From director Clint Eastwood comes “American Sniper,” starring Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle, whose skills as a sniper made him a hero on the battlefield. But there was much more to him than his skill as a sharpshooter. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle is sent to Iraq with only one mission: to protect his brothers-in-arms. His pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield, and as stories of his courageous exploits spread, he earns the nickname “Legend.” However, his reputation is also growing behind enemy lines, putting a price on his head and making him a prime target of insurgents. He is also facing a different kind of battle on the home front: striving to be a good husband and father from halfway around the world. Despite the danger, as well as the toll on his family at home, Chris serves through four harrowing tours of duty in Iraq, personifying the spirit of the SEAL creed to “leave no one behind.” But upon returning to his wife, Taya (Sienna Miller), and kids, Chris finds that it is the war he can’t leave behind.
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Video Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of American Sniper offers a decent uptick in quality over the stellar previous Blu-Ray. This release only includes a 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc, but we have the Blu-Ray release from 2015 for comparison. The most notable upgrades are in the more subtle aspects such as the handling of the black levels and banding. This new presentation feels closer to perfection with elements taking place in the cover of darkness finely delineated. These moments reveal more depth to the image with outlines crisply defined. A critical sandstorm late in the narrative also causes much less banding with this new presentation even if there is still a touch visible in a few spots. The black levels stay deep while the highlights are more defined with whites more pure and balanced with no instances of blooming to be found.
Skin tones appear a touch more natural with healthy doses of crisp detail apparent on faces such as the parade on men with stubble. This is not intended to be a film bursting with color, instead leaning more towards a desaturated palette. Yet specific environments in the United States radiate with a greater intensity than ever before in HDR10. Key details like fiery explosions and sparks look incredible here. The transfer reveals an increase in the depth of field while looking down the barrel of the sniper rifle. In the warzones, you can more clearly make out textures within the debris and similar elements. There does not appear to be much in the way of noise reduction or black crush. The Blu-Ray has done a good job until now, but Warner Bros. has upped the ante with the wonderful new 4K release.
Audio Quality
The film ports over the Dolby Atmos track from the Blu-Ray release that has always been a real monster. This is a spacious and detailed track that opens up this world with precision. Directionality is never an issue and dialogue is not overshadowed by the various competing sounds like loud special effects or the score. We did not experience any clipping during even the more intense sequences. Every sonic element is in harmony with one another as they maintain an excellent fidelity. All of the speakers are getting a mighty workout to create an all-enveloping sound. The height channels are more purposefully engaged for some nice texture overhead to enrich the overall experience. The low end kicks like a mule with various explosions and gunshots. This track is the ideal representation of this material.
Special Features
- One Solider’s Story – The Journey of American Sniper: A 31-minute documentary that explores the interest in Kyle before he wrote his book, the relationship developed before his death, how the depiction of Kyle evolved within the screenplay, the casting process, how they wanted to tackle the family life, the direction of Clint Eastwood, the shooting locations, and much more.
- Chris Kyle – The Man Behind the Legend: A nearly 31-minute special that explores the real-life Chris Kyle as told by those who knew him best.
- Clint Eastwood: A Cinematic Legacy – The Heart of a Hero: A 15-minute look at Eastwood’s career and how he has brought many complicated individuals to the screen.
- Navy SEALs – In War and Peace: A 30-minute exploration of the history and ethos of Navy SEALS as narrated by Bradley Cooper.
- Bringing the War Home – The Cost of Heroism: A 21-minute featurette about PTSD and how it is treated in real-life and on screen.
- The Making of American Sniper: A nearly 29-minute piece that explores the development of the film from the earliest script phase to completion. This touches on much of the same material as the earlier documentary.
- Guardian: A nearly five-minute featurette that gives a brief overview of Chris Kyle and how Bradley brought him to the screen.
Final Thoughts
American Sniper is a somewhat limited perspective of one man’s life as a battle-tested warrior with undeniable skills. Despite the biased nature of a film based largely on a book by the subject, this is not quite the purely jingoistic war cry it is often accused of being. The combination of the script and Bradley Cooper’s terrific performance brings to life a man psychologically wrecked by his actions in the military. Outside of a few flashy moments, war is not glorified, yet it is not condemned with a heavy hand either. Clint Eastwood directs this with confidence and keeps you fully engaged in both the personal and wartime aspects of the story. If you can accept that this is a Hollywood version of a complicated individual, you can appreciate this as a strong cinematic outing. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray that offers fans of the series an incredible A/V upgrade and all of the various legacy special features. Recommended
American Sniper is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
