You can read our full thoughts on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in our review of the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray HERE.
Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment brings Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness to Blu-ray with a flyer for a Digital HD Copy. The dual-layered Region A, BD50 disc is accompanied by a DVD-9 copy of the movie, and both are housed inside a bright red, eco-vortex case. At startup, the disc goes straight to a static menu screen with the usual options and music playing in the background.
The MCU jumps into the Blu-ray multiverse with a gorgeous, reference-quality 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encode, brimming with a richly-saturated assortment of primaries, particularly the reds and blues. The palette also comes with a vibrant, energetic array of sumptuous secondary hues. Facial complexions are consistently healthy and revealing with lifelike textures, exposing the tiniest wrinkle and negligible blemish. Coming from a 4K digital intermediate, the freshly-minted transfer also debuts with razor-sharp definition, maintaining striking clarity during the many fast-paced action sequences. A spot-on contrast allows for plainly making out the small objects decorating the background, the cracks and minute debris in the action, and the individual bricks of Kamar-Taj. The bonkers visuals are further complemented by inky rich black levels with excellent shadow details, providing the 2.39:1 image with appreciable three-dimensional quality. (Video Rating: 98/100)
This Blu-ray edition of the latest MCU installment crashes into home theaters with an awesome and fantastically wild DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 soundtrack that kicks into high gear from its opening moments as Strange and America run away from a fiery demon. Action sequences are layered with various atmospheric effects convincingly panning between the surrounds and filling the room with bits of debris while quieter moments come with subtle ambience in the distance, generating an immersive soundfield. When applying the receivers' Auro-3D up-mixing functionality, these same effects effortlessly spread to the top heights without ever feeling artificial or forced. Meanwhile, imaging feels continuously broad and spacious with lots of background activity discretely moving across the screen and into the off-screen space, creating a highly engaging soundstage. The mid-range also exhibits superb clarity during the loudest, rowdiest moments with clean distinction in the upper frequencies, and vocals are always clear and precise above the action. Most surprising is a robust low-end with a few potent, wall-rattling moments that will bring a smile to the listener's face. (Audio Rating: 92/100)
All the bonus material is available only on the accompanying Blu-ray disc.
As entertainingly bonkers and visually engaging as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is, the latest installment to the sprawling MCU saga serves as the epitome of a film series that will eventually become more of a chore and labor than it's worth. If producers don't tread lightly, this cinematic universe could potentially implode and cause it's own "incursion." Thankfully, and in spite of this personal nitpicking drawback, director Sam Raimi manages to deliver an incredibly imaginative spectacle with a fantastic performance from Elizabeth Olsen. The horror-fantasy superhero flick debuts on Blu-ray with a reference-quality video and a fantastically wild DTS-HD MA 7.1 audio. Although a small selection of supplements rounds out the package, this overall BD edition is recommended.
All disc reviews at High-Def Digest are completed using the best consumer HD home theater products currently on the market. More about the gear used for this review.
