Evans Above

The 2019 remake of The Lion King was perhaps the most contentious of Disney’s “live-action” remakes. I put live-action in quotes because unlike, say, Emma Watson in Beauty and the Beast, the stars of The Lion King remake are photo-realistic computer-generated creations. Besides that one technical point, for many fans the animated version is a Disney classic and for them it’s almost sacrilege to redo it. For others, the technical merits of the work by director Jon Favreau and his team are worth taking a look at this edition. You can decide which side of the fence you’re on as Disney has released it for your home library. I had the opportunity to review the Blu-ray edition. A 4K version is also available.

The AVC encoded 1080p transfer is in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. It’s a pretty breathtaking visual presentation. The clarity is great and the photo-realistic animals exhibit an amazing amount of detail down to their fur and whiskers. That detail also includes the African landscape and its environmental surfaces. The colour palette reflects the earthy tones of the flora and fauna. The black levels are good and there’s only the occasional amount of digital noise and encoding artifacts.

On the audio side, you’re given the choice of an English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 soundtrack, a 2.0 Descriptive Audio track, and French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. Subtitles are available in English SDH, French and Spanish. Those in search of a Dolby Atmos track will need to get the 4K disc. Like many recent Disney releases, this presentation needs to be increased a bit over reference volume levels to get the full range. The soundscape is great, placing you in the movie’s environment via the surround speakers. As a musical, it’s important to have a dynamic and clear presentation and the songs here sound great. Low end frequencies could use a little more oomph, especially in the stampede scene. Dialogue is clear and centered.

Moving onto the extras, the package comes with a DVD copy and a Movies Anywhere digital code. We get an intro from Jon Favreau as well as his commentary on the film. The movie can also be played in a sing-along mode with on-screen lyrics. There are looks at the music, technical wizardry and legacy of the film. Other featurettes include a look at scene construction, the music videos, and a PSA on helping to protect African lions.

With an excellent video presentation, a solid audio package, and a good selection of extras, those wanting a complete Disney library and those who want to marvel at the photo-realistic effects will want to add The Lion King to their library.

The direct-to-video release A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish is a light, festive concoction perfect for romance-hungry ‘tweens to watch while noshing on Christmas cookies and wrapping presents. As the good elves at Warner Bros. are sticklers for disclaimers, let me get this bit of housekeeping out of the way before we hitch the reindeer to the sleigh: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided our company with a free copy of the Blu-ray in this review. The opinions I share are my own.

In this Xmas-themed tale, Katherine “Kat” Decker (Laura Marano) dreams of being a successful singer-songwriter. Her reality is a little different. At home, her life is controlled by her conniving stepmother (Johannah Newmarch) and her two stepsisters (Lillian Doucet-Roche and Chanelle Peloso). At work, she plays a singing elf at Santa Land, a seasonal attraction owned by the wealthy Terrence Wintergarden (Barclay Hope). The handsome young Santa that captures Kat’s heart is portrayed by Wintergarden’s son, Nick (Gregg Sulkin). When Kat scores an invite to his family’s Christmas Gala, her stepfamily will stop at nothing to deny her attending. Toss in an attentive dog, a true friend, and some holiday magic, and Kat might just experience the true meaning of the holiday.

The story is light and doesn’t require much attention, making it the perfect background fare for this busy time of year. While Marano and Sulkin have chemistry and do good work as the fairy tale-like romantic leads, the highlight of the cast is Newmarch and her “evil” daughters. Like archetypal villains in these sorts of stories, the trio exists on a diet of scenery and their over-the-top comedic performance wouldn’t be out of place in a British Christmas pantomime.

On the video side, the 1080p AVC-encoded transfer is presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. With a festive colour palette, the image is generally sharp and full of details in textiles and environment. Good black levels and shadows are coupled with an absence of digital artifacts or noise.

On the audio side, your ears get an English DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack as well as French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. Subtitles are available in English SDH, French and Spanish. While the surround speakers don’t get much of a workout in this presentation, the musical numbers are bright and dynamic. Dialogue is clear and centred.

