Guardians of the Galaxy, released in 2014, was a film nobody would have thought of as being a success, yet it blew everyone away. This was the first film in the MCU film to take the audience on a galactic journey throughout the cosmos. The film is visually stunning, and the 4K physical media version does justice to the film’s expansive space scenes. The physical media 4K comes with an upscaled 3840 x 2160p resolution image in the original theatrical aspect ratio of widescreen 2.4:1. The 10-bit video depth and Wide Colour Gamut give the image superior colour handling. The High Dynamic Range (HDR) further enhances the colours, making them pop with neon influence and primary opulence. The film’s detail remains impressive, from the worn-out look of the ships and costumes to the battle-ravaged landscapes. The fleet of starfighters and gigantic enemy destroyers add to the grand-scale action, and the effects blend in seamlessly with the live-action footage.
Although the film’s original digital intermediate was a 2K version, the 4K upscale enhances every nuance of the image. The film’s texture and finer object work are visible beneath the surface, making for a more immersive experience. The black levels are deeper, making the experience darker than the Blu-ray version, but with a broader range from peak brightness to inky blackness, affording better nuance and superior shadow detail.
The Dolby Atmos track is an object-based high-definition immersive audio upgrade, which adds a new dimension to the film’s already impressive sound mix. The mix offers a wholesome weight and depth to the film’s engaging score, which permeates the array and keeps everything engulfing in form. The sound effects are outstanding, bringing more fantastical, futuristic tech to life. The effects range from hand blasters to potential planet-blasters, and the ships are wondrously realized in all their imaginative innovation. The dynamics impress with a certain degree of separation across the discrete channels. There are plenty of low-frequency effects (LFE) to go around, and the track is not lacking in the bass department.
Although the video and audio quality are impressive, they do not earn a demo or reference nod. Nonetheless, Guardians of the Galaxy remains an upgrade over its Blu-ray counterpart, and fans will want to close out their 4K collection with this last missing release.
The film’s humor and characters remain an integral part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Guardians are hilarious, and their journey in the film is unforgettable. The outstanding Thor/Guardians combo can only make fans more eager to see what Marvel has in store for the audience in the future.
In conclusion, Guardians of the Galaxy is a visual and auditory masterpiece that takes the audience on a journey through the galaxy. The film’s 4K version enhances the already impressive video and audio quality, making for a more immersive experience. The film’s humor and characters remain an integral part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the outstanding Guardians combo can only make fans more eager for future films. The 4K physical media of Guardians of the Galaxy is a must-have for any MCU fan.
8.1/10
Sign up for the MovieGainz Email Newsletter and never miss out on another one of our 4K/UHD Physical Media movie reviews or analysis around the physical media we love.
