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Blu-Ray : Worth a Look
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Release Date: February 26th, 2019 Movie Release Year: 2018

Mary Queen of Scots

Overview -

History buffs have something to cry about but lovers of historical romance fiction have something to celebrate with Mary Queen of Scots. If you're game for a well-acted but wildly historically inaccurate family melodrama about two of history's most powerful women, you should have a game time. Robbie and Ronan kill it in their respective roles as dueling Queens. Universal Studios delivers Mary Queen of Scots to Blu-ray in fine shape. The film may be iffy, but the disc is technically fantastic sporting a beautiful image with a great Dolby Atmos audio mix with a slim set of bonus features. Mary Queen of Scots is enjoyable for costume drama entertainment not a history lesson. Worth A Look. 

Mary Queen of Scots explores the turbulent life of the charismatic Mary Stuart. Queen of France at 16 and widowed at 18, Mary defies pressure to remarry. Instead, she returns to her native Scotland to reclaim her rightful throne. But Scotland and England fall under the rule of the compelling Elizabeth I. Each young Queen beholds her “sister” in fear and fascination. Rivals in power and in love, and female regents in a masculine world, the two must decide how to play the game of marriage versus independence. Determined to rule as much more than a figurehead, Mary asserts her claim to the English throne, threatening Elizabeth’s sovereignty. Betrayal, rebellion, and conspiracies within court imperil both thrones – and change the course of history.

OVERALL:
Worth a Look
Rating Breakdown
STORY
VIDEO
AUDIO
SPECIAL FEATURES
Tech Specs & Release Details
Technical Specs:
Blu-ray/Digital
Video Resolution/Codec:
1080p/AVC MPEG-4
Length:
124
Aspect Ratio(s):
2.39:1
Audio Formats:
English Dolby Atmos / French Canadian Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 / Latin Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
Subtitles/Captions:
English SDH, French, Spanish
Special Features:
Something About Marys - Featurette
Release Date:
February 26th, 2019

Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take

Ranking:

Attractive people. Beautiful costumes. Luxurious and ornate sets. Beautiful locations. It must be a lavish period costume drama in1560s England! Josie Rourke's Mary Queen of Scots, a retelling of England's rival queen siblings, plays very loose with facts and casting, but crafts a beautiful-looking romantic drama. While the history and politics may not be accurate, the terrific performances from Margot Robbie and Saoirse Ronan elevate the material and make the material fun. If you're after some fun costume melodramatics, you'll get your money's worth. For a more in-depth review, please check out our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review

Mary Queen of Scots
Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray

Universal Studios brings Mary Queen of Scots to Blu-ray in a single disc Blu-ray + Digital set. The Disc is housed in a standard sturdy case with identical slipcover artwork. The disc loads to trailers for other Universal/Focus releases before arriving at a static image main menu with traditional navigation options.

Video Review

Ranking:

Mary Queen of Scots

Shot digitally, Mary Queen of Scots features an often-stunning 2.39:1 1080p transfer. It's an English costume drama so you know going in that details should be exceptional - and they are! Clothing, set design, the various locations, facial features, hairstyles, the intricate makeup - all of it looks fantastic in this Blu-ray release. Colors are robust but lean towards darker browns and greens leaving the primaries to do the accent work for ornate clothing and jewelry for extra pop. Red obvious plays a big role in the end. Black levels are my only slim quibble here as there are times they can veer from ideal deep inky blacks to being a bit murky and hazy - the first time Mary addresses her council upon her return to Scotland is a key example. Thankfully the rest of the image is often stunning with a terrific sense of three-dimensional depth. Aside from a little noise, there isn't any severe artifacts or other anomalies to report. 

Audio Review

Ranking:

Mary Queen of Scots

Read our 4K UHD Review for full details on the Dolby Atmos audio mix. 

Special Features

Ranking:

Mary Queen of Scots

Read our 4K UHD Review for full details on the bonus features (there's also a list on the right-hand side of this page).

Mary Queen of Scots

Mary Queen of Scots offers period costume melodrama romance fans something to chew on. History buffs will no doubt take umbrage at the many factual liberties this film presents. Certainly watchable, the cast is fantastic and the intricate production design work and costuming ensure that there is plenty to look at and appreciate. Universal Studios brings Mary Queen of Scots to Blu-ray with beautiful results sporting a great 1080p transfer and an engrossing Dolby Atmos audio mix. Aside from a commentary track, the bonus features are pretty worthless. Ultimately the film is a fun watch. Worth A Look