Your description of it being slighting soft might be a more accurate description to what I experienced a few times during my viewings. Anyhow, I just checked the USPS system again and I have four different packages stuck in Detroit including a new 4K player. Detroit is less than 75 miles away...
Bruce,
My initial thoughts are here. I'm sorry I can't supply a time code because it was over two months ago when I viewed that HBO Max stream that is derived from the same master used on this Blu-ray. I don't want to revisit that stream because I plan on watching my Blu-ray when it arrives...
I noticed some of that during my HBO Max viewing weeks ago. I chalked it up to being baked into the source material. I was just amazed how great it looked overall compared to my past viewings of this fine movie.
Yeah, the stream from this new master made its debut back in October on HBO Max and thought it looked beautiful. At that time, I knew a Blu-ray release was coming soon.