with strong levels of texture and detail that showcase the solid cinematography by Kramer Morgenthau. There's also a lot of low indoor lighting on display here: plush hotel rooms, Rocky's modest home and cozy restaurant, Bianca's concert at The Fillmore, a nighttime visit to Max's Steaks, the Delphi Gym, Mary Anne's palatial estate, and other locales. These all vary in mood and, by design, range from tastefully warm and inviting to, well, boring and ordinary. Other scenes venture into even less dazzling territory, including a nighttime chat outside Rocky's home -- under a forever-broken street light, appropriately enough -- that's essentially a series of painfully flat close-ups. (Luckily, the dialogue here is good enough to keep things interesting.) Still, that's not a jab at this Blu-ray in the slightest: Creed II looks almost exactly as it ought to from start to finish, which itself stands toe-to-toe with the first installment despite some of their fundamental differences.
The only problem worth mentioning, and one that's most obvious during a hospital visit just after the 60-minute mark, is some rather nasty banding on the background walls. This issue returns on a few very brief occasions throughout the film but, more often than not, is hardly intrusive and might only be spotted by those specifically looking for it. I didn't see Creed II in theaters so this potential problem may or may not be a source material issue, but one thing's for sure: it's also evident on the 4K edition (reviewed separately) and thus not exclusive to this 1080p transfer.
Audio Quality 5.0 of 5
The audio, on the other hand, is basically perfect...assuming you remember to choose the correct track beforehand, of course. To be fair, the default DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix is no slouch: as expected, it deftly balances the film's quieter moments and punishing in-ring action -- both familiar halves of any installment in the Rocky universe -- to create a lifelike sound stage that envelops the viewer with its realistic, immersive. and dynamic atmosphere. Dialogue is crystal-clear and the score by returning composer Ludwig Göransson also enjoys a strong presence, as well as cuts from the rap-infused soundtrack and even Bianca's "live" performance early on. It's a fine mix and, for those "limited to 5.1", a more than acceptable presentation that gets the job done.
But even within those boundaries, the separate Dolby Atmos track (which again, must be selected manually and also folds down to Dolby TrueHD 7.1 automatically) is the real star of the show. It enjoys a noticeably more hefty presence in almost every department, from channel separation and dynamic range to low frequency, and can all be quite substantial at times. Creed II, like its predecessor -- which also made use of a 7.1 mix -- offers a true sonic showcase during its most intense moments and easily carries that "wow" factor that puts certain sequences squarely into demo disc territory. All three main fights are obvious standouts, from their entrance music all the way to the closing bell. And while the film's less intense moments obviously don't benefit much from these additional two (or more) channels, a more noticeable and fitting contrast between both sides is achieved in the process.
Optional dubs and subtitles are included in several languages, with forced yellow English subtitles that translate the Russian dialogue. All are perfectly legible and placed within the 2.40:1 frame. (Interestingly enough, a major flub during the first Creed-Drago fight -- in which one commentator refers to Viktor as "Ivan" -- is corrected in the subtitles but the original audio remains.)
Special Features and Extras 2.5 of 5
All extras listed below are included on the Blu-ray disc. The DVD omits the first four supplements.
Deleted Scenes (9:46, 1080p) - This short collection of deleted and extended scenes includes "Rocky's Eulogy for Spider Rico", "Max's Cheesesteak Restaurant (Extended)", "Rocky Trains Kids", and "Locker Room". These scenes -- which mostly deal with the theme of closure or "passing the torch" -- stand pretty well on their own and, while they're certainly worth a look, I can see why most of them were trimmed from the main feature.
"Fathers and Sons" (7:16, 1080p) - Key cast and crew members including director Stephen Caple Jr, actors Dolph Lundrgen, Sylvester Stallone, Michael B. Jordan, Florian Munteanu, Andre Ward, producer Irwin Winkler, Sugar Ray Leonard, and others discuss the father/son theme that runs through Creed II and the franchise as a whole, as well as the pros and cons of a son following his father's footsteps into the boxing ring.
"Casting Viktor Drago" (5:43, 1080p) - Florian Munteanu's character is explored in more detail by the actor, from the his initial casting and audition to meeting his childhood hero Sylvester Stallone and training for the film. We also hear from other cast and crew members including Dolph Lundgren, Tessa Thompson, producer William Chartoff, Stallone, stunt coordinator Danny Hernandez, and more.
"The Woman of Creed II" (5:51, 1080p) - Phylicia Rashad and Tessa Thompson talk about their characters, maintaining emotional balance, building on the first Creed, and the important role of real-life boxers' wives and mothers through support, teamwork, and patience.
"Rocky's Legacy" (15:01, 1080p) - Hosted by Dolph Lundgren with comments from several cast and crew members listed above, this short piece serves up a quick and lightweight overview of the Rocky and Creed films with plenty of film clips, favorite moments, production stories, and comments about the films' legacy and impact as a whole. Die-hard fans won't learn anything new here, but it's still good for a once-over.
