News of the World (Blu-ray) review

[David Vaughn]

Studio: Universal 
Release Date: March 23, 2021
Rating: PG-13
Film: 3/5
 
Plot
Five years after the Civil War, Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd (Tom Hanks – Captain Phillips, Saving Private Ryan) moves from town to town as a non-fiction storyteller, sharing the news from the far reaches of the globe. In the plains of Texas, he crosses paths with a 10-year-old girl (Helena Zengel – Systems Crasher, Die Tochter) taken in by the Kiowa people and raised as one of their own. Kidd agrees to deliver the child where the law says she belongs. As they travel hundreds of miles into the unforgiving wilderness, the two face tremendous challenges of both human and natural forces as they search for a place they can call home.
 
My Thoughts
This was a title I requested in 4K, but alas, the studio sent me the Blu-ray. Regardless, it was something I had wanted to see being a fan of Hanks’ work. The first act starts as a very slow burn and things really don’t pick up until the third act. Unfortunately, neither my wife or I felt anything for the characters by that point and we felt it was about 15 minutes longer than it needed to be. The acting is good, but I didn’t find the screenplay that compelling and the not-so-subtle political narrative bothered both of us. Then again, maybe we are so hypersensitive given today’s world that we saw something that wasn’t really there.
 
The A/V quality is excellent and probably the highlight of the production was the cinematography, which makes me even more disappointed that I didn’t get the 4K version. Blacks are slightly crushed in the first act but that may have been intentional because they are much better as the film plays out. The audio track is better than expected mainly due to some gunshots that really utilize the full spectrum of sound and the Atmos is put to good use in some rainstorms.
 
 
Video 4.5/5
 
Audio 4.5/5 (Dolby Atmos)
 
Special Features:
 

• Deleted Scenes
• Partners: Tom Hanks and Helena Zengel
• Western Action
• Paul Greengrass Makes News of the World
• The Kiowa
• Audio Commentary

 

 
Conclusion
While this isn’t a bad film, it really didn’t meet my high expectations. The slow start didn’t help and neither my wife nor I could connect with the characters. Thankfully the presentation was strong and that kept my attention for the two-hour runtime. Give it a rent.
 
 
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS2000 4K Ultra High Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 88” 16x9 Fixed Screen
Anthem AVM60 Audio/Video Processor
ATI AT527NC Powering Bed ChannelsATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
System Controller: URC MX-980M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
SVS PC-Ultra Cylinder Subwoofer
HSU VTF-15H MK2 Subwoofer
SVS SB-3000 Subwoofer
JL Audio Dominion D110 Subwoofer x 2 (configured as tandem mid bass modules)
Mini DSP controlling all subwoofers
Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling

PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner

[AVSCraig]

" Woke screenplay ", eh? 

[Ralph P.]

Greetings,

I liked this one more than you guys Dave. Agree with you regarding the audio/video presentation. It looks great in both 4K and 1080p.


Regards,

[David Vaughn]

Greetings,

I liked this one more than you guys Dave. Agree with you regarding the audio/video presentation. It looks great in both 4K and 1080p.


Regards,

They like you more than me....you got the 4K!

[bmoney]

They still like both of you better than me lol I got the zeroK version lol

[AVSCraig]

Greetings,

I liked this one more than you guys Dave. Agree with you regarding the audio/video presentation. It looks great in both 4K and 1080p.


Regards,

I watched this last night with a couple of friends. I loved it - being a fan of westerns and Tom Hanks, what's not to like? The picture and especially the audio on the 4K disc were outstanding, as was the cinematography. I didn't really read any political narrative into this film either. There have always been racist a-holes all over the planet. The guy demanding his news be read was just a megalomania. He caught a bullet - problem solved! The young actress that played Johanna was outstanding. All in all, a good movie! I particularly liked the ending.  

[David Vaughn]

I watched this last night with a couple of friends. I loved it - being a fan of westerns and Tom Hanks, what's not to like? The picture and especially the audio on the 4K disc were outstanding, as was the cinematography. I didn't really read any political narrative into this film either. There have always been racist a-holes all over the planet. The guy demanding his news be read was just a megalomania. He caught a bullet - problem solved! The young actress that played Johanna was outstanding. All in all, a good movie! I particularly liked the ending. 

I think my high expectations didn't help matters much. I'll revisit it at some point in the future and hopefully I'll enjoy it more. Totally agree about the kid...she's great. 

[AVSCraig]

I think my high expectations didn't help matters much. I'll revisit it at some point in the future and hopefully I'll enjoy it more. Totally agree about the kid...she's great.

I need to re-watch " The Searchers " with John Wayne now. Another female kidnap victim western! 

[bmoney]

def need to view this one again soon

[SRW1000]

Finally got this one from Netflix this week.  I think I liked it less than you, but my wife thought it was OK.

The ending was so obvious from the opening minutes of the film that it just felt like a chore finally getting to the end.  I agree with you on the characters, none were endearing, and so many of the supporting roles were just simple, shallow, stereotypes, and often only used primarily to hammer home those socio-political points.

Production values were high, and they did competent job of creating a realistic setting.

The real weakness was the plot.  The idea of a guy going around the Old West reading the news was an interesting premise, and there could have been an exciting and interesting story built around that.  Adding the plot with the child and wife just set the movie on such a straight-forward track that it never really caught my imagination or interest.  I had a bad feeling about it early on, when the camera focused on his wife for way too long instead of just a subtle a glance.  It felt a bit condescending to the audience by over-emphasizing it just to make sure the obvious wasn't overlooked by the unwashed masses; telegraphing the plot points rather than having them naturally play out.

Glad to see that there's still some interest in producing westerns these days, though.  The genre is still ripe for interesting storytelling.

Scott

[David Vaughn]

Finally got this one from Netflix this week.  I think I liked it less than you, but my wife thought it was OK.

The ending was so obvious from the opening minutes of the film that it just felt like a chore finally getting to the end.  I agree with you on the characters, none were endearing, and so many of the supporting roles were just simple, shallow, stereotypes, and often only used primarily to hammer home those socio-political points.

Production values were high, and they did competent job of creating a realistic setting.

The real weakness was the plot.  The idea of a guy going around the Old West reading the news was an interesting premise, and there could have been an exciting and interesting story built around that.  Adding the plot with the child and wife just set the movie on such a straight-forward track that it never really caught my imagination or interest.  I had a bad feeling about it early on, when the camera focused on his wife for way too long instead of just a subtle a glance.  It felt a bit condescending to the audience by over-emphasizing it just to make sure the obvious wasn't overlooked by the unwashed masses; telegraphing the plot points rather than having them naturally play out.

Glad to see that there's still some interest in producing westerns these days, though.  The genre is still ripe for interesting storytelling.

Scott

Scott,

To show how forgettable the movie was, I had to go back and read my own review to remember the plot. Ouch!!!

Thanks for chiming in after all this time though. I'm glad they are still making westerns as well.