7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Ultraman Orb, a warrior of light, battles monsters and aliens threatening Earth.
Foreign | 100% |
Sci-Fi | 65% |
Action | 56% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Japanese: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English
Blu-ray Disc
Six-disc set (6 BDs)
Digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Mill Creek has released 2016's 'Ultraman Orb' to Blu-ray. It's one of the newest programs in the 50-year history of the 'Ultraman' franchise, and was indeed released in celebration of that anniversary, yet the studio has chosen to bring it to the physical high definition format as one of the first releases as part of a long-term 'Ultraman' marketing strategy. The featureless release houses all 25 TV episodes on five discs and a sixth disc is home to the 'Orb' feature film. Technical specifications include native Japanese two-channel audio and English subtitles.
Ultraman Orb materializes on Blu-ray with a pleasant and faithful 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. Mill Creek has spread the 25 episodes over
five discs, providing adequate breathing room and a relatively healthy average bitrate that renders compression issues largely moot though at times
faintly visible. The digital roots are plainly obvious: the picture is a highly detailed but a little flat overall. Still, it excels in revealing core skin and
clothing details with sharp, pinpoint accuracy. Environments, ranging from the cluttered SSP interiors to broad city exteriors, enjoy solid foundational
definition and detail. The Kaiju and Ultraman suits are perhaps a little too revealing of the materials used to construct them, but it's difficult to fault the
inherent charm in them. Colors dazzle, particularly during Gai's transformation into Orb, and various bursts of light and lasers during his fights with
many
of the Kaiju offer additional blasts of brilliance. Essential tones -- clothes, city accents, odds and ends around SSP headquarters -- are well defined and
maintain core integrity. Skin tones appear accurate and black levels are not overly raised. There's little obvious aesthetic variance between the TV show
and the movie in terms of basic visual structure and Blu-ray presentation. Both are very good presentations from Mill Creek.
Screenshots 1-25 correspond to the TV show while 26-35 are sourced from the movie.
What the TV show track lacks in surround integration and subwoofer engagement it more than makes up for with its impressively wide two-channel
presentation.
Mill Creek's audio track, in the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless configuration (in the native Japans only), pushes the front end beyond its limits,
stretching music and effects to impressive elongated engagement. There's no feel for cramped spacing and the width is utilized properly, expanding as
necessary but folding in more intimately as a scene warrants. Musical clarity is strong and pursues an active expansion across the front stage. Action
effects likewise follow suit and the track is more than capable of identifying individual sounds with clear and distinct prioritization as necessary even
amidst the jumble of action. Dialogue is clear and images perfectly to the center. Optional English subtitles are available and automatically toggle to
"on."
Unfortunately the audio for the movie, also presented in the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 configuration, is a little more center-confined. The opening battle
on the Hawaiian island lacks both width and muscle. It's not aggressive, not particularly loud or engaging at reference volume, sounding more shallow
and cramped compared to the TV show. There's a fair feel for depth to stomps and gunfire during a fight in chapter three. Core definition is fine, music
enjoys sound clarity and a modest effort at width, but expect little stray overall from the imaged center portion of the stage. Dialogue does benefit
from the center localization and is adequately detailed and prioritized.
Mill Creek's Blu-ray release of Ultraman Orb contains no supplemental content across any of the six discs, five for the TV series and one for the movie. The main menu screen on the TV show offers only the options to choose episodes individually or to play all as well as to toggle subtitles on and off. The movie disc, disc six in the set, offers only options to play the movie and to toggle subtitles on and off. This release does ship with a booklet, which is not quite of the same quality or thoroughness as those found with the Ultra Q or Ultraman releases, but it does include hero character profiles, a Kaiju character guide, episode summaries, and an outline for the movie. No DVD discs are included, but Mill Creek has bundled in a MovieSpree digital copy voucher. Unlike the afore-referenced Ultra Q and Ultraman releases, there is disappointingly no corresponding SteelBook.
Ultraman Orb is a fun and fitting 50th anniversary tribute to the series. It folds in modern amenities while remaining true to the series roots. A few new ideas and directions intersect with some familiar faces and the series' basic cadence. It's well done and a great point of entry for new fans and contemporary audiences who might not be so keen on starting from the beginning. Mill Creek's six-disc set, which includes all 25 TV episodes and the Orb movie, is disappointingly featureless, but the video and audio presentations are very good. Recommended.
Series + Movie / ウルトラマンジード / Urutoraman Jîdo
2017-2018
2015
includes Ultra Fight Orb
2016-2017
2016
Ultraman Ginga ウルトラマンギンガ, Urutoraman Ginga / Ultraman Ginga S ウルトラマンギンガS, Urutoraman Ginga Esu / Ultraman Ginga S The Movie: Showdown! The 10 Ultra Warriors! 劇場版 ウルトラマンギンガS 決戦! ウルトラ10勇士!!, Gekijōban Urutoraman Ginga Esu Kessen! Urutora Jū Yūshi!! / Ultra Fight Victory ウルトラファイトビクトリー, Urutora Faito Bikutorī
2013-2015
ウルトラQ
1966
2018
2010
Urutoraman sâga
2012
Ultra Galaxy Legend Gaiden: Ultraman Zero vs. Darklops Zero
2010
ウルトラマン
1966-1967
2019
ウルトラマンタロウ
1973-1974
Ultraman Zero Gaiden: Killer the Beatstar
2011
帰ってきたウルトラマン / Kaettekita Urutoraman
1971-1972
ウルトラマンA(エース) / Urutoraman Ēsu
1972-1973
ウルトラセブン
1967-1968
Daikaijű Batoru: Urutora Ginga Densetsu
2009
2008-2009
1974-1975