Ultra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews

In Jason Statham’s latest action-thriller, The Beekeeper, he portrays Adam Clay, a retired operative from a clandestine organization known as “Beekeepers.” After the tragic loss of someone close to him, due in part to the actions of professional online scammers, Clay comes out of the shadows, embarking on a mission to dismantle a system that has corrupt ties to the highest levels of government.

I am a Jason Statham fan and looked forward to seeing The Beekeeper. It’s far from original, conceptually speaking, containing the requisite formulaic foundation to make for a fairly compelling and somewhat engaging story of justice and retribution. The first two acts are the best, with the third losing the earlier momentum. Regardless, I liked how the unfolding plot was handled, as well as the reliance on style-over-substance storytelling. The action is purposefully overdone, fitting neatly within the context of the story, while giving Statham the opportunity to show off his talents and charisma. Despite its narrative shortcomings, The Beekeeper is entertaining, proving yet again that star Jason Statham still has the chops to deliver the goods for those of us who appreciate his skill set.

The master was derived from 4.6K sources and finished on a 4K digital intermediate. This action-based film relies on stylized visuals that employ stark contrast, vivid chromatic elements, and some CGI. With appreciable levels of delineation and richness of color, the image appears refined and vivid. When brought together, the combination of color, sepia, and gradational gray tones is visually engaging. High dynamic range proved a defining element, underscoring the dimension in blacks and shadows. The various firefights, explosions, and brilliant light during the violent encounters were the highlights of the HDR implementation.

The Dolby Atmos mix is a blend of atmospherics, discrete effects, and music, which combine to create an appreciable level of sonic immersion. This showcases the action sequences as sounds rotate and revolve around the soundstage, from both above and at ear level, making for an involving surround sound display. Dialogue rendering is terrific, as it holds sway over the front soundstage. Emboldened dynamic range renders the active elements within the surround mix with superior clarity and palpable, deep bass transients.

Disappointingly, there are no bonus features offered in this barebones Ultra HD Blu-ray/digital release. A digital copy code is the only thing included.

The Beekeeper isn’t destined to win any awards, but it is pitch-perfect popcorn entertainment that looks and sounds great on Ultra HD Blu-ray.

ULTRA HD 4K BLU-RAY
STUDIO: Warner 2024
ASPECT RATIO: 2.39:1
HDR FORMAT: HDR10
AUDIO FORMAT: Dolby Atmos with TrueHD 7.1 core
LENGTH: 105 mins., R
DIRECTOR: David Ayer
STARRING: Jason Statham, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Josh Hutcherson, Bobby Naderi, Minnie Driver, Jeremy Irons, Phylicia Rashad.