How could Wonder Woman’s outfits get any brighter? By watching “Wonder Woman 1984” on the newly released 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc.
The movie starring Gal Gadot features DolbyVision HDR, which dramatically expands the color palette and contrast range, and uses dynamic metadata to automatically optimize the picture for every screen, frame by frame. The disc also features HDR10+, a new HDR technology that optimizes brightness levels and contrast for each scene, making bright areas brighter and dark areas darker to deliver a lifelike viewing experience.
Gadot’s Diana Prince character maintains a low profile in the mid-1980s, living quietly among those living large. Sure, she secretly performs heroic acts, but those seem minuscule compared with what looms ahead.
The bonus features are mighty, as no less than 10 are packed into this disc. Standouts include “Gal & Kristen: Friends Forever (with costar Kristen Wiig),” “Gal & Krissy Having Fun,” and “The Making of Wonder Woman 1984: Expanding the Wonder.”
Other titles
“Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar” (Lionsgate) features Kristen Wiig (there she is again; see above item) and Annie Mumolo at their finest. Yes, that includes “Bridesmaids.” As Barb and Star, these lifelong friends make the big step of leaving their Midwestern town for the first time ever. What awaits is the adventure of a lifetime for these saucy friends with romance and, of course, the evil plot of an underground lair. And let’s not forget about the talking crab. A making-of featurette, a special about the casting, and an audio commentary with the stars plus director Josh Greenbaum highlight the special features.
“My Mexican Bretzel” (IndiePix Films), in Spanish and English, is a fascinating film by rookie filmmaker Nuria Gimenez because it is a work of fiction combined with documentary filmmaking. Gimenez invents the world of a wealthy Swiss national and her World War II pilot-turned-entrepreneur husband who dazzle through the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s in the Alps, Le Mans, Manhattan, and Hawaii. Gimenez then uses real home movies made by her grandparents at roughly the same time period as the visuals. These home 16mm movies are of the silent variety. The viewer reads the protagonist’s memories in text form on the screen, which match the images on the screen. The movie is utterly fascinating.
“Earwig and the Witch” (Studio Ghibli’s GKIDS) is the first new release in four years from the studio and is distributed by Shout! Factory. It’s also the studio’s first entirely 3DCG animated feature and is based on the children’s novel by Diana Wynne Jones involving a British orphan who inherits magical powers. Kacey Musgraves debuts as a voice actor and doubles by singing the English language version of the film’s theme song, “Don’t Disturb Me.” Bonuses include behind-the-scenes interviews with the director, producer, and Japanese cast and crew.