UHD Review Tenet UHD Review (1 Viewer)

[Dennis Gallagher]

Did you think the film was worth it?

In happier times, when my wife goes out for her book club, i have a film night for a few friends. I always try to select a noisy movie (or one with a good rock soundtrack) and turn the sound up as much as possible. Best ones so far are (were!) Olympus Has Fallen, War Dogs, and Dunkirk.

I finally watched the last 50 minutes or so at lower volume with the subtitles on. I'm not sure whether it was worth it or not as I still have no idea what the movie was about. I'm must say I'm intrigued enough to be interested in perhaps seeing it again in a REAL 15/70 IMAX installation if I ever have that opportunity when the pandemic passes. (I'm getting my first round of vaccinations today!)

 

[Mike Frezon]

I watched this today.

Totally confused. Too bad. There was so much there that was good and could have made a good action flick.

 

[Doug Pyle]

I follow Nolan ever since Memento and enjoyed every film until this one. I had high expectations. I didn't have problem with dialog being hard to hear, or I didn't notice not hearing it as I was distracted by the aesthetic choice of musical score, sounded like a musical representation of a jackhammer. Bang bang bang bang. I assume it was meant to heighten sense of action. Took me out of the movie completely.

 

[Jeffrey D]

I thought the dialog was both hard to hear and delivered too quickly at the same time.
Fantastic UHD, but I don’t know if I’ll get around to watching it again to try to decipher what the Hell was going on in the film.

 

[Malcolm R]

I found the accents more problematic at times than the dialogue levels. I did not need to resort to subtitles, but thought about it at a couple points. I don't think it's so much the sound level of the dialogue, but that Nolan seems to pump up the levels of the sound effects and music way higher than most films. It's like the opposite of most Disney-released discs that have the levels much lower than average. Trying to watch Tenet at the normal level I watch most other films was way too loud.

But I thought it was pretty middling for a Nolan film. I don't think this would have set the box office on fire even in normal times.

 

[john a hunter]

I enjoyed the film but I never tried to analyse it. Just accepted the premise.
Like Doug I had problems with the "music".
It was really a series of groans and grunts, at times it worked quite well but not for me "music" more like sound effects.
Wonderful photography and a great 5.1 sound track not withstanding.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Finally got around to watching this last night (bought the 4K digital on iTunes when it dropped to $14.99) and with subtitles on, it probably made more sense on the first go round than it would have in theatres. I concur with everyone who says the dialogue is mixed far too low in the mix. As for the music, I understand everyone’s comments about it being more sound effects but disagree. As someone who has explored “noise rock” and the works of John Zorn and Mr. Bungle, I actually found it a refreshing change from Nolan’s use of Hans Zimmer music. Ludwig Goransson has done some impressive score work, including Black Panther, and this score was actually a lot of fun IMHO. Less of the interminable “BWOOOOOOOOOONG” we’ve heard in previous Nolan films. YMMV depending on your tolerance for hip-hop.

 

[Sam Posten]

Christopher Nolan Still No Closer To Understanding End Of ‘Tenet’ After Watching Dozens Of YouTube Explainer Videos

LOS ANGELES—Visibly exhausted from his hours-long binge, Christopher Nolan was reportedly still no closer to understanding the end of Tenet Tuesday after watching dozens of YouTube explainer videos. “Wait, so what the hell was that turnstile thingy?” said Nolan, pausing a 35-minute long video...

entertainment.theonion.com

 

[Mike Frezon]

Christopher Nolan Still No Closer To Understanding End Of ‘Tenet’ After Watching Dozens Of YouTube Explainer Videos

LOS ANGELES—Visibly exhausted from his hours-long binge, Christopher Nolan was reportedly still no closer to understanding the end of Tenet Tuesday after watching dozens of YouTube explainer videos. “Wait, so what the hell was that turnstile thingy?” said Nolan, pausing a 35-minute long video...

entertainment.theonion.com

Imagine how good the movies would be if they could be understood!

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Christopher Nolan Still No Closer To Understanding End Of ‘Tenet’ After Watching Dozens Of YouTube Explainer Videos

LOS ANGELES—Visibly exhausted from his hours-long binge, Christopher Nolan was reportedly still no closer to understanding the end of Tenet Tuesday after watching dozens of YouTube explainer videos. “Wait, so what the hell was that turnstile thingy?” said Nolan, pausing a 35-minute long video...

entertainment.theonion.com

I love the Onion.

 

[Keith Cobby]

I have enjoyed watching Tenet on 4k disc at home more than at the cinema (nothing related to covid). The image and sound quality is simply amazing. Dialogue is still difficult to understand in places because it is so far behind in the mix (even after a short rewind!).

It didn't occur to me watching theatrically, but it really comes across at home as a Bond film. If JDW was named JB you could believe Chris Nolan had made his own Bond; the globetrotting to picturesque locations, the cars, boats, girl (fab performance by Elizabeth Debicki), and a megalomaniac villain with a dastardly plan for the world.

 

[Mike Frezon]

fab performance by Elizabeth Debicki

Agreed. I don't think I had seen her in anything before. If I did, she didn't stand out.

 

[AlexF]

She had a role in the Great Gatsby, a pretty decently big role in Man from UNCLE, and was the golden "queen" in Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and was in The Night Manager TV series too.

That's what I've seen her in, and oddly, didn't recognize her from those roles in Tenet, but when I re-watched those other films and such... did recognize her!

 

[Neil Middlemiss]

She was also terrific in Widows!

 

[Keith Cobby]

Agreed. I don't think I had seen her in anything before. If I did, she didn't stand out.

Mike, check out The Night Manager (short BBC serial).

 

[Worth]

Mike, check out The Night Manager (short BBC serial).

Playing the exact same role as in Tenet.

 

[john a hunter]

She is about to play Diana in the next series of the Queen.
I think she is a fabulous actress and one of the highlights of Tenet is the relationship between her and the Ken Branagh character.
It was a toxic relationship but you got the impression there was still there a glimmer of their original attraction.

 

[Keith Cobby]

I've watched Tenet again to try and further unravel the timelines (with a bit of help from YouTube). The supplements are the usual making of, casting, costumes etc, but surprisingly none of them reference the Sator Square palindrome found in Pompeii which is the basis of the film. Subsequent viewings have definitely enhanced my appreciation of this clever, complex film.

 

[dpippel]

While I found it interesting, I didn't find it interesting enough to warrant sitting through a 2.5 hour long film multiple times just to "get it." Nolan can kiss my grits on this one, as they say.

 

[PMF]

I was hoping for a commentary track. But the doc will have to suffice.

Yes, but even with a commentary track, there’s that chance that we still might not be able to understand every word.