In terms of extras, the combo pack comes with a DVD copy and a Movies Anywhere digital code for US buyers. There are some trailers for other WB content and two featurettes. The Looks and Costumes of Christmas Wish gives us some design notes from costume designer Valerie Halverson, while The Mic and the Stage takes us behind the scenes of the musical numbers and choreography.

While no one will mistake A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish for A Christmas Carol, its intended audience will enjoy the romance, songs and festive hijinks.

Veronica Mars (2019): The Complete First Season was released on Blu-ray and DVD on October 22nd, 2019 (you could also get a digital copy in the U.S. on August 19th) and I had a chance to review the new season. The folks at WB are sticklers for disclaimers, so, I’ll begin by saying that Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the DVD to review. The opinions of said DVD are my own.

Fans of the series, a.k.a. Marshmallows, might be a tad confused by the title of this reboot. After all, didn’t the series run for three seasons on UPN and The CW? It did, but this is a new series reboot on Hulu, so we’ll just play along and call this Season One.

Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) is still working alongside her father, Keith (Enrico Colantoni) the former sheriff turned private investigator. Though spring break is usually a blast in the seaside town of Neptune, this time it’s literal. A motel is bombed and lives are lost. Could this be an escalation of the divide between Neptune’s wealthy who see spring break depressing real estate values and the working class that depend on the annual influx of cash? Mars Investigations are hired by a family member of one of the victims to get to the bottom of things. Along the way, Veronica has to deal with Mexican cartel members, battling townfolks, and a reunion with her Navy boyfriend Logan (Jason Dohring).

The bombing mystery spreads over 8 episodes presented on two DVD discs in a 16:9 aspect ratio. Your ears get a 5.1 surround soundtrack with subtitles available in English. In terms of extras there’s a featurette of the show’s appearance at Comic Con 2019.

The centre of the action and attention is Kristen Bell. Veronica has a complex relationship with her hometown and the wealthy citizens who look down on people like her. After a time away, Veronica returns to Neptune and the town’s divisions have grown more divisive. Bell portrays this complex relationship with a mix of seriousness, cynicism, and sassiness. Colantoni’s Keith Mars’ shares some of Veronica’s sarcasm but is also the proud father who has watched his daughter grow from an assistant who often overstepped her position into a full partner in the family business. A solid supporting cast of old faces and new characters supports their work.

Fans of the series have grown up with this character. Like Veronica, they’re maybe a little older, a little wiser, and maybe a bit more cynical about the world. This reboot is a welcome return to Neptune.

Every ride-sharing experience opens up the possibility of an odd driver or a crazy passenger. So when the Uber driver is played by Kumail Nanjiani and the passenger by Dave Bautista, this immediate mismatch is a recipe for comedy. in Stuber, Bautista plays a cop who’s just had corrective eye surgery. When he has a chance to get the criminal who killed his partner, he needs the help of his hapless driver to complete the mission. Will they make their destination and give each other a five-star rating? You can find out at home as Fox has released Stuber for your home library. Fox sent us a combo Blu-ray/digital code set to review. A 4K version is also available.

The 1080p AVC encoded transfer is released in the original’s 2.39:1 aspect ratio. The video presentation looks sharp with great skin, textile and environmental details. The palette is muted and natural. Black levels are good with only a few moments of bad shadow detail. There are no noticeable compression artifacts or digital noise. Overall, this video presentation can go to the front of the class.

Heading over to your ears, they have the choice of an English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track, an English descriptive 5.1 track, and Spanish and French Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. Subtitles are available in English SDH, French and Spanish. If you just bought a new surround system, this flick will give it quite a workout with surround usage placing you in the centre of the action scenes. The action is also aided by the healthy oomph provided by your subwoofer. Dialogue is clean, clear and well-centered.

As for extras, besides the digital copy code, you get audio commentary from director Michael Dowse and Kumail Nanjiani, bloopers, a promo for film in Georgia, and a trailer.