Overall Score and Recommendation 3.5 of 5
Steven Caple Jr.'s Creed II is an obvious crowd-pleaser: it's got plenty of drama, well-choreographed and executed fight sequences, and enough nostalgia to satisfy long-time fans without feeling too gratuitous. The performances are solid all around, Stallone's continued presence is always welcome, and the father-son themes lead to a couple of genuinely heartfelt moments. Yet as a whole, it's not particularly well-paced during key stretches, rarely building enough momentum to amplify the biggest moments and not showing very much growth for some of its main and supporting characters. I certainly don't consider this film an unworthy installment of the franchise as a whole, but it's a clear half-step down from the first Creed. Warner Bros.' Blu-ray combo pack provides a decent amount of support for the main feature, including a near reference-quality audio presentation and a handful of short but enjoyable bonus features. Obviously recommended to die-hard fans, but not quite the knockout it could've been.
4K review + screenshots
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Creed-II ... 06/#Review
Much like the first movie in this series, Creed II was shot on an ARRI Alexa Mini and ARRI Alexa XT with an output resolution of 2.88K (2880 x 1620) and, on the 4K UHD disc, was upscaled to 2160p.
Although hinted at in my separate Blu-ray review, Creed II's visual style favors low lighting and a smooth, grain-free appearance that doesn't make it a prime candidate for jaw-dropping screen captures. Still, it looks better in-motion and, at times, extremely impressive: wide outdoor shots and brightly-lit arenas obviously fare the best, with strong levels of texture and detail that showcase the solid cinematography by Kramer Morgenthau. Once Adonis and Bianca make a move for the West Coast, the picture warms up and stands in even greater contrast to the Philly scenes and much more blue-tinted Russian and Ukrainian segments. A short underwater sequence, part of Adonis' recovery and training regimen, looks about as good as any such footage I've seen on the format. The spectacular ring entrances, especially during Creed II's thrilling final bout, serve up enough visual excitement to heighten the drama.
These fundamental improvements over the Blu-ray edition range from notable to substantial, both from the format's higher resolution and from the benefits of HDR. What's more is that sometimes the improved color grading elevates more subtle moments, such as those shot in Rocky's restaurant kitchen, the aforementioned underwater scenes, and other mundane locations (locker rooms, etc.), in that the colors stand out more strongly against the dark and dimly-lit backgrounds. While Creed II is still not a flashy picture overall and thus rarely achieves the heights of a true 4K image, what's here is at least a solid step up from the Blu-ray and, for most videophiles, the version to seek out.
The only potential problem worth mentioning -- and one that's most obvious during a hospital visit just after the 60-minute mark -- is some rather nasty banding on the background walls. This issue returns on a few very brief occasions throughout the film but, more often than not, is hardly intrusive and might only be spotted by those specifically looking for it. I didn't see Creed II in theaters so this may or may not be a source material issue, but one thing's for sure: it's also evident on the Blu-ray and thus not exclusive to this 2160p transfer.
Creed II 4K Blu-ray, Audio Quality 5.0 of 5
The audio, on the other hand, is basically perfect...assuming you remember to choose the correct track beforehand, of course. To be fair, the default DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix is no slouch: as expected, it deftly balances the film's quieter moments and punishing in-ring action -- both familiar halves of any installment in the Rocky universe -- to create a lifelike sound stage that envelops the viewer with its realistic, immersive. and dynamic atmosphere. Dialogue is crystal-clear and the score by returning composer Ludwig Göransson also enjoys a strong presence, as well as cuts from the rap-infused soundtrack and even Bianca's "live" performance early on. It's a fine mix and, for those "limited to 5.1", a more than acceptable presentation that gets the job done.
But even within those boundaries, the separate Dolby Atmos track (which again, must be selected manually and also folds down to Dolby TrueHD 7.1 automatically) is the real star of the show. It enjoys a noticeably more hefty presence in almost every department, from channel separation and dynamic range to low frequency, and can all be quite substantial at times. Creed II, like its predecessor -- which also made use of a 7.1 mix -- offers a true sonic showcase during its most intense moments and easily carries that "wow" factor that puts certain sequences squarely into demo disc territory. All three main fights are obvious standouts, from their entrance music all the way to the closing bell. And while the film's less intense moments obviously don't benefit much from these additional two (or more) channels, a more noticeable and fitting contrast between both sides is achieved in the process.
Optional dubs and subtitles are included in several languages, with forced yellow English subtitles that translate the Russian dialogue. All are perfectly legible and placed within the 2.40:1 frame. (Interestingly enough, a major flub during the first Creed-Drago fight -- in which one commentator refers to Viktor as "Ivan" -- is corrected in the subtitles but the original audio remains.)
Warner Bros.' 4K UHD combo pack provides a decent amount of support for the main feature including good use of HDR grading, a near reference-quality audio presentation, and a handful of short but enjoyable bonus features. It's not quite the knockout it could've been and doesn't always stand head-and-shoulders above the Blu-ray, but this 4K disc is obviously superior in a number of key areas.
+ same special features on the 4K as the standard Blu...
