Civil War [4K Ultra HD]

Director: Alex Garland

Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny

Release Date: July 9, 2024

A Review By: Kevin Lovell

Film Rating: 9.5/10
Disc Rating: 8/10

Synopsis:

From filmmaker Alex Garland comes a journey across a dystopian future America, following a team of military-embedded journalists as they race against time to reach DC before rebel factions descend upon the White House.

‘Civil War’ tells the harrowing tale of four military embedded journalists amid a brutal civil war raging across America who embark on a dangerous road trip to reach the nation’s capital in the hope of interviewing the president before other factions manage to eventually take control of the capital and white house itself. But getting the interview is only part of the danger as the road through is filled with dangerous threats and enemies around every turn, as their destination is guaranteed to land them on the front lines of it all.

Written and directed by Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Annihilation) who does a fantastic job at the helm of ‘Civil War’ guiding along the unnerving tension and excitement with care and style. The film’s cast includes Kirsten Dunst (The Power of the Dog), Wagner Moura (The Gray Man), Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla), Stephen McKinley Henderson (Beau Is Afraid), Sonoya Mizuno (Crazy Rich Asians) and Nick Offerman (Dumb Money) who each contribute solid and fully capable performances in their respective roles that help this emotional ride to work as well as it does.

‘Civil War’ is a riveting and intense journey through chaos that’s as exciting and thrilling as it is unnerving and terrifying at the same time. The film accompanies four journalists as they travel through a country-wide warzone in an attempt to try and attain a seemingly impossible story that if accomplished would be the highlight of their careers. The film does a tremendous job of adequately capturing the terror of the whole situation while never choosing sides, instead opting to follow the neutral journalists which allows it to cover various perspectives and sides of the conflict and giving each side a chance to be seen both in the manner of their behaviors and actions.

The road trip aspect of the film also allows the film to offer glimpses of different regions and areas and the danger, threats and heroes (or villains?) of each side as well as showcasing the trauma and consistent effect the events have on the journalists it follows as they are confronted with one horrifying event and near death experience after another. It’s a time when anything and everything held dear by any citizen is threatened and almost nowhere is entirely safe other than off the grid in select areas and while some choose to hide and pretend the conflict isn’t happening others are  more than willing to fight, some perhaps a little too much even.

Overall, ‘Civil War’ delivers a tense and brutal look at a country in disarray as four journalists travel across an America at war while documenting the fight, brutality and clashes of opinions on each end as they head into the front lines of the conflict. It’s a powerful film that’s as terrifying and potentially realistic as it is heartfelt and open-minded, allowing the viewer to decide who might be right or wrong as things crumble. ‘Civil War’ is highly recommended, especially for fans of Alex Garland’s work as well as anyone that appreciates a truly intense, powerful and at times unapologetically unnerving ride that feels eerily close to a potential reality in our current world. If you’re already at all interested in the film but didn’t have the opportunity to catch it in theaters, then it should be well worth your time and the price of a rental at the very least and this one is well worth checking out.

VIDEO:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of ‘Civil War’ features a full 2160p Ultra High Definition presentation with Dolby Vision and HDR-10, presented in its original 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio. The video presentation looks magnificent all around and provides a sharp, clean and beautifully detailed presentation from start to finish that never suffers from any issues or faults to be uncovered along the way. Detail is outstanding on everything from characters, vehicles and the expansive views of the war-torn cities and states, as well as the capitol itself, while the Dolby Vision HDR only makes much of it that much more remarkable by contributing some rich, lifelike colors that stand out on vehicles, burning forests and plenty more throughout. Overall, this is an outstanding Ultra High Definition video presentation that impresses at every turn and should have fans and first time viewers ecstatic.

AUDIO:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release features a Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 channel compatible) soundtrack. Please note that this review pertains solely to the Dolby TrueHD 7.1 audio presentation. This multichannel soundtrack is an aggressive treat itself and delivers a clean, crisp and hard hitting audio presentation throughout. It repeatedly takes full advantage of all seven available channels from the onset with radio static shifting throughout each speaker during the opening logos and hits hard regularly going forward; sending bullets, helicopters and cars, explosions, debris and nature effects, plus plenty more zipping throughout the various speakers frequently while never negatively affecting any dialogue or other audio elements that might be occurring simultaneously. Overall, this is a phenomenal Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible) soundtrack that dazzles throughout and should thrill fans and newcomers alike.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of ‘Civil War’ features the six part making of Documentary ‘Waging Alex Garland’s Civil War’ (running approximately 57 minutes in length) which includes interviews/comments with the cast and crew, plus behind the scenes footage and more. The film’s ‘Theatrical Trailer’ (running approximately 2 minutes) is also included.

*Please note that the above images are taken from the Blu-Ray disc included in the 4K UHD Combo Pack and resized. They do not represent the quality of the 4K Ultra HD disc itself and will additionally suffer quality loss as a result of .jpg compression. Larger versions of each image can be viewed by clicking on the image. All images and content included on the 4K UHD & Blu-Ray release are the property of their respective owners.

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Film Rating: 9.5/10
Disc Rating: 8/10

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‘Civil War’ Arrives on 4K Ultra HD & Blu-ray Combo Packs July 9, 2024 & is Now Available on Digital from A24 & Lionsgate

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You can purchase your copy of ‘Civil War’ on 4K UHD at Amazon HERE!

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