Captain Marvel appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.39:1 on this 4K UHD Disc. As expected, the movie came with good visuals.
Overall sharpness seemed strong. Only a hint of softness impacted the image on a few occasions, so it usually remained tight and concise. I saw no shimmering or jaggies, and both edge haloes and print flaws remained absent.
Like every other modern action movie, Marvel opted for an orange and teal orientation. These choices became more dominant than I’d like – and bordered on Michael Bay levels – but the Blu-ray reproduced them as intended. The 4K UHD’s HDR added some zing to the hues as well.
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. In the end, the movie provided pleasing visuals.
In addition, Marvel 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 seemed a bit more expansive, though not to an extreme.
In addition, the 4K UHD’s visuals demonstrated modest improvements, as it looked a bit tighter and showed slightly stronger colors and blacks. However, this didn’t become a tremendous step up, so don’t expect night and day differences. While I prefer the 4K UHD, it doesn’t stomp on the Blu-ray.
All the set’s extras appear on the included Blu-ray copy, and there we encounter an audio commentary from co-writers/co-directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. Both sit together for this running, screen-specific view of cast and performances, sets and locations, story/characters, effects, music, and connected domains.
Though not a bad track, this also never becomes an especially good piece. Boden and Fleck give us enough insights to