So, here’s one for you…
Who wears a Black suit (Spoiler…and sometimes White one) and has some Red in her ledger?
Well Natasha of course… but, one way or another, so does the the whole family.
It seems like it was just yesterday when we saw an experimental release strategy (simultanious in-theater and same-day streaming on July 9., 2021) by Marvel Studios and its distributorThe Walt Disney Corp for the Black Widow solo film (and at roughly 60-days between theatrical and home release, it kinda was like yesterday)!
We are physical media fans around here, so having the disc in-hand this quickly is amazing. I’m not sure how they did it, but it’s certainly setting a standard. Looking back, it seems hard to believe there was a day when waiting up-to a year to get any kind of home-release version of media was the norm. We’ve invested alot of time and money into our dedicated home theater, including hard-wired streaming media devices (for ultra-stable and reliable connections) to stay ready. However, for top-shelf experiences, it will always remain true that having the physical disc will be our prefered way to watch.
Don’t get me wrong, considering the global situation over the last 20+ months (give or take), I’m not complaining about the streaming access (not even a little). I really appreciate the ability to have streaming access (and to be able to control the room). Still though, we realize not everyone can do it this way. Some are stuck watching a major release on the same (or smaller) screen they watch videos of kittens on, so they desperately yearn for the safe return of commercial theaters. Despite this, in times like these, we know normal is off the table. In my opinion, studios and distributors should be willing to meet consumers in the middle. What I mean by that, is what I’ve been saying (and continue to say) through-out this whole time; Marvel/Disney+ should follow the WarnerBros/HBOmax release path of getting things out to us, even if that means streaming and being less profitable for the moment. Not everyone can go to a theater right now. In some cities, theaters have become collateral damage, and extended shut-downs now mean permanant closures. Choosing streaming over delaying the release means that studios could have stayed on track with their schedules and we can have the escape from the pandemic (even if it’s just for a few hours and at-home). After-all, isn’t that why we love films, so much… going to unseen places, experiencing adventure, living outside our own heads for a bit? I know, Marvel Studios makes movies for the big screen and I don’t want them to stop (and it’s just as clear that neither do they). But the all or nothing strategy is really not working here, and the news tells us the talent is not happy with the sporatic release plans either. This situation we are all in will improve, but who’s to say the next one won’t be worse or present similar challenges. It would be really dumb for a lesson to not be learned here.
While the Black Widow 4K-disc does suffer from the usual requirement/need to bump up subwoofer channels (and the general lack of more immersive overhead ATMOS effects) like all Disney home-releases, I am still a fan. Back to original question though: How great is this film? More on details in the YouTube channel review but, we really liked what they’ve done over-all. It was a great tale to fill in the gaps of Nat’s story (although I could have used more of her training as flash-backs). No, Taskmaster is not like the comics, but rather exactly what you can expect Marvel Studios would create to subvert your expectations. And props to David Harbour, as the Red Guardian, he really did steal the stage in every scene he was in!
As a collector (in our opinion), you should definately own this film. Whether or not you wait till November (when all the holiday sales start) is the real question; which simply depends on your collectorlevel?
Who’s seen the film? Do you like it, and why?
collectorlevel
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