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4K review from AVForumshttps://www.avforums.com/review/creed-i ... view.159934K Picture
Creed II comes to UK Ultra HD Blu-ray courtesy of Warner, who offer up what appears to be the exact same solid 4K disc that their US release was afforded, with the digitally shot footage - captured at resolutions of over 2K but capped at 2K nonetheless by the Digital Intermediate - looking frequently impressive and certainly faithful to the style of the boxing drama.
The disc presents a native 3840 x 2160p resolution image utilising the film's original theatrical aspect ratio of widescreen 2.40:1. It uses 10-bit video depth, a Wide Colour Gamut (WCG) and High Dynamic Range (HDR), as well as Dolby Vision, and is encoded using the HEVC (H.265) codec.
We reviewed the UK Ultra HD Blu-ray release of Creed II on an LG 55B7 Dolby Vision 4K Ultra HD OLED TV with an LG UP970 Dolby Vision 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player.
The 2K-upscaled video presentation still affords a nominal uptick in detail, firming up the clarity and resolving textures and finer flourishes on clothing, skin and hair. Indeed, the broader shots of the boxing arenas are amidst the most impressive, providing better detailing of the crowds, whilst also bringing out the best in the colour palette - which is, as always, where the real improvements lie. WCG and HDR do the heavy lifting, but Dolby Vision is the icing on the cake, allowing the arena sequences to be bathed in a multitude of vibrant, vivid primaries, with further highlights afforded by the boxing outfits. It's not always this glorious, and Creed II does sometimes ride a more subdued tone in terms of style, particularly when it takes to the streets (where lighting does Stallone's makeup no favours) or the dusty training rooms, but it enjoys some surprise training location choices that liven things up and, beyond that, the main bouts are more than enough to provide some near-demo excellence.
4K Sound
The 4K disc provides a full High Definition 3D Object-based audio mix in the form of a superb Dolby Atmos track (although be sure to select it; the disc strangely defaults to DTS-HD MA 5.1) which lands every punch and produces some staggeringly impressive ring-side immersion, crafting a fantastic atmosphere that really draws you into the highs and lows of the boxing drama.
Dialogue remains well-prioritised, afforded clarity and precision throughout, largely dominating the frontal array where necessary, whilst effects are superbly realised during the fight sequences, affording directionality - and impact - to every punishing blow. It's not just about the punches, however, with keen observation levelled at bringing the stage to life, as crowds roar and cheer in your very living room, and the engaging score - defined by some strong song tracks following suit from Creed, a few standout live performances, and the memorable orchestral theme itself - sweeps you up and carries you away. It's a wonderfully immersive track, whose bigger moments will give your system a good workout, remaining demo and reference through and through.
Extras
The small selection of solid but unexceptional extra features provide some nice background into the production, unfortunately relegated to the accompanying Blu-ray disc when they could have easily been ported across.
A quartet of largely interview-dominated Featurettes range in length from 5-15 minutes, and look at the Father-Son themes, the casting of the main antagonist, the main female roles in the movie and the ongoing Rocky legacy, with a further 10 minutes of Deleted Scenes rounding out the package.
Verdict
Fans of both the first movie, and the larger Rocky franchise will find this a worthy addition well worth picking up
Creed II makes for a pretty damn impressive 4K package, replete with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, the latter of which really lands the punches in this solid sequel. Fans of both the first movie, and the larger Rocky franchise will find this a worthy addition - and a worthy edition - well worth picking up.
The Rundown
Movie 7
Picture Quality 8
Sound Quality 10
Extras 6
Overall 8