Shadowlands Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		2.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Shadowlands Blu-ray Movie Review

Mill Creek has released the 1993 film 'Shadowlands,' starring Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger, and directed by Richard Attenborough, to the Blu-ray format. This is the film's second North American release; Universal previously released the film to Blu-ray in 2019. That disc was featureless but included solid video and audio presentations. This disc is the technical lesser of the Universal disc but does offer one bonus feature and a cheaper price point.

Shadowlands Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Mill Creek's Blu-ray release of Shadowlands generally looks solid on Blu-ray. Note that I cannot offer a direct comparison to the universal disc. I did not review it, nor do I have access to it. Find below a review specific only to this release.

It is very likely that this image is in some ways similar to the Universal disc, but I would not be surprised if the extreme compression artifacts evident here are absent on that disc. In the opening shots of the cathedral interior, some significant macroblocking is in evidence. This problem persists throughout, but not always to a debilitating level. In addition, the picture shows some static speckles, a few stray vertical lines, and other signs of print deterioration and encode shortcomings, such as minor flickering.

Otherwise, the picture looks decent enough and is generally well detailed and holds to its basic filmic structure. Grain is a bit sharp and aggressive and a passable approximation of a true filmic appearance. Details are nicely sharp, offering good textures on the heavier period attire (sweaters, neckties, and the like) as well as skin, revealing pores and lines and hairs with commendable clarity and definition. Likewise, various real-world elements, such as the densely constructed buildings around campus or richly realized natural greenery, all offer stable and agreeable detail. The picture is certainly lacking the majesty and might that a proper restoration would have yielded. The image can't match up to the best, but under the constraints it's not half bad.

Colors likewise look good, and hold serve but could have been more masterful with additional TLC. Those aforementioned clothes enjoy a good, basic sense of color accuracy, as do natural greens, but there's not a high level of subtlety and nuance and lifelike vitality to them. Black levels struggle to hold to the depth and accuracy one would expect to find on a superior image. Skin tones look mildly pasty. This is not a great image, mostly due to some encode issues, but the picture beyond that is in some need of greater work as well; the film is well deserving of a superior picture quality.

Shadowlands Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As noted above, I cannot make a direct comparison to the Universal disc, but considering that they share the same encode, these are more than likely identical, or very close to it. Nevertheless, below is a very brief audio review specific to this Mill Creek edition.

The track is presented in the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless encode. The track is generally fine, with some good front side stretch during the opening sequence inside the dining hall; various voices and dining din scatter along the front. Balance is decent but there are some ebbs and flows to prioritization of various background elements, which rise and fall at times for no real reason, but to no significant fault, either. There are several such instances when the track pushes as far wide as possible and finds surprisingly decent clarity and definition in the aggregate during some of the more boisterous moments. It is here where the track would benefit from an expanded soundstage to better immerse the listener into the world but as it is the stretch does well to fold the viewer into the scene. Score is well defined, with an airy front stretch posture. Clarity is good and, here, listeners will not miss any surround engagement. Dialogue defines the bulk, and it is clear and well prioritized even over some busier locales. Imaging to the center is not perfect but comes close.

Shadowlands Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Mill Creek Blu-ray release of Shadowlands contains one extra. The Garden Valley: Scoring 'Shadowlands' (1080p, 18:26) explores George Fenton's score and his collaboration with Richard Attenborough on films like Cry Freedom and Gandhi. This is something of a rarity for a Mill Creek release; supplements are often difficult to come by, and that it actually includes more than the Universal release is a shock. This is also part of Mill Creek's fan favorite "Retro VHS" collection with slipcovers designed to mimic the look of a VHS rental tape from back in the day. The front artwork is practically identical to the case inside, but there are some changes to the back. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase.

Shadowlands Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There are certainly some imperfections with this Blu-ray release of Shadowlands, but the price is attractive compared to the Universal disc, and this release actually adds a supplement whereas the Universal disc was painfully bare bones. The audio track is fine within the limited two-channel configuration. The film is terrific, too. Recommended, particularly to those who don't mind middling video quality.