Blu-ray reviews: sci-fi, art, action & suspense
When Elastigirl becomes the poster girl in a campaign to reverse the government’s ban on her superhero family, because of the crime-fighting havoc they wreak, Mr Incredible struggles with being a stay-at-home dad - and wrestling with baby JackJack’s new ‘‘superfreak’’ powers. This supercharged sequel is funnier and more action-crammed than the 2004 original while the sophistication of the animation is leaps and bounds ahead. The movie has been supremely packaged on disc, with stunning Blu-ray/4K-UHD transfers, a director/animators’ commentary, two animated shorts, and a bonus Blu-ray of extras that includes 40 minutes of deleted scenes.
❏❏❏
The latest Mission: Impossible may be the best yet, if you can forgive its exciting but ludicrously outlandish stunts and pursuits - and a 4K-UHD picture quality that is frustratingly inconsistent. The full-screen IMAX sequences breathtakingly showcase the benefits of HDR and superior resolution but much of the letterboxed footage is soft and noisy. And beware which 4K-UHD of Fallout you buy. The standard version comes with a duplicate Blu-ray that has the same extras: three commentaries and the option to watch the movie with an isolated score; the steelbook edition exclusive to JB Hi-Fi has a second Blu-ray disc of extras, including a making-of hour. ❏❏❏
Denzel Washington reunites with director Antoine Fuqua for a brutal and bloody sequel that doesn’t set its sights higher than the first: Washington’s exspecial ops vet is a mean streets guardian angel who makes Dirty Harry look like a choir boy. But it’s slick and quick with sharp one-liners and a star turn that helps to transcend the pulpy violence, complete with top support from Melissa Leo, Bill Pullman and Moonlight’s Ashton Sanders. The Blu-ray/4K-UHD picture quality will blow you away quicker than the hero does the bad guys while the hour of extras includes a ‘‘Retribution Mode’’ for watching the movie with insights from Washington and Fuqua.
❏❏❏
Paul Rudd’s super-downsized hero returns, having spent two years under house arrest since his capture in Captain America: Civil War. Knowledge of the Marvel Cinematic Universe helps but isn’t essential to enjoying this engaging, entertaining sequel that’s more fun than the rest of its ilk, largely due to Rudd’s goofy charm and exquisite comic timing. Picture quality is superb and the Dolby Atmos soundtrack improves on more recent MCU movies. The pick of the underwhelming extras is director Peyton Reed’s buzzy commentary while fans of the late Stan Lee will enjoy his cameo outtakes.
❏❏❏
This Toy Story spin on video game characters that come to life after the arcade closes is as dazzling as it is disarming, with witty gamer gags and animation that’s even more awesome in 4K-UHD. Colours are richly saturated, blacks are darker and there’s a new Dolby Atmos soundtrack. If you already own the excellent Blu-ray, it’s probably isn’t worth the upgrade (especially as the extras are the same). But this is the definitive presentation if you want to revisit the 2012 original ahead of the box office-breaking sequel’s Boxing Day release.
❏❏❏
27 years after it first set sail, Steven Spielberg’s inspired Peter Pan sequel, in which an aging Captain Hook lures his Neverland nemesis back for one last duel, looks more magical than ever on 4K-UHD. The 4K image is grainier and the colours more subdued than the Blu-ray’s but the detail, highlights and contrast are much improved. The extras are the same as the 2011 Blu-ray edition, which is what you’d expect for a catalogue release, but more surprising is the $20 price: along with re-issues of Bad Boys and Bad Boys II, it sets a new low for 4K-UHD in this market.