WONDER WOMAN 1984 4K Blu-Ray Review: An Apex Predator

Since its inception in 2013 with the release of Zack Snyder‘s Man of Steel, the DC Extended Universe has stood as one of Warner Bros.’ flagship franchises over the past decade. Despite the DCEU’s varying highs and lows, 2017’s Wonder Woman, directed by Patty Jenkins and starring Gal Gadot, marked a new direction for the cinematic universe, providing background for the titular superhero after she made her film debut in Snyder‘s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. When a sequel was announced for what remains arguably one of the best films the franchise has offered over the past decade, anticipation was high, but after delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was eventually released theatrically in December (alongside a streaming run through HBO Max).

In lieu of its theatrical and streaming release, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has finally made Wonder Woman 1984 available physically on 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray, in addition to the standard Blu-Ray and DVD. Thoughts on the film itself aside, Warner’s physical release of the film was worth the wait from a presentation standpoint, and will certainly please fans of the film and the DCEU as a whole.

Video: 5/5

While a number of viewers may be let down by a somewhat diluted palette for the film itself (more than the neon-heavy marketing would lead one to believe), Warner’s 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray release of Wonder Woman 1984 is an absolute stunner from a purely visual standpoint. Shot entirely on film, the disc’s optical advantages are certainly noticeable, with the 2160p presentation taking the color scheme as far as it can go. The grain remaining present and substantial throughout the runtime adds a balanced structure to the film’s overall look and feel. Nighttime sequences look stellar, and compression is hardly an issue as well.

Something that might particularly come as a nice surprise to viewers is the inclusion of certain expanded IMAX ratio sequences (in the same vein of past 4K Blu-Ray releases such as Christopher Nolan’s Tenet and James Wan’s Aquaman). While there are only two instances in this release where the film opens up from 2:39:1 to 1:90:1, both are notable and detail is unsurprisingly filled to the brim with intricate outlines and sharp details of textures and landscapes.

This is irrefutably a flawless transfer that does justice to its native 4K source and provides a visual marvel from any and all perspectives, even when the look of the film itself isn’t exactly up to par with the vibrancy of some of its predecessors.

Audio: 4.5/5

Warner’s 4K UHD release of Wonder Woman 1984 comes included with multiple optional audio tracks, the primary Dolby Atmos track of which has a tremendous heft to it. The additional TrueHD 7.1 track on the disc is also exemplary, but the Atmos is simply untouchable and adds a greater immersion to the numerous action sequences scattered throughout the film’s runtime, namely the Themyscira-set opening scene and the White House battle much later on.

It’s no shock that Hans Zimmer’s score also stands out here, further contributing to a highly well-structured release from a purely technical perspective. The atmosphere of the film can be somewhat tough to probe but the audio tracks included here do their best to allow for a more enriching and rewarding cinematic atmosphere and presentation. There are some minor instances where the audio feels a tad relinquished, but for the most part it is a stable and grounded master that furthers this release’s reign as the definitive home viewing experience for the film.

Special Features: 3.5/5

The 4K UHD release of Wonder Woman 1984, like its many predecessors, comes included with a standard Blu-Ray edition of the film as well, which contains all of the special features listed below:

• The Making of Wonder Woman 1984: Expanding the Wonder
• Gal & Kristen: Friends Forever
• Small But Mighty
• Scene Study: The Open Road
• Scene Study: The Mall
• Gal & Krissy Having Fun
• Meet the Amazons
• Black Gold Infomercial
• Gag Reel
• Wonder Woman 1984 Retro Remix

The half-hour “making-of” featurette listed at the top adds your typical insight into the production of the film, while the others range in quality. It’s inevitable that plenty of viewers won’t find most of these inclusions especially noteworthy, but the solid assortment is enough to recommend if you’re the sort of person who appreciates these kinds of features.

Overall Score: 3.5/5

Wonder Woman 1984 is the rare movie that comes along and can leave one completely speechless with how indescribably messy it is from front to back. The film suffers from an abundance of pacing issues resulting from its unnecessarily bloated runtime, nor can it successfully follow up its predecessor, which at the very least had a solid grasp of its own identity in the growing DCEU, with profound, resonant themes and several well-shot moments of action, despite a predictable third act. Sadly, 1984 loses pretty much anything good the first film had going for it, taking an already ludicrous narrative and stretching it as thin as it can possibly go, complete with a frequently cringe-worthy screenplay that feels robbed of any sincere passion for its story or characters. It’s an inexpressibly ridiculous excursion that is best written off as a simple time-killer.

That being said, the film undoubtedly has its fair share of fans, and this release will inevitably please them (as well as fans of the franchise of a whole). Despite the shortcomings of the movie itself, Warner’s new release of Wonder Woman 1984 is a technical sensation, fronted by a phenomenal 4K transfer with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support, and a terrific Dolby Atmos soundtrack that heightens the already high highs of some of the film’s more entertaining sequences. The included supplements are generally hit or miss, but with a presentation as terrific as this, the 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray release comes highly recommended to those who enjoyed this outing in the DCEU. As for casual viewers, their mileage will vary, but the film itself (for as much of its deficiencies) is a perfectly watchable outing in the DCEU that many who haven’t seen it yet may find a decent amount of amusement in.

Wonder Woman 1984 is set to be released on March 30, 2021, courtesy of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.