Paddington 2 appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.39:1 on this 4K UHD Disc. The film came with an appealing Dolby Vision presentation.
Sharpness worked fine. Virtually no softness materialized, so we got a tight, precise image.
Paddington 2 lacked jagged edges or moiré effects, and no edge haloes could be seen. The image also presented no print flaws.
The movie’s palette opted for a heavy emphasis on teal and orange. As tiresome as these choices might be, the 4K UHD depicted them well.
The disc threw in a few extra hues as well, especially when we got pink tones at the prison. HDR gave the colors added zest.
Blacks seemed dark and firm, while low-light shots provided smooth, clear elements. Whites and contrast earned extra punch from HDR. I thought the movie looked terrific.
As for the film’s Dolby Atmos soundtrack, it offered occasional pleasures. Downconverted to Dolby TrueHD 7.1, the mix boasted good stereo presence to music as well as some effects.
Much of the mix opted for general ambience, but a few scenes added life. The opening on a river brought out involving material and a few other action sequences delivered equally vivid sonics. Still, the track stayed with semi-low-key information much of the time, so don’t expect a consistently active track.
Audio quality worked fine, with speech that appeared natural and distinctive, without edginess or other issues. Music sounded lush and full.
Effects provides similarly rich material, as those elements seemed accurate and dynamic, with deep low-end as necessary. Again, this track lacked consistent vivacity, but it still seemed good enough for a “B”.
How did the 4K UHD compare to the original Blu-ray? Both offered identical Atmos audio.
As for the UHD’s Dolby Vision image, it boasted obvious improvements in terms of accuracy, colors and blacks. This release provided a very nice upgrade over an already good BD.
The 4K duplicates the BD’s extras, and we start with an audio commentary from director/co-writer Paul King. He delivers a running, screen-specific look at story/characters and the adaptation of the source material, cast and performances, music, various effects, sets and locations, and related domains.
From start to finish, King brings us a bright, engaging chat. He covers a nice array of topics and discusses them with verve in this solid commentary.
A few featurettes follow, and we go to The Bear Truth. It fills five minutes, 21 seconds with notes from producer David Heyman, creator Michael Bond’s daughter Karen Jankel, Paddington stand-in Lauren Barrand, and actors Julie Walters, Hugh Bonneville, Hugh Grant, and Sally Hawkins.
“Truth” looks at story/characters, cast and performances, and effects used to create the lead. The notes about challenges related to a CG character offer some useful material, but this usually remains a superficial piece.
A tutorial called How to Make a Marmalade Sandwich lasts two minutes, 44 seconds and offers the lesson we expect. Some may find this fun, I guess.
With The Magical Mystery of Paddington’s Pop-Up Book, we find a three-minute, five-second reel that involves King, Heyman, Grant, production designer Gary Williamson, VFX supervisor Glen Pratt, and actor Jim Broadbent.
This show tells us a little about the CG creation of the movie’s pop-up book. It’s a pretty superficial reel.
The Browns and Paddington: A Special Bond goes for five minutes, 45 seconds and includes info from Walters, Bonneville, Hawkins, King, and actors Madeleine Harris and Samuel Joslin.
“Browns” looks at that family and the actors who play them. It turns into another mediocre program.
A look at a secondary character, A Fistful of Marmalade takes up two minutes, 32 seconds and provides comments from Heyman, King, and actor Brendan Gleeson. “Fistful” brings some notes about the Knuckles character, and it winds up as a pretty forgettable affair.
Lastly, The (Once) Famous Faces of Phoenix Buchanan spans three minutes, 46 seconds and brings thoughts from Grant, King, Harris, Joslin, hair/makeup designer Christine Blundell and costume designer Lindy Hemming.
They discuss aspects of the Buchanan character. It’s a slight piece but it comes with a few fun insights.
A music video for “Rain on the Roof” by “Phoenix Buchanan”. This simply offers a musical number done by Hugh Grant’s character. It’s nothing more than an excerpt from the movie’s end credits so it seems like an odd beast.
Nothing about Paddington 2 reinvents any wheels, but the movie executes its material so well that it doesn’t matter. Charming without being cheesy, the film delivers a winning family experience. The 4K UHD offers excellent picture and good audio along with supplements highlighted by a strong commentary. Paddington 2 overcomes potential pitfalls and turns into a likable tale.
To rate this film visit original review of PADDINGTON 2