Pair the unlikely duo of Nanjiani and Bautista with excellent audio and video presentations and Stuber will be a good addition to the library of fans of high-action comedy.

When Toy Story 4 was released in theatres, I said that “old and new characters alike are facing some major existential issues” and that the story’s layers worked for audiences of all ages. . You can now reunite with the gang in the comfort of your own home as Disney/Pixar has released it for your home library. We had a chance to review the Blu-ray combo pack, which also comes with a DVD and digital copy code.

The 1080p AVC-encoded disc is presented in the original’s 2.39:1 aspect ratio. The video presentation is very detailed and the computer-animated characters show the wear and tear of years of childhood play on their surfaces and textiles. Environmental details, from the antique toy store to the rides in the carnival, show just as much textural detail. The colour palette is as wide as the selection of toys and the image also has deep black levels and excellent contrast. There are no evident flaws or digital noise. If Bonnie took this video presentation to class, she’d get a gold star.

On the audio side of things, your ears have the choice of English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 and DTS-HD HR 5.1 soundtracks as well as a Dolby Digital 2.0 Descriptive Audio track. There is also the choice of French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. (An English Dolby Atmos soundtrack is available on the 4K release.) Subtitles are available in English, English SDH, French and Spanish. Like many recent Disney releases, the volume needs to be upped a bit over reference levels to fully appreciate the tracks. Though your surround speakers are used, you won’t find this presentation as fully immersive as, say, a Marvel or Star Wars movie. Music is fairly dynamic and the music is clear and centred.

The Toy Story 4 combo pack comes with a DVD copy and a Movies Anywhere digital code. Extras are spread over the movie’s Blu-ray disc as well as a bonus item Blu-ray. On the movie disc you’ll find a look at Bo Peep’s transition to a main character, interviews with the cast and crew about their favourite toys, and audio commentary from director Josh Cooley and producer Mark Nielsen. The bonus disc takes us behind the scenes of the voice recording process with Ally Maki (Giggle McDimples), examines the relationship of Woody and Buzz, shows us a production breakdown of one of the scenes, introduces us to the new characters, and also gives us deleted scenes, trailers, and promos.

Toy Story 4 gives us a touching tale of purpose and change. Coupled with an excellent video presentation, a good audio package and a bunch of extras, you’ll want to add this one to your collection.

In the third season of True Detective, two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali plays Detective Wayne Hays in three different decades, starting in the 1980s and 1990s and finally in 2015. In the latter timeframe, Hays, now suffering from dementia, is interviewed by a documentary on the Purcell case he worked on with his partner (Stephen Dorff). You can now reexamine the case yourself as True Detective: The Complete Third Season is available for your home library. HBO gave us a chance to review this Blu-ray release.

The AVC-encoded 1080p transfer is in the series’ original 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Shot digitally, the show presents us with a very clean video presentation. Like a good detective’s case notes, the image is full of great detail, whether it be skin and hair, textiles, or natural and man-made environmental details. The colour palette is drab and dreary, matching both the weather and the subject matter. With a digital to digital transfer, there is really no evidence of digital noise or artifacts.

The set comes with a large selection of soundtracks and subtitles to choose from, turning the audio/subtitle menus into a veritable United Nations. On the soundtrack side, you have an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, French, Castilian Spanish, German and Italian DTS 5.1 tracks and Latin Spanish DTS 2.0 track. Subtitles are available in English SDH, French, German, Italian SDH, Castilian Spanish, Latin Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish. Like a hard-working detective the soundtrack does its job but isn’t flashy. There a decent amount of surround usage to give you some ambient placement. In a procedural drama, dialogue is king and the dialogue here is clean and properly prioritized in the mix.

Besides a digital copy code, the set’s extras are spread out over the three Blu-ray discs the season is presented on. The first disc includes some deleted scenes and two featurettes. “Designing the Decades” looks at the production design challenges of telling the story over three decades, while “A Conversation with Nic Pizzolatto and T Bone Burnett” looks at the use of Burnett’s music in the season. On disc two, you’ll find some more deleted scenes, while disc three contains deleted scenes and an extended cut of the final episode with new and extended scenes.

