Blu-ray: Highly Recommended
4.5 Stars out of 5
Sale Price 8.99
Buy Now
3rd Party 5.98
In Stock
Release Date: January 7th, 2020
Movie Release Year: 2019
MPAA Rating: Restricted
Release Country: United States
COLLAPSE INFO -

Joker (2019)

Review Date January 6th, 2020 by
Overview -

Starring a phenomenal, Oscar-worthy performance by Joaquin Phoenix, Todd Phillips' Joker is a captivatingly brilliant character study of the infamous, iconic Batman villain, making it one of the best comic book adaptations along with one of the best films of the year. The clowns smile on Blu-ray with a gorgeous HD presentation, a highly satisfying Dolby Atmos soundtrack but a disappointingly set of supplements. Nevertheless, the overall package is Highly Recommended and a must-have for fans of the character. 

OVERALL
Highly Recommended
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  • TECH SPECS & RELEASE DETAILS
    Technical Specs: Two-Disc Combo Pack, BD-50 Dual-Layered Disc / DVD-9 Dual-Layered Disc, Region Free
    Video Resolution/Codec: 1080p AVC/MPEG-4
    Length:121
    Release Country:United States
    Aspect Ratio(s):1.85:1
    English Descriptive Audio: English Dolby Atmos, English Dolby TrueHD 7.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1, Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
    Subtitles/Captions: English SDH, Spanish, French
    Special Features: Featurettes
    DVD Copy
    Movie Studio: Warner Bros.
    Release Date: January 7th, 2020

Story Review Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take

5 Stars out of 5

You can read our full thoughts on Todd Phillips' Joker in our review of the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray HERE.

 

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray

Warner Home Video brings Todd Phillips' Joker on Blu-ray as a two-disc combo pack with a Digital Copy code. The Region Free, BD50 disc sits comfortably opposite a DVD copy of the movie, and both are housed in a blue, eco-vortex case with a slipcover. At startup, viewers are taken to a generic static screen with the usual options along the bottom and music playing in the background.

  • TECH SPECS & RELEASE DETAILS
    Technical Specs:
    Two-Disc Combo Pack, BD-50 Dual-Layered Disc / DVD-9 Dual-Layered Disc, Region Free
    Video Resolution/Codec:
    1080p AVC/MPEG-4
    Length:121
    Release Country:United States
    Aspect Ratio(s):
    1.85:1
    Audio Formats:
    English Dolby Atmos, English Dolby TrueHD 7.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1, Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
    Subtitles/Captions:
    English SDH, Spanish, French
    Special Features:
    Featurettes
    DVD Copy
    Movie Studio: Warner Bros.
    Release Date: January 7th, 2020

Video Review

4.5 Stars out of 5

The slow descent into madness ascends on Blu-ray in a heavily-stylized but nonetheless visually captivating 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encode, perfectly expressing the dark, brooding moodiness intended by director Todd Phillips and cinematographer Lawrence Sher. 

Straight from a digital source, the freshly-minted transfer flaunts about in a beautiful, vivid array of colors, a distinct orange-teal palette that favors more earth-tones with lots of ambers and warmer yellow hues, be it from the lights or Arthur's maroon and gold two-piece suit. Nevertheless, primaries come through with abundant vibrancy, especially the spirited cobalt blues and the animated crimson reds. Likewise, black levels are rich and opulent throughout, bathing the 1.85:1 image in inky shadows that penetrate deep into the screen without sacrificing the finer aspect within the darkest corners. 

True to the filmmakers' aesthetic design, the video presentation also debuts on the HD stage with a somewhat restrained and controlled contrast balance, making the drama moderately but deliberately flat while slightly falling on the duller side. Whites are, for the most part, crisp and energetic while highlights mildly bloom, but still, the picture is pretty dynamic and energetic. Fine lines and objects are very well-defined with distinct clarity in the costumes, various furniture pieces and the busy city streets, and the wrinkles, pores and negligible blemishes in the faces are plainly visible. However, most of the action is noticeably softer than expected with a couple marginally blurry sections here and there, but such sequences are all intentional as part of a larger effect and for recreating a gritty 1970's feel. 

All in all, this is a gorgeous release that fans will surely gush over. (Video Rating: 88/100)

Audio Review

4.5 Stars out of 5

Joker debuts on Blu-ray with the same exceptionally awesome Dolby Atmos soundtrack as its Ultra HD counterpart. For a more in-depth take on the audio quality, you can read our review of the 4K Ultra HD HERE. (Dolby Atmos Audio Rating: 94/100)

Special Features

1 Stars out of 5
  • Joker: Vision & Fury (HD, 23 min)

  • Joker: A Chronicle of Chaos (HD, 3 min)

  • Please Welcome . . . Joker! (HD, 3 min)

  • Becoming Joker (HD, 1 min)

Final Thoughts

Right from the start, Todd Phillips' Joker drowns the audience in an atmosphere of poverty and hopelessness, made to witness the disturbingly, gut-wrenching misery of Arthur Fleck, an aspiring comedian destined to become the infamous, iconic comic book villain. Starring a phenomenal Joaquin Phoenix in the titular role, the film is less the rise of a criminal mastermind than it is the spiraling descent into a violent counter-cultural symbol. The clown puts on a smile for Blu-ray fanatics with a stunningly beautiful HD presentation and a highly satisfying Dolby Atmos soundtrack, but the release features a rather disappointingly small assortment of supplements. Nevertheless, the overall package is highly recommended.

Sale Price 8.99
Buy Now
3rd Party 5.98
In Stock
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  • TECH SPECS & RELEASE DETAILS
    Technical Specs:
    Two-Disc Combo Pack, BD-50 Dual-Layered Disc / DVD-9 Dual-Layered Disc, Region Free
    Video Resolution/Codec:
    1080p AVC/MPEG-4
    Length:121
    Release Country:United States
    Aspect Ratio(s):
    1.85:1
    Audio Formats:
    English Dolby Atmos, English Dolby TrueHD 7.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1, Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
    Subtitles/Captions:
    English SDH, Spanish, French
    Special Features:
    Featurettes
    DVD Copy
    Movie Studio: Warner Bros.
    Release Date: January 7th, 2020
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