New to Blu: April 17 – 23

Aquaman

➢ “The extreme dynamics of the master (which is done to 4000 nit peaks in HDR10, but is also available in an even more explosive Dolby Vision version if your TV can support it) are apparent right from the off, as a stormy night sky is punctured by super-bright torch and lighthouse beams. Gloriously punchy though these opening shots are, though, they pale into insignificance, literally, when compared with the frankly retina-searing (um, in a good way) intensity of so much of the rest of the film.” — Forbes.

➢ “The big budget CG-enhanced digital cinematography belies a 2K Digital Intermediate that, technically, holds it back but, in reality, doesn’t stop it being utterly stunning … Aquaman is one of the best looking films on the format, affording excellent crystal clarity to its facial details and background observations (so much so that the desert sequence looks unnaturally fake) and affording stunning backdrops above and below the water, and fine detailing on the skin textures and superbly realised outfits.” — AVForums.

➢ “Aquaman is truly stunning on Blu-ray, and near perfect in many ways … just dazzles with colour once it gets to the under water realm of Atlantis, and by dazzles I mean DAZZLES with colour … On the other hand, there is sooooooooooo much brightly lit CGI that I felt like we were almost watching an animated movie.” — AV Nirvana.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

➢ “Sony’s upscaled 2160p/HDR-enhanced UHD presentation of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse delivers a terrific image, full of exacting detail and abundant colour. It yields a favourable, if not sometimes modest, improvement over the Blu-ray, generally finding more complex textural yields as well as a more firm and deep colour spectrum with special emphasis on the movie’s climax.” — Blu-ray.com.

➢ “Even though it’s not Dolby Vision, this 2160p HDR10 transfer really kicks where it counts! The Standard Blu-ray is impressive and offers a number of terrific presentation highlights, but this 4K UHD adds an extra layer of refinement and dials everything up to 11 and beyond … On top of some refinement in clarity and details, the HDR10 colour grading really lets the primaries, black levels, and crisp whites shine.” — High-Def Digest.

➢ “The 4K disc also provides a lively and dynamic English Dolby Atmos sound mix (TrueHD 7.1 compatible) that seldom disappoints. There’s a little less panning and movement than you might expect, but the staging is precise, with terrific immersion and tons of robust and subtle directional cues. Bass is firm with genuine heft, clarity is exceptional, and the score by Daniel Pemberton (mixed with pop/hip hop tracks by Post Maloe, Nicki Minaj, and others) is playful with fine fidelity.” — The Digital Bits.

● Also new are re-issues of Storm Boy, Nowhere to Run and Howling III: The Marsupials.