7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Dr. Stephen Strange casts a forbidden spell that opens the door to the multiverse, including an alternate version of himself, whose threat to humanity is too great for the combined forces of Strange, Wong, and Wanda Maximoff.
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl GomezAction | 100% |
Adventure | 100% |
Comic book | 95% |
Fantasy | 82% |
Horror | Insignificant |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Doctor Strange has become one of the key figures in the Marvel Cinematic Universe ("MCU") landscape, a landscape which was once dominated by the likes of Iron Man and Captain America; the reigns of MCU centrality seem to be drifting towards Strange, who has rightly become a fascinating character of emotional depth, physical power, and entanglement in some of the biggest MCU storylines of this generation (or "phase"). Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness builds the character's legacy by reaching well beyond his own self and into something farther away yet still familiar at the core. It does quite a bit of character story building amidst some frenzied action and a surprisingly dark narrative that courses through a number of dimensions, literal and metaphorical dimensions alike.
The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness arrives on the UHD format with a 2160p/HDR transfer. The image is very clean and glossy, and
aggressively so. The image looks polished to a fine sheen, offering a higher detail yield compared to the 1080p Blu-ray. However, it is so smooth it can almost look flat and unrealistic at
times, but the
overall clarity boost and detail increases certainly offer the rawest visual complexity of the two formats. The HDR color spectrum offers more vivid
oranges, more intense reds, more luxurious natural greens, and more stable urban tones compared to the Blu-ray. The image is rendered a good bit
darker overall compared to the Blu-ray, but black levels depth is excellent, whites pop, and skin tones are healthy. Like the Blu-ray, there are no major
encoding or source issues of concern.
The Dolby Atmos track compares favorably to the Blu-ray's DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack in terms of dynamics. The track is not muted or devoid of bass, as have been some of Disney's previous efforts. While the low-end extension is nowhere near so dominant as one might expect of a movie of this style and stature, there's enough depth to the most prominent action effects, and to score alike, to at least offer a sense of realism and intensity to both elements. The track is perfectly free to flow around the listener with incredible depth and precision, with involved action, soaring score, and nuanced environmental elements all taking full advantage of every speaker in the configuration. The overheads are not used with frequent discreteness, but they do help to create a more involved and sonically saturated listening environment, which is a plus. Dialogue is clear and commanding from its well prioritized front-center home.
This UHD release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness contains no extras, but the bundled Blu-ray includes a standard suite of
bonus content: three featurettes, deleted
scenes, a
gag reel, and
an audio commentary track. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code is included with purchase. this release ships with an embossed slipcover.
As long as Marvel keeps cranking out generally solid movies like this, then it would seem that there may be no end in sight for the MCU. One must wonder when the time might finally come when some measurably worthwhile hiatus between movies might arrive, because it seems there's always an MCU film in theaters or new to home video these days. The hunger seems to be dissipating a little, especially as the complexity becomes ever more, well, complex, and that might be the defining characteristic of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, a film that plays well enough on its own but also all but demands its audience be familiar with an extremely large amount of related and interconnected content to fully enjoy. It's getting very big and very crowded in the MCU. It'll be interesting to see when a pause, or even a reset, might be in order. Disney's UHD delivers good but aggressively glossy video, an unexpectedly "better than usual" Atmos soundtrack, and a fair array of extras. Recommended.
2022
2022
2022
2022
2022
Cinematic Universe Edition
2019
2017
2021
Cinematic Universe Edition
2015
2022
2021
2019
Cinematic Universe Edition
2019
2023
Cinematic Universe Edition
2017
2016
Cinematic Universe Edition
2016
2020
2023
2011
2021
Cinematic Universe Edition
2018
2014
2017
plus Theatrical Cut on standard Blu-ray
2016