Black Panther: Wakanda Forever appears in an aspect ratio of 2.39:1 on this 4K UHD Disc. As expected, the movie came with excellent visuals.
Overall sharpness seemed strong. Softness failed to become a problem, so the film remained tight and concise.
I saw no shimmering or jaggies. Both edge haloes and print flaws remained absent.
Like every other modern action movie, Forever opted for an orange and teal orientation. These choices didn’t overwhelm, and we found other hues like purples and red as well. The disc depicted them in an appropriate manner, and HDR added intensity and range to the tones.
Blacks showed good depth, and shadows offered largely nice clarity and smoothness. A few low-light sequences came across as slightly opaque, but these weren’t a major issue.
HDR gave extra oomph and power to whites and contrast. In the end, the movie provided pleasing visuals.
In addition, Forever brought us a stellar Dolby Atmos soundtrack. Downconverted to Dolby TrueHD 7.1, the soundscape opened up best when it indulged in its many battle sequences.
These used the various channels in a vivid, immersive manner that placed the elements in logical spots and meshed together well. The track gave us a strong sense of place and action.
Audio quality also pleased. Speech remained natural and distinctive, while music was full and rich.
Effects came across as accurate and dynamic, with tight low-end. I liked this mix quite a lot.
How did the 4K UHD compare to the Blu-ray version? The Atmos audio expanded sonic horizons somewhat.
Visuals showed mild improvements in terms of delineation, colors and blacks. While the 4K failed to blow away the Blu-ray, it became the more appealing version.
No extras appear on the 4K disc, but on the included Blu-ray copy, we launch with an audio commentary from co-writer/Director Ryan Coogler, co-writer Joe Robert Cole and cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw. All three sit together for this running, screen-specific look at story and characters, cast and performances, sets and locations, editing and photography, music, stunts and action, and various effects.
All that sounds like a good array of topics. Indeed, the track touches on all the anticipated subjects.
Unfortunately, the participants cover the movie in a surprisingly dull manner. While they hit the right notes, they fail to create an engaging chat. We learn a decent amount about the film but the commentary feels like a bit of an endurance test.
Two featurettes follow, and Envisioning Two Worlds runs 10 minutes, five seconds. It provides notes from Coogler, Arkapaw, production designer Hannah Beachler, costume designer Ruth Carter, stunt coordinator Chris Denison, producer Nate Moore, and actors Lupita Nyong’o, Dania Gurira, Letitia Wright, and Tenoch Huerta Mejía.
“Worlds” examines sets and production design as well as costumes, stunts, and photography. This delivers more than a little happy talk but we get many good insights as well.
Passing the Mantle goes for five minutes, 50 seconds and offers info from Moore, Coogler, Wright, and actors Dominique Thorne and Angela Bassett. “Mantle” discusses characters and cast in this moderately informative but generally superficial piece.
A Gag Reel lasts two minutes, 28 seconds and features the usual goofs and giggles. However, we get a few improv lines and those add some spark.
Four Deleted Scenes occupy a total of 10 minutes, 11 seconds. These offer expansions for secondary characters.
As such, none of them seem crucial. However, they provide engaging material.
Faced with major challenges due to the death of lead actor Chadwick Boseman, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever manages to take on some daring paths. However, it lacks a focused story and its extended running time means that it winds up as moderately enjoyable but too bloated to fully succeed. The 4K UHD comes with terrific picture and audio as well as a mix of bonus materials. Expect a good but not exceptional MCU flick.
To rate this film visit the prior review of BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER