4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
After the disappearance of her scientist father, three peculiar beings send Meg, her brother, and her friend to space in order to find him.
Starring: Storm Reid, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Levi Miller (II)Family | 100% |
Fantasy | 82% |
Adventure | 80% |
Sci-Fi | 23% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
It's admittedly been quite a number of years since this reviewer read Madeleine L'Engle's classic novel A Wrinkle in Time, but even the passage of time is not enough to note some deviations from the story that might upset fans who hold the novel in high esteem, of which there are many. While this is certainly not the most faithful, or the finest, film adaptation out there, Director Ava DuVernay (Selma) crafts a heartwarming story of personal growth and adventure through amazing places. The film might have won over more hearts had it deviated a little more from the book and sold itself with an unrelated identity, but for those who can set aside comparative critiques and watch the movie as it is and judge it on face value, chances are they'll see the film as a centrally tender, though certainly a little weird and rough around the edges, story of self discovery and imagination.
A Wrinkle in Time travels to Blu-ray with a glorious 1080p image. The film was digitally photographed and it presents with a very clean, robust, highly detailed picture quality. Colors are certainly the standout highlight. The palette is incredibly rich and bold, offering insanely vibrant greens on the first planet the group visits where lush fields stretch on an on with both vitality and nuance that gives the location texture and realism rather than just a large swatch of color. Multicolored flowers explode off the screen in contrast to the greens. Character clothes and makeup -- particularly Whatsit, Who, and Which -- dazzle with not only intense colors but superb details on makeup elements, for instance dense, glittery eye shadow. Additional textural delights abound. Those same three characters almost always wear highly ornate costumes with all sorts of wonderful accents that are complex and tactile, razor sharp and leap off the screen. Basic skin textures and clothing details are finely revealing as well, with easily visible pores, hairs, and fabric qualities. Black levels and shadow detail are strong as well. The image suffers from no bothersome bouts or bursts of source or encode anomalies. This is a first-class Blu-ray presentation from Disney.
A Wrinkle in Time's DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack once again suffers from Disney's low volume output shenanigans, though this one is perhaps not quite the egregious offender as have been some other recent releases. Generally, for this reviewer, a calibrated reference of 0.0db is far too loud but it is a sweet spot for recent Disney titles. A dial position of -12.5db is the comfort zone for most all other tracks. With Wrinkle, -5.0db seemed to reach that same usual comfort zone. As for the track itself, once the volume knob finds that "happy medium" to use the movie's lingo, there's not much to dislike about it. There is no substantial bass of note, but the track nevertheless feels full, with music that's balanced and spacious, clear throughout the range and presenting with a satisfyingly seamless full stage engagement. Surrounds carry a number of discrete and atmospheric effects that enhance many scenes and transport the listener into various locales. Playground din -- screaming children, bouncing balls -- surround the listener in one early scene. Mrs. Whatsit's transformation on the first planet visited offers pleasantly swirling qualities. Thunder booms with subtle force and quality stage saturation early in the film. Dialogue reverberation cavernously fills the stage in the 42 minute mark. Action scenes lack substantial power but offer good clarity and wide and deep stage fill. Dialogue is always clear, well prioritized, and firmly positioned in the front-center channel.
A Wrinkle in Time contains several extras, including deleted scenes, a commentary, and a making-of. A DVD copy of the film and a Movies
Anywhere Digital copy code are included with purchase, though it's worth noting that on the insert where the code should be, there's a big old blank
spot. Whether that is bad luck or a widespread problem I cannot say, but I do have a query out and will update this review with any new information.
Update 5/29/18: Disney is stating that the missing digital code is due to random error.
A Wrinkle in Time has come under attack from a number of different fronts. It's an imperfect adaptation and an imperfect movie, but it's also warm and tender and very sincere. Will that be enough to silence naysayers? Maybe not, but take the name away and this becomes a very serviceable, sometimes even very good, film with a good message and a strongly beating heart. Disney's Blu-ray features superb video, good audio when appropriately dialed in, and a nice array of bonus content. Recommended to those willing to give it a chance through the noise.
2018
2018
includes 40-Page Gallery Book
2018
2018
2018
2016
2016
2018
2015
2013
2013
40th Anniversary Edition
1982
The Star Beast / Wild Blue Yonder / The Giggle
2023
2009
2016
2010
2018
2010
2014
2019
80th Anniversary Edition
1939
30th Anniversary Edition | US Version
1984
Limited Edition Collector's Set
1982
2014
2008