Kevin Hart stars in a heartwarming true story about a widowed dad who copes with doubts, fears, heartache and dirty diapers as he sets out to raise his daughter on his own.
For thoughts on Fatherhood, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
[youtube https://youtu.be/BxgZJ–nfPI?t=1640]
Video Quality
Fatherhood comes to Blu-Ray in a 1080p presentation in its original 2.39:1 that is quite lovely. This is a competently shot film with numerous shots where you can see an incredible amount of detail. The film relies heavily on interior sequences featuring domestic production design which provide a nice reference to showcase the depth at play in the image. The skin tones look very detailed and natural all around. The film plays very well with the colors on display from the greens of the foliage to the hues from the outfits. This is a film with a natural color palette that is reproduced perfectly here with a pleasing radiance. The white levels are handled with precision, along with deep blacks that do not appear to suffer from any crush or compression artifacts. There are no obvious signs of any noise or other such digital nuisances. This presentation is very strong and renders even better than the compressed Netflix stream.
Audio Quality
The film comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that is straightforward and well balanced as it executes all of the sounds in the film. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear without being overwhelmed by any of the other sounds. Environmental effects flesh out the soundscape of this world which this track brings to life quite capably. The use of the rear channels to create a fully immersive world works quite well. The directionality is quite precise so sounds always present as natural when coming from their respective points. Activity in the low end is not the most aggressive but what is there adds texture to the proceedings. The track is most active when the music is permeating the room in a really wonderful way. Sony has delivered a terrific track for the film.
Special Features
- Previews: There are trailers provided for A Journal For Jordan, Uncharted, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse Part One and Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Final Thoughts
Fatherhood is a surprisingly emotional turn from star Kevin Hart, and it is a role that ranks among his strongest dramatic work yet. There are some amusing moments of broad comedy, but what is really pleasing to see is the depth of feeling he brings to his character. The movie does not challenges any conventions, but execution from director Paul Weitz gets the most out of this material. Knowing that it is based on a real-life story only strengthens your attachment to the film, especially when you know the details. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray with a strong A/V presentation but pretty much nothing in the way of special features. The film is not awards worthy, but it is the type of star-driven, well-constructed family drama that is rarity in the modern landscape that we miss. Recommended
Fatherhood is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Sony Pictures 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.
