Mad Max 2 and Thunderdome 4K/UHDs retired from the market for problems
Posted: Sat Nov 20, 2021 7:19 am
Warner messed up the audio for those... as always. They retired the discs, and set a program of product replacement for users who already bought them.
Mad Max 2 has fantastic picture quality, but they used a botched audio track with sounds missing or gravely altered.
Mad Max 3 has fantastic picture, but they used an audio mix with several problems. Less music, altered audio effects. WTF.
From the Blu-Ray.com forum:
"FYI, for all those who are interested. I finally sat down to watch the Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome 4K all the way through and while the film thankfully has not been subjected to the same revisionist foley mixing that Mad Max 2 has, it appears that the 2.0 track on the MMBT 4K is also a downmix of the new Atmos track like with MM2 (and I'd be willing to bet the 5.1 is as well).
Several sounds have been pushed to the forefront of the mix and it doesn't match the sound of the 5.1 from the Blu Ray release.
Examples would be:
1. The music is subdued as Max approaches Bartertown for the first time. The wind is now so overpowering that the music threatens to lost in the mix
2. The buzzing of the Atmoic Cafe sign's flicking is now pushed to the front as well. On the Blu Ray's 5.1 it's heard as part of the ambiance of Bartertown. On the 4K mixes, it's overpowering to the point that it gets annoying. It sounds like a giant buzzing alarm in the middle of the track.
3. In the Thunderdome battle the sounds of Blaster's grunts have been buried and/or removed. Same with some of the snapping noises of Max cutting the bands on Blaster's harness.
4. I could be wrong about this so don't quote me, but I think the sound of Max punching out Savannah Nix at crack in the Earth has been silenced. I'll have to check the Blu Ray again this evening. But on the 4K tracks it sounds like a light scuffle and I remember it sounding like more of a traditional movie punch. EDIT: Just checked, the sound is the same on the Blu Ray. Please disregard.
Overall not happy that they decided to tinker with this film's track too and the 5.1 and 2.0 tracks do appear to be downmixes, but this is still nowhere near the sonic abortion that is the Mad Max 2 Atmos track and downmixes. Here at least the original foley is largely still present and Warner didn't try to make it feel more modern like with MM2. Not great, but not awful either."
Mad Max 2 has fantastic picture quality, but they used a botched audio track with sounds missing or gravely altered.
Mad Max 3 has fantastic picture, but they used an audio mix with several problems. Less music, altered audio effects. WTF.
From the Blu-Ray.com forum:
"FYI, for all those who are interested. I finally sat down to watch the Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome 4K all the way through and while the film thankfully has not been subjected to the same revisionist foley mixing that Mad Max 2 has, it appears that the 2.0 track on the MMBT 4K is also a downmix of the new Atmos track like with MM2 (and I'd be willing to bet the 5.1 is as well).
Several sounds have been pushed to the forefront of the mix and it doesn't match the sound of the 5.1 from the Blu Ray release.
Examples would be:
1. The music is subdued as Max approaches Bartertown for the first time. The wind is now so overpowering that the music threatens to lost in the mix
2. The buzzing of the Atmoic Cafe sign's flicking is now pushed to the front as well. On the Blu Ray's 5.1 it's heard as part of the ambiance of Bartertown. On the 4K mixes, it's overpowering to the point that it gets annoying. It sounds like a giant buzzing alarm in the middle of the track.
3. In the Thunderdome battle the sounds of Blaster's grunts have been buried and/or removed. Same with some of the snapping noises of Max cutting the bands on Blaster's harness.
4. I could be wrong about this so don't quote me, but I think the sound of Max punching out Savannah Nix at crack in the Earth has been silenced. I'll have to check the Blu Ray again this evening. But on the 4K tracks it sounds like a light scuffle and I remember it sounding like more of a traditional movie punch. EDIT: Just checked, the sound is the same on the Blu Ray. Please disregard.
Overall not happy that they decided to tinker with this film's track too and the 5.1 and 2.0 tracks do appear to be downmixes, but this is still nowhere near the sonic abortion that is the Mad Max 2 Atmos track and downmixes. Here at least the original foley is largely still present and Warner didn't try to make it feel more modern like with MM2. Not great, but not awful either."