Following the rise of Aretha Franklin’s career from a child singing in her father’s church’s choir to her international superstardom, RESPECT is the remarkable journey of the music icon’s path to find her voice.
For in-depth thoughts on Respect, please see my colleague Michele Arbir’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment brings Respect to Blu-Ray with a really lovely 1080p video presentation. The presentation provides a significant amount of depth on display, especially in the interior shots. The production design is bursting at the seams with period-appropriate details along with the fabrics of clothing which this presentation displays with crystal clear textural detail. The image is clean with the bright color palette popping off the screen. The film employs nice splashes of bold colors within the production design, which makes for a very exciting image. The black levels are appropriately deep and inky with no major instances of compression detected. The flesh tones are natural with a magnificent amount of detail present in close-ups. This Blu-Ray is an excellent representation of this movie that should please fans.
Audio Quality
This disc comes equipped with a magnificent Dolby Atmos presentation that absolutely dazzles from beginning to end. From the very beginning the soundscape is set to deliver an expansive experience suitable for a celebration of a musical icon. Sounds are appropriately rendered with precise directionality from the more kinetic numbers to interpersonal moments of dialogue. Ambient details are plentiful and quite satisfying in the rear and overhead channels. The overhead channels serve to complement the other channels rather than carry the main load, which adds a nice sense of space to the mix. Music is the lifeblood of this film, and it envelopes the room with an urgency befitting the narrative. Dialogue is presented perfectly clear without ever being overwhelmed by any of the competing sonic elements. The low end is engaged in a really solid way that will have your house moving and shaking along with the music. The mix offers up the best experience for those with the home theater system to support it.
Special Features
- The Making Of Respect: A seven-minute featurette in which the cast and crew discuss the figure at the center of the picture, her legacy, the challenges of telling her story without viewing her as a fan, the importance of church in the film, shooting the concert footage and more.
- Becoming Aretha: A five-minute piece which explores the layers of Aretha Franklin, the importance of Hudson being hand-picked by Franklin, the transformative nature of the performance, the preparation that went into it and more.
- Capturing A Legacy: A four-minute piece which takes a closer look at the efforts of director Liesl Tommy and how she guided the crew to make something substantial that would honor the legacy of Franklin.
- From Muscle Shoals: A three-minute piece in which the cast, crew and some of the original musicians discuss the importance of Franklin recording in Alabama and how it impacted her sound.
- Exploring The Design Of Respect: A four-minute piece which explores the costume and production design of the film and the copious amounts of research conducted to attain period accuracy.
Final Thoughts
Respect is a fairly by-the-numbers biopic that is anchored by a show-stopping performance from Jennifer Hudson. The film is unlikely to throw you any major curveballs, but the actors are bringing enough to their roles to keep you glued to the screen throughout. The musical numbers are executed with a really dynamic energy that honors this music icon. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray featuring a stellar A/V presentation and a handful of decent supplemental features. Fans of Aretha Franklin should have a really great time with this one. Recommended
Respect 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: Universal 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.