A great lead performance by Mahershala Ali coupled with an excellent video presentation and very good audio presentation makes True Detective: The Complete Third Season a worthy addition to your home entertainment library.

At first glance, Yesterday appears to have a simple story. What if you were the only person to remember The Beatles and could have fame and fortune passing their songs off as your own? But writer Richard Curtis and director Danny Boyle dig a little deeper. What does it mean to live a lie? Do the trappings of fame and fortune replace the contentment of love? You can now explore these questions at home as Universal releases Yesterday for your home library. I had a chance to review the Blu-ray/DVD/Digital combo pack.

The AVC-encoded 1080p transfer is in the theatrical release’s 2.39:1 aspect ratio. Shot digitally, the result is a very good video presentation. The image is crisp and has excellent detail in skin, textiles and environmental settings. The colour palette is natural and the image has deep black levels. There is some digital noise in some lower light shots but nothing that takes away from an enjoyable look on the screen.

In a film that relies heavily on music, the audio presentation is very important. You have your choice of English Dolby Atmos and Dolby TrueHD 7.1 soundtracks as well as Spanish and French Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 tracks. Subtitles are available in English SDH, French and Spanish. The music is dynamic and perfectly balanced, setting the perfect environment whether Jack is playing in an intimate setting or large venue. Surround speakers subtly put the viewer into the environment and the low frequencies give some added floor to the proceedings. Dialogue is very clear and well-prioritized. An excellent audio package.

Moving on to the extras, Yesterday comes with a DVD copy and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code. There’s audio commentary from Danny Boyle and Richard Curtis, an alternate ending and opening, deleted scenes, performances by star Himesh Patel at Abbey Road Studios, bloopers, and a handful of character and performer featurettes.

Combine a great story with excellent video and audio presentations and a good amount of extras and you’ll travel the long and winding road to add Yesterday to your collection.

Though some fans questioned the need for a live-action remake of the animated classic Aladdin, Will Smith took on the task of filling Robin Williams’ genie shoes with his usual star power and force of personality. You can check out the bright, energetic spectacle at home as Disney has now released it in 4K and Blu-ray. I had a chance to review the Blu-ray/DVD/Digital combo pack.

The AVC-encoded 1080p transfer is in the cinematic release’s 2.39:1 ratio. The colour palette in this presentation simply explodes off the screen, especially in the “Prince Ali” musical number. Red and blues and golds shimmer while black levels are nice and deep. The terrain, textiles and structures have remarkable detail and clarity and CGI effects blend well with the live-action components. There really aren’t many digital artifacts and only in the darkest scenes is there a minimal amount of digital noise. This is an excellent video presentation.

On the audio side, we get an English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 soundtrack as well as French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. Subtitles are available in English SDH, French and Spanish. Like several recent Disney releases, the volume must be turned a bit up from reference levels in order to get the full audio experience. The surround speakers are given plenty to work with here and place you so far into the bazaar scenes that you’ll probably start haggling for a rug. The low-end frequencies provide added weight when needed. The music is clean and dynamic and dialogue and vocal during the songs are clear and centred. So kudos to the audio side of things.

On to the extras, where you get a DVD copy and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code. There are deleted scenes, a video journal shot by Aladdin himself, Mena Massoud, Alan Menken introducing the deleted song “Desert Moon”, a look at director Guy Ritchie’s approach to making the film, and a discussion with Will Smith on the challenges of taking on Robin Williams’ iconic role. There are also three music videos and bloopers.

Aladdin had big curly-toed shoes to fill and the production does its best to live up to the legacy with energy, spectacle and a good cast. With an excellent video and audio presentation, Disney fans will want to add this to their collection.

Disney has now re-released its classic and iconic animated feature Aladdin as part of its Signature Collection. I had a chance to review the Blu-ray/DVD/Digital combo pack.

The main change to the 1080p AVC-encoded transfer is its aspect ratio. The previous home releases were in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, while this Signature Collection release is now in the cinematic version’s 1.66:1 aspect ratio. Other than that change, the video presentation is near identical to the Diamond Blu-ray edition. The transfer is, in a word, gorgeous. There are some digital artifacts and colour banding but they don’t detract from the dazzling colour palette, the inky blacks and excellent contrast. As I said in my review of the Diamond Blu-ray “If you asked a genie for one wish regarding the video presentation, he’d deliver this.”

The audio is also the same as the Diamond release. Your ears will be treated to an English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 soundtrack and French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. Subtitles are available in English SDH, French and Spanish. To reiterate my comments on the audio you’ll find the songs and action are well-served by the surround speakers and the low frequency output gives a firm floor to every joke and musical number. The dialogue is very clean and intelligible, which is so necessary to keep up with Robin Williams’ lightning-fast ad libs. It’s an excellent audio presentation.

The main change you see with most Signature Collections is in the extras. There are some new ones and others that have been removed or migrated to digital only. New extras include Aladdin voice actor Scott Weinger reconnecting with people involved with the production to talk about the movie and catch up. There also a new look at the voice recording sessions, a look at the digital-only extras and some alternate endings. You can sing-along with the movie, a look at the Broadway show, audio commentary from the producers and audio commentary. Digital-only extras include a look at composer Alan Menken, a look at Supervising Animator Eric Goldberg as he discusses his work and draws the Genie, the theatrical trailer, deleted scenes, music videos from Clay Aiken, Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey, and many more behind-the-scenes looks.

As with many of the Signature Collection releases, it boils down to extras. If you don’t own the Diamond Edition of Aladdin, then the Signature Collection is for you and you’ll want to add it to your collection, giving you the original aspect ratio, and excellent video and audio presentations. If you do have the Diamond Edition, then the main change is the aspect ratio and some slight changes in extras.

They say death and taxes are the only sure things, but I’m thinking that when you’re a semi-retired hitman who does an unsanctioned kill of a crime lord who is part of a mysterious syndicate you can be sure that there will be attempts at retribution. That’s exactly where John Wick (Keanu Reeves) finds himself at the beginning of John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum. With a legion of assassins hoping to cash in on the $14 million bounty on his head, Wick needs to fight back and the audience knows that they’re in for a thrill ride. Those thrills can now be taken home with Lionsgate’s home entertainment release. I had a chance to review the Blu-ray/DVD/Digital combo pack.

The 1080p AVC-encoded transfer is in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. Shot digitally with Arri Alexa cameras, this digital transfer is pretty amazing. A lot of this movie’s scenes take place in dark and stormy locations and so you’d expect it to have good depth in the black levels and you won’t be disappointed. There is only the occasional loss of detail in the shadows and you can put your stationery away because it’s nothing to write home about. The colour palette is infused with a lot of purple and blues. Brighter scenes have amazing detail.

On the audio side of things, your ears have the choice of English Dolby Atmos and Dolby TrueHD 7.1 soundtracks as well as a Dolby Digital 2.0 track optimized for late night listening a.k.a. not waking the neighbours up during the chases and battles. There are also French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. Subtitles are available in English, English SDH, French and Spanish. Those with an Atmos setup will notice that this soundtrack makes good use of the height elements, while the other surround speakers are given quite the workout too. This soundscape will surround you with so much ambient detail that you may find yourself desiring an umbrella and a firearm. Your subwoofer will also clock in a workout during the many bone and metal crunching battles. Dialogue is clear and centred.

On the extras side, the Blu-ray also comes with a DVD copy and a digital code. There’s a decent collection of cast and crew interview and behind-the-scenes featurettes, theatrical trailers, and looks at the John Wick: Hex game.

If you’re a fan of quaint, quiet films where people discuss their feelings in pastoral settings then John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum may not be for you. If you like to sit on the edge of your seat for heart-pounding action scenes with excellent video and audio presentations, then this Blu-ray is right up your blood and rain soaked alley. You’ll want to add it to your home entertainment collection.

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