You can read our full thoughts on Elizabeth Banks' Charlie's Angels in our review of the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray HERE.
Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment brings Elizabeth Banks' Charlie's Angels to Blu-ray as a two-disc combo pack with a Digital Copy code. A Region Free, BD50 disc sits comfortably opposite a DVD-9 copy and housed inside a blue, eco-elite keepcase. At startup, the disc commences with skippable trailers before switching to the standard menu screen with music and full-motion clips.
Springing into action while flaunting bad acting and terrible storytelling, Elizabeth Banks' action-comedy investigates Blu-ray with an outstanding, near-reference 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encode. Coming directly from a digital source, the freshly-minted transfer displays razor-sharp details in all the form-fitting outfits, exposing every stitch and thread with crystal-clear clarity. We can also make the tiniest flaw and imperfection in the buildings of various exotic locations, and every leaf and blade of grass is distinct from a distance. Likewise, facial complexions are exceptional, revealing every wrinkle, pore and negligible blemish in the entire cast. Despite that, there are a couple softer moments and the sharpest edges occasionally waver a tad.
Presented in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio, the HD video also arrives with stunning contrast and brightness balance, showering the explosive action in brilliantly crisp and radiant whites from beginning to end. Meanwhile, black levels are continuously rich and true, giving the clothing and hair a lovely, silky shine while shadows penetrate deep into the screen without sacrificing the finer details, providing the image with appreciable dimensionality. Interestingly, Bill Pope seems to have taken a slightly more subdued approach to the colors, as the overall palette looks somewhat tame and controlled while strongly favoring secondary hues. Primaries remain well saturated and accurately rendered, but pinks and purples enjoy a more eye-catching pop while yellows and orange have an energetic pop. (Video Rating: 94/100)
The Townsend's Angels uncover an international conspiracy equipped only with their wits, military-style skills and a terrifically satisfying DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack.
The movie commences relatively light with a great deal of attention on the dialogue, which is precise and crystal-clear throughout the remainder of the runtime, even during the loudest, more thrilling moments. Once things begin to heat up, the room erupts with various sound effects smoothly panning between the surrounds, expanding the soundfield into an excitingly immersive experience. Granted, the soundscape isn't consistently maintained, but the action-packed sequences definitely add an enjoyable element to the visuals. Meanwhile, the score and song selections exhibit distinct clarity, warmth and excellent definition in the mid-range, reaching the higher frequencies with relative ease and appreciable efficiency. Given some of the over-the-top action scenes, the low-end could arguably be a bit more aggressive and commanding, but it's powerful enough to provide a strong palpable weight to the explosions, gunfire and the overall silliness. (Audio Rating: 90/100)
In spite of whatever justifications the filmmakers supply for excusing the box-office failure of this soft reboot sequel, Elizabeth Banks' Charlie's Angels is ultimately just plain bad and surprisingly dull. The cast shares strong chemistry and a delightful camaraderie caught in the middle of a potentially good plot, but it's all for naught when Banks unsuccessfully fails to make the action visuals the least bit engaging, fun or thrilling. Still, the Angels crash on Blu-ray equipped with an outstanding HD presentation and a terrifically satisfying DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. With a decent set of supplements shared with the UHD, the overall Blu-ray package is, at best, worth a look for the few fans out there.
