Sphere Blu-ray Movie

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Sphere Blu-ray Movie United States

Warner Bros. | 1998 | 134 min | Rated PG-13 | Jun 24, 2025

Sphere (Blu-ray Movie)

Price

List price: $15.99
Third party: $14.79 (Save 8%)
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Buy Sphere on Blu-ray Movie

Movie rating

6
 / 10

Blu-ray rating

Users5.0 of 55.0
Reviewer2.5 of 52.5
Overall2.5 of 52.5

Overview

Sphere (1998)

The U.S. Navy recruits a group of scientists for a secret underwater mission to explore an alien spaceship. The craft turns out to be an American vessel from the future, carrying a golden orb that allows one to manifest their thoughts and fears.

Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, Samuel L. Jackson, Peter Coyote, Liev Schreiber
Director: Barry Levinson

Thriller100%
Sci-Fi64%
Mystery10%
Psychological thriller10%

Specifications

  • Video

    Video codec: VC-1
    Video resolution: 1080p
    Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
    Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1

  • Audio

    English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
    Japanese: Dolby Digital 5.1
    French (Canada): Dolby Digital 2.0
    Note: Japanese track is still hidden.

  • Subtitles

    English SDH, French, Spanish

  • Discs

    Blu-ray Disc
    Single disc (1 BD)

  • Playback

    Region A (B, C untested)

Review

Rating summary

Movie2.5 of 52.5
Video3.0 of 53.0
Audio3.5 of 53.5
Extras1.5 of 51.5
Overall2.5 of 52.5

Sphere Blu-ray Movie Review

Under the C-.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III July 15, 2025

Just in time for summer movie nights, Warner Bros. has quietly re-released a number of various OOP catalog titles on Blu-ray. There's nothing Earth-shattering here about these discs: no new transfers, audio upgrades, or bonus features are included, these are simply a cheaper and more accessible MOD (pressed) alternative to paying steeper prices from third-party sellers. Today's re-release is Barry Levinson's Sphere which, certainly more than WB's similar re-releases of Free Willy and even Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings, falls pretty squarely into the category of "why?".


For a synopsis and light roast of Sphere please see Casey Broadwater's review of WB's 2009 Blu-ray.


Sphere Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality  3.0 of 5

For details about the recycled VC-1 encoded transfer, again please see Casey's review of WB's 2009 Blu-ray. I'm rating it a little lower because, even by 2009 standards, this is a pretty lackluster effort and probably even contributes to my mixed feelings about the film itself. A fresh scan might have made a substantial difference here.


Sphere Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality  3.5 of 5

Need more details about the recycled Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio? Casey's your man.


Sphere Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras  1.5 of 5

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with recycled cover artwork; no slipcover or inserts are included, but we do get the exact same bonus features as found on the previous Blu-ray.

  • Audio Commentary - With Dustin Hoffman and Samuel L. Jackson.

  • Shaping the Sphere: Art of the Special Effects Supervisor (14:36)

  • Theatrical Trailer (2:21)

  • TV Spots (3 clips, 2:07 total)


Sphere Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation  2.5 of 5

Barry Levinson's Sphere is a pretty middle-of-the-road underwater thriller, and this is coming from someone with a strange and oddly nostalgic weak spot for underwater thrillers. Though not without its moments, Sphere's worst sin is that it's a wasted opportunity given the cast involved. Warner Bros.' recycled Blu-ray feels like the perfect match, as fans are once again saddled with the same weak 1080p transfer and mostly underwhelming extras as before. It's a couple bucks cheaper than that older out-of-print 2009 disc, but who really cares at this point?


Other editions

Sphere: Other Editions