Hancock Blu-ray

Hancock

 (2008)

Action | Comedy | Crime | Drama | Fantasy | Sci-Fi | Thriller



There are heroes... there are superheroes... and then there's Hancock (Will Smith). With great power comes great responsibility — everyone knows that — everyone, that is, but Hancock. Disgruntled, conflicted, sarcastic, and misunderstood, Hancock's well-intentioned heroics might get the job done and save countless lives, but always seem to leave jaw-dropping damage in their wake. The public has finally had enough — as grateful as they are to have their local hero, the good citizens of Los Angeles are wondering what they did to deserve this guy. Hancock isn't a man who cares what people think — until the day that he saves the life of PR executive Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman), and the unpopular superhero begins to realize that he may have a vulnerable side after all.

For more details about Hancock on Blu-ray, see the Hancock Blu-ray Review

Starring: Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman, Eddie Marsan, Johnny Galecki
Director: Peter Berg

Hancock Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


Hancock saves the day on Blu-ray with a very good, but not exceptional, 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer. The image sports tremendous detail but offers a color scheme that sometimes pushes particular colors, including greens, reds, and yellows, giving the film a rather uneven look. The movie is also just a bit dark, obscuring some of the fine detail throughout. Also hindering the visible level of detail is unsteady camerawork, the image not always able to focus and revel in its imagery, leaving many of the backgrounds, and some of the foregrounds, blurry and undefined. The film's prison sequence is highly stylized, the image awash in bright whites and a hint of bright blue, accentuated by only Hancock's orange jump suit. Still, when the film slows down enough, the level of visible detail is generally extraordinary. A scene where a basketball escapes from the inside of the prison fence particularly stands out. As Hancock retrieves it, the dirt on the ground features great texture and detail as every granule is seemingly visible, and the wear-and-tear on the prison yard basketball lends to the image a nice vitality and level of realism that brings the scene to life. A fine layer of grain is retained over the entirety of the image, lending to the transfer a nice cinematic look and feel. The transfer exhibits nary a blemish, as expected of a recent release. Black levels are also incredibly rock-solid throughout, but flesh tones feature a rosy tint. There is enough good here to make the transfer an overall pleasing experience, and it has the look and feel of being true to its source, a rather dark, jumpy, perhaps even at times messy look, and it is replicated rather well on this Blu-ray disc.

Hancock Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack that accompanies Hancock never quite reaches the level of reference quality one might expect from a high profile popcorn action movie. Nevertheless, it is a good soundtrack, but not quite as robust or engaging as other, similar soundtracks. A rap song that plays the first time Hancock takes flight lacks a bit of punch, but comes through with excellent clarity and spacing, flowing nicely from each speaker. Surrounds are also active through most of the picture, generally in support of the front, carrying much of the atmosphere, and offering some discrete effects during the action sequences, though there is sometimes not a sense of total immersion. The track features several standout moments, such as when Hancock takes off like a rocket, breaking the pavement beneath his feet, perhaps even surpassing the speed of sound, the audio forcefully pushing through the soundstage full-throttle. Each of the film's in-flight sequences, for that matter, are engaging and bass-heavy. A multi-tornado, extreme weather event sequence in chapter 12 is especially exciting as the sound englufs the listening area with its destructive force, the scene as good as anything Twister threw at Blu-ray audiences earlier this year. A police shootout sequence in chapter seven is also well done. While there isn't as much rear channel activity as one might expect form this sort of scene, the shots reverberate through the soundstage with nice impact, clarity, and volume. A dialogue sequence in chapter nine between Hancock and a bank robber features solid dialogue reproduction, including an echoing effect that reverberates into the back. Hancock presents listeners with a mix that is far more than adequate, but it feels like a slight letdown next to some of the best action-oriented soundtracks on the market today.

Hancock Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Today on Blu-ray - November 25th - November 25, 2008


• Hancock Special Features Revealed - September 2, 2008


• Hancock Gets Blu-ray Date - August 29, 2008

Hancock Blu-ray, Forum Discussions

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