Armed with a clear vision and a brazen 78-page plan, Richard Williams (Will Smith) is determined to write his daughters, Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena (Demi Singleton), into history. Training on Compton, California’s abandoned tennis courts – rain or shine – the girls are shaped by their father’s unyielding commitment and their mother’s (Aunjanue Ellis) balanced perspective and keen intuition, defying the seemingly insurmountable odds and prevailing expectations laid before them.
Based on the true story that will inspire the world, “King Richard” follows the uplifting journey of a family whose unwavering resolve and unconditional belief ultimately delivers two of the world’s greatest sports legends.
For in-depth thoughts on King Richard, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
King Richard comes to Blu-Ray with a stunning 1080p transfer which comes from a 2K source. The film leans toward the warmer side of the spectrum which matches the locations that populate the film quite nicely. The color palette is fairly neutral throughout most of the film, but there are the significant pops of color, such as certain elements of the environment and the vibrant professional tennis courts. Black levels hold up well with no glaring instances of black crush present. Digital noise and banding present as only a very minor issue with this release. The amount of distinct clarity and detail present on this Blu-Ray is truly something to behold. Subtle details on faces are amazingly clear and fine texture such as facial hair holds up surprisingly well both in close-ups and long shots. This is a great presentation for a very visually polished film. The film is also available on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, but that was not made available for review at this time.
Audio Quality
This disc comes equipped with an incredibly effective Dolby Atmos presentation that fully immerses you in this world. There are elements in this track that are truly enveloping, such as the sounds of spectators in the crowd. Sounds are appropriately rendered with precise directionality from the more thrilling scenes to the quieter dialogue-driven scenes filled with subtle whispers. The score from Kris Bowers brings this film to life in a really thrilling way. Dialogue is presented perfectly clear without ever being overwhelmed by any of the competing sonic elements. The low end is engaged well as an extension of certain exciting elements including the ending tennis match. The sound design of this film is quite intense, and the implementation of environmental sounds are executed very effectively. The mix here is very well done with nice engagement of all the channels, which makes this track more than satisfactory for fans of the film.
Special Features
- Following The Plan – The Making Of King Richard: A nine-minute featurette in which the cast and creative team discuss bringing this story to the screen, the importance of having collaboration with the family, the performance of Will Smith and how he drew from his life, the direction of Reinaldo Marcus Green, the need to have the presence of Aunjanue Ellis as Oracene as a balance to Richard, filming the tennis scenes and more.
- Becoming Richard: A nearly seven-minute piece in which the cast and crew discuss the real-life character of Richard Williams and how this film approached telling his incredible story. This discusses the narrative depth such as including the positive and negative aspects of the man, plus the physical transformation of Will Smith into this role and his bond with the young actors on set.
- Champions On Screen: A six-minute featurette which takes a look at how this film set to tell the story of the Williams family honestly. There are discussions about the training that went into perfecting tennis and how the cast formed a connection so quickly.
- Deleted Scenes: A three-minute selection of unused material including an alternate version of Richard talking to Macci about coming to evaluate the girls and another discussion between the two about their approach to coaching. These are fine scenes, but I can understand why they were cut for time.
Final Thoughts
King Richard is the type of impressive mid-budget adult drama that we sadly very rarely get anymore. The film may appear better than it actually is due to the lack of films of similar scale, but it is deserving of most of the accolades it has been receiving. The narrative is rousing even if the film could have possibly been even more effective if Richard was not the focal point. The performances are the biggest reason to seek this one out as there is not a weak link across the board. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray featuring a terrific A/V presentation and a couple of brief supplements. If you are capable, it might be better to spring for the 4K UHD Blu-Ray, but this film is worth owning either way. Recommended
King Richard is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 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.
