The Founder Blu-ray Review

The video presentation of "The Founder" on Blu-ray is solid and refined, offering a visually engaging experience. The 1080p transfer, sourced from a digital shoot on Arri Alexa XT cameras, presents a polished image with stable contrast and vivid colors, particularly the neon-hued golden arches which stand out against deep, dark skies. The film maintains a warm, earthy tone that complements its period setting. Details are sharp and revealing, especially in scenes showcasing old cars, brick walls, and the McDonald's kitchen, providing a film-like texture well-suited to the source material.

Blacks are rich and punchy, adding appreciable depth to dark scenes, which enhances the film's visual dimension without any noticeable crushing. The video retains good detail even in low lighting, ensuring faces and textures remain discernible. While the overall flatness occasionally lends a bit of glossiness and smoothness to faces, the image remains crisp and clean with minimal noise or compression artifacts.

The transfer preserves the film’s 2.40:1 theatrical aspect ratio with MPEG-4 AVC encoding, presenting characters with natural movement and adequately spaced foreground and background elements. The colors are bright and well-saturated, balancing the more subdued earthy tones of the landscape with the vivid primaries of McDonald's branding. Flesh tones are consistent throughout, hampered only slightly by occasional smoothness but generally maintaining solid detail in both medium and close-up shots. Overall, this Blu-ray transfer delivers a high-quality viewing experience aligning well with the film's aesthetic demands.

The Blu-Ray of "The Founder" delivers a robust DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack that strikes a commendable balance between dialogue clarity, environmental detail, and low-frequency effects. The dynamic range and channel separation are notable, allowing for the detection of subtle nuances within the recording. Dialogue is consistently directed to the center channel, ensuring voices are rendered with distinctiveness and proper tonal balance. The music is airy and well-placed, adding depth to the soundstage. Additionally, the subwoofer effectively collaborates with the rest of the system to convey bass when needed, though low-frequency effects are used sparingly.

The mix impeccably integrates location-specific sounds, like the drive-in restaurant scenes and the bustling kitchen atmosphere at the San Bernardino McDonald's, which feature a rich array of ambient noises that are both immersive and frantic at times. Lighter outdoor atmospherics are also present, adding natural surround and width with elements such as birds, insects, and owls. Sound effects like slamming objects and car engines are highlights for the subwoofer in this drama-focused film. Overall, the track remains front-heavy but accurately depicts motion and placement, with rear speakers providing occasional unique sounds.

Overall, "The Founder's" audio presentation is a solid representation of the film’s environments and narrative focus. With its clear dialogue reproduction, balanced mix of vocals, sound effects, and musical score, the DTS-HD MA track ensures each element coexists harmoniously without overshadowing one another.

The Blu-ray extras for "The Founder" offer a comprehensive look behind the scenes of the film's creation, providing both depth and breadth in their coverage. The collection includes brief but insightful featurettes on the film's production, actors, and character portrayals. Notably, the detailed examination of the production design reveals how the filmmakers recreated the iconic McDonald’s look, while a comprehensive Q&A session with the filmmakers and cast provides rare insights into the creative process. For those interested in the development of "The Founder," these extras are highly valuable.

Extras included in this disc:

• Behind the Story: A basic plot recap and brief character examination.
• Michael Keaton as Ray Kroc: A quick character overview and a look at Keaton's performance.
• The McDonald Brothers: A brief look at the brothers who really founded McDonalds and the actors who portray them.
• The Production Design: Insight into designing the restaurants seen in the film.
• Building McDonald’s: Time Lapse Video: A rapid look at building one of the key locations.
• Q&A with the Filmmakers/Cast: A comprehensive discussion from key talent about making the film.
• Bonus DVD: Additional copy of the film.
• Digital HD Copy: Digital version of the film for UV/iTunes.

"The Founder" presents an enthralling account of Ray Kroc's transformation from struggling milkshake machine salesman to the mastermind behind McDonald's meteoric rise. Michael Keaton, in a riveting performance, covers Kroc's journey with nuanced shifts from an ambitious go-getter to a manipulative businessman. This transformation is masterfully handled by director John Lee Hancock, who expertly balances a seemingly uplifting narrative with darker undercurrents. The bright and colorful cinematography juxtaposes Kroc's ruthless tactics, revealed gradually through well-crafted character arcs. The supporting cast, including Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch as the cautious McDonald brothers, provides commendable performances that add depth to the unfolding drama.

Kroc's initial encounter with the efficient McDonald's system is depicted with fascination, capturing the ingenuity of the brothers' streamlined kitchen operations. The film dives deeply into Kroc's relentless ambition, portraying his persuasive franchise pitch and subsequent unsavory business maneuvers that ultimately edge the brothers out of their own creation. Keaton's portrayal weaves an intricate web of charm and cunning, encapsulating Kroc's inner conflict and eventual moral descent. The strategic visual storytelling employs meticulous detailing of the industry's early workings, ensuring a gripping and immersive experience.

Furthermore, screenplay by Robert D. Siegel coupled with Hancock's direction, engrossingly recounts the rise of McDonald's without shying away from the controversies that accompanied its expansion. The narrative vividly explores the tensions between Kroc’s vision for growth and the McDonald brothers’ emphasis on quality and control. Though occasionally bypassing certain events, this focused approach prevents information overload while maintaining engagement. Offering humor and emotional resonance, "The Founder" delves into its characters’ psyches, making it a compelling watch that deftly covers complex ethical landscapes inherent in corporate success stories.

"The Founder" on Blu-ray offers an insightful and captivating look into the origins and expansion of the McDonald's empire. Michael Keaton excels in his portrayal of Ray Kroc, delivering a performance that is both charismatic and complex, which is complemented brilliantly by standout roles from Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch. The film delves into the early days of McDonald's, effectively challenging audience perceptions of the brand and its key figures. The narrative, while thorough in exploring Kroc's journey, leaves untapped areas such as the globalization of McDonald's and the creation of iconic characters like Ronald McDonald.

The Blu-ray release from Anchor Bay is technically superior, boasting polished video quality that faithfully represents the theatrical release. The audio is above average, providing a clear and immersive listening experience that enhances the film's dynamic storytelling. However, while the core content is well-executed, the supplemental materials are somewhat lacking. The bonus features include a press conference that offers substantial insight but are otherwise limited to basic behind-the-scenes content that may only appeal to casual viewers rather than dedicated fans or film enthusiasts.

In conclusion, "The Founder" on Blu-ray is highly recommended for its compelling story, strong performances, and solid technical presentation. Despite the somewhat sparse extras, the film alone makes this a worthwhile addition to any collection. If interested in the full package and bonus content, it might be advisable to wait for a price drop.