Disney’s live-action Cinderella now available on Blu-ray

Sep 15, 2015- Permalink

Cinderella, the live action remake of the classic Disney animated movie, as directed by Kenneth Branagh, takes the beloved tale and with a dose of Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo turns it into a fresh look at the classic story. The new Blu-ray disc has the added benefit of not turning into a pumpkin at midnight.

The Fairy Godmother’s magic was at work during the video transfer, which comes to us in a 1080p 2.39:1 aspect ratio. The colours pop when needed but don’t overwhelm. While Ella’s dress is a dazzling blue and the evil stepsisters pop in pinks and yellows, we also get great earth tones in the forest and dusty dirtiness in Ella’s quarters. Skin tones, textures and black levels are all pleasing to the eye. There is some grain but it’s not distracting and only a few CG effect moments will catch your eye in a slightly negative way.

On the audio side, we get an English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track as well as French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. Subtitles are available in English SDH, French and Spanish. Dialogue is clear and the surround track immerses us in Ella’s world. Low frequency effects are used sparingly, but they add oomph when oomph is called for.

The disc comes loaded with extras. We get A Fairy Tale Comes to Life, a behind-the-scenes look at production with Kenneth Branagh, a look at the costume tests done by designer Sandy Powell, a look at the sets, costumes and choreography needed to stage the elaborate ball, a look at Ella’s animal friends and an alternate opening for the film. Fans of Frozen will also be excited to see Frozen Fever, a short with the Frozen voice cast that screened before Cinderella in theaters.

A hit with fans and critics alike, the new Cinderella belongs in your Blu-ray library.