5.8 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
When the moon is knocked off of its orbit, an unlikely team is sent to find out what happened, only to find out that the moon is not what it seems to be.
Starring: Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson, John Bradley (XXIV), Charlie Plummer, Kelly YuAction | 100% |
Sci-Fi | 65% |
Adventure | 64% |
Fantasy | 34% |
Thriller | 19% |
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
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Roland Emmerich has built a career out of science fiction tinged blockbusters, though productions like The Patriot and/or Midway are notable exceptions in terms of any perceived sci-fi element, even if they like almost all Emmerich outings go for epic scale. For purposes of this review, though, it may be salient to start with Emmerich's 2009 opus, kind of hilariously called 2012, a film whose chronologically malaprop title may have subliminally recalled another science fiction film with a "yearly" title, namely 2001: A Space Odyssey. And it's actually that Stanley Kubrick masterpiece that can provide some interesting comparison points to Moonfall, though Emmerich fans may not like how their favored auteur may make out in the process. Has there ever been a more laconic film in any genre than Kubrick's massive 1968 ode to "evolution"? Just think about it for a moment: aside from some very brief expository dialogue relatively early in the film, Kubrick and screenwriter Arthur C. Clarke are almost willfully unhelpful in providing context or really even much actual information in the traditional sense, preferring instead to let the film play out in a series of sometimes baffling vignettes. What is the monolith the ancient primates "meet"? Why is it then on the Moon millennia later, or is that another one of the same general device? What does any of all of that have to do with a space mission to furthest reaches of our solar system, and what exactly is going on with Dave once he gets there? And let's not even start with the fetal "Star Child" that caps the film. Now of course there is a story to 2001: A Space Odyssey, and a rather brilliant one at that, but the film itself is an object lesson in letting an audience come to its own realizations about things, rather than having them spelled out in minute detail every step of the way.
Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 disc.
Moonfall is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Lionsgate Films with a 2160p transfer in 2.39:1. Captured with Red cameras at source
resolutions up to 8K (according to the IMDb), and finished at 4K (again according to the IMDb), this is a really beautifully detailed looking presentation
at almost every intergalactic or at least interstellar turn. While some of the upticks from the 1080 version in both detail levels and palette nuance can
be subtle at times, they're still noticeable. Take for instance the "thin blue line" of Earth's atmosphere seen in a brief opening shot and a clear ribbon of
yellow is much more easily discernable in this 4K UHD version than in the 1080 version. The blacks of the outer space sequences are also gorgeously
deep, but Dolby Vision and/or HDR keep crush from intruding almost all of the time in this version, whereas the 1080 version can at least flirt with black
on black becoming a bit inchoate. Fine detail is really nicely upgraded here, including some generally convincing CGI. That said, some of the repeated
shots of disaster unfolding on our home planet can look slightly artificial even in this version, especially with regard to animated waves and/or flames.
Actual props and costumes have textures and patterns that are virtually palpable at times and which are rendered with excellent precision. The cool
blue tones that many scenes are either lit or graded to have a slightly cooler look in this version. The blown out whites in several scenes toward the
end are nicely controlled in this version, providing just a hint of blooming without ever really "going there".
Moonfall features an admirably robust Atmos track that features consistent engagement and announces both its low end forcefulness and some of its higher aspirations (so to speak) from the get go, with big rumbling LFE combined with wafting airier effects in the opening scenes. "Little" moments like archival audio of "the Eagle has landed" then echo from front to back really invitingly, letting the listener know that some expert sound design is literally in the mix. While the film has its share of probably too convoluted "talky bits", once the actual devastation and destruction start setting in, the surround channels are regularly engaged and there are some almost tornado like effects as the destructive artificial intelligence snakes through the universe on its mission to eradicate little old humankind. Dynamic range is very wide throughout this presentation, and dialogue, effects and score are all rendered flawlessly. Optional English, French and Spanish subtitles are available.
My hunch is those who love the kind of big, showy entertainments that Roland Emmerich is so skilled in crafting aren't going to care one whit about any perceived deficits in plotting or characterization. And as a cinematic "carnival ride" of sorts, while the destruction of the Earth is once again depicted in all its glory (?) in an Emmerich film, the whole "Moon as megastructure" aspect gives this at least a little bit of an innovative quality. Technical merits are solid, with the 4K version offering subtle but noticeable improvements in both palette and detail, and the supplements quite engaging, for those who may be considering making a purchase.
2016
20th Anniversary Edition
1996
2012
2017
1980
Limited Edition
1997
2014
20th Anniversary
2003
2018
2013
2014
2007
Extended and Theatrical versions
2011
2006 Original Release
2006
1978
Cinematic Universe Edition
2019
2019
2022
1998
2004