Ultra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews

The year is 1942, and Max (Brad Pitt) is a Canadian working with British Intelligence deep undercover in French Morocco, teamed for the first time with Marianne (Marion Cotillard), a cunning operative for the French Resistance. Together they face incredible danger and the sad realities of the life they’ve chosen, only to fall in love. Back in England, they find themselves married with a child while the war still rages, but Marianne is suddenly the target of suspicion: Could this woman who has so dutifully risked her life in service to the Allies possibly be a spy for the Germans? With his entire family at stake, Max sets out to uncover the truth, a perilous journey with some unexpected, unwelcome twists.

Captured on high-resolution video, Allied shows some of the best and worst of the technology in this 4K Blu-ray presentation. The 2.4:1 image is ridiculously sharp and clear. Brad is looking a little tired, his makeup detectable. The Oscar-nominated costumes are given a stunning showcase, their fine textures evident while exploiting the vast Ultra HD color palette. Some of the brighter scenes display a harsh “digital” appearance, and this shifting visual character between different scenes can be distracting. High Dynamic Range is well utilized, appreciable in the interplay of the desert sun and the ample shadows of Act One, or when a dimly lit car cruises through the town at night. Later, a flaming plane slices dramatically across a dark sky, and tracer bullets cut an especially bold swath through the blackness during an air raid.

The DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack creates convincing period environments with the thoughtful mix of little details across the 5.1- channel soundfield, from busy street scenes to a bustling office. We feel what it’s like to be safe inside a car while a sandstorm rages just beyond the windows. This being wartime, there’s also no shortage of explosions and gunshots, including some substantial battle scenes with the requisite punch to convey their power. Alan Silvestri’s musical score adds an enveloping emotional undercurrent, although it seems to borrow extensively from his work for Cast Away. And when Marion spews that fancy French, it sure does sound pretty.

The 4K bundle includes an UltraViolet/iTunes Digital Copy in addition to a 1080p Blu-ray of the movie plus ten behind-the-scenes featurettes. Ranging from three-and-a-half to ten minutes each, they explore a wide selection of topics, including the era-accurate weapons and vehicles as well as the special effects and production design.

Blu-Ray
Studio: Paramount, 2016
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Audio Format: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Length: 125 mins.
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Brad Pitt, Marion Cotillard, Jared Harris