Better Man: 4K UHD Review
Available this week on 4K UHD exclusively at Amazon, is Michael Gracey’s Better Man, starring British pop star Robbie Williams. Part of the Paramount Presents collection, the musical/fantasy biopic, is one of 2024’s best films and for whatever reason, couldn’t find an audience at the box office. Maybe because Williams isn’t as well known here in the United States or maybe those who like music biopics were turned off by the music artist getting a CGI makeover as a chimpanzee. For me, that added to the film’s uniqueness, rather than taking away from it. Better Man has more in common with Dexter Fletcher’s Rocketman than something like A Complete Unknown (another fantastic film from last year).
The film starts in the 1980’s, where we see Robbie (in chimp form) as a young boy. He is not very good at sports and despite learning about music via his father’s love for Frank Sinatra, the two don’t have a close relationship. In fact, his father (Steve Pemberton) walks out on him, to pursue his own musical dreams. This leaves Robbie to be raised by his mother (Kate Mulvany) and grandmother (Alison Steadman). As a teenager, Robbie decides he wants to become a famous singer and auditions for a new boy band, called Take That, which he does earn a place in. While initially performing in gay clubs, Take That starts to take off after performing to a crowd of teenage girls.
Better Man takes us through Robbie’s journey. Don’t let the CGI Chimp fool you. The pop star sees some rough turns throughout his career, including drug abuse and more. What really makes the film pop, is the fantastical additions to the reality. The musical numbers, including the incredible Rock DJ are stunning and the final My Way duet between Robbie and his father is truly moving. If you are a fan of musicals and musical biopics, Better Man is a must see.
While Better Man did not receive a stand-alone Blu-ray release, the Paramount Presents 4K release does include a 1080p Blu-ray. However, the main attraction is the 2160p presentation with Dolby Vision. While I did see this movie theatrically in a Dolby Theater, the new 4K UHD looks just as stunning. The musical numbers are really where the Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos track, both fully delivered. As I mentioned Rock DJ is the stand out, and we really get a great look at the world we are taken into. From the details at the Regent Street in London, to the glossiness of the record and clothing stores, to the flashing lights and clothing changes. It really shows how beautiful the film is. Come Undone and Relight My Fire are also stand out numbers. Better Man is really a wonderful piece of cinema and I highly recommend adding this one to your collection.
Bonus Content:
- Let Me Entertain You: The Making of Better Man — Director Michael Gracey and star Robbie Williams provide an in-depth look behind the vision and production of the film with additional insight from the cast and crew.
- Monkey Business: The VFX — Meet the visual effects team of Wētā FX as they delve into the process of using cutting-edge technology to bring Better Man to life.
By: Marc Ferman
