In what may be his last on-screen performance, Clint Eastwood’s The Mule is a strong entry in his filmography, providing fans with another layered performance that is sure to please audiences.
You can read our full thoughts on The Mule in our 4K UltraHD review of the movie HERE.
The Mule was filmed using a combination of the Arri Alexa XT and Arri Alexa Mini (both digital) cameras and arrives on Blu-ray presented in the 2.40:1 aspect ratio.
While the transfer does have some minor problems, like a few moments of aliasing/shimmering in the image, for the most part, viewers will be pleased. Details are sharp and many of the outdoor scenes provide some real depth to them, although indoor and nighttime sequences do come off as a bit "flatter" (this is a frequent result of movies shot on Arri equipment and likely not a problem with this transfer). Black levels, for the most part, are solid and noise is kept to a minimum throughout. Eastwood has never been a flashy director and most (but not all) of his sequences have a rather drab, earthy, color palette, but the 1080p image provides a good rendering of the director's intent on home video.
Both the Blu-ray and 4K UltraHD of The Mule provide the same audio options, with an English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track being the featured one for English-speaking viewers/listeners. You can read more about the audio in our 4K UltraHD review of the movie HERE. The short version? It's not flashy, but it delivers the dialogue-driven mix well, preserving the filmmakers' intent.
In what may be his final performance in front of the camera, Clint Eastwood's The Mule is a great piece of entertainment, proving that age has in no way diminished his ability to win over audiences with his on-screen presence. While this Blu-ray release isn't big on extras, it provides a solid A/V rendering of the movie that collectors of Clint will want to make sure to add to their permanent collection. Recommended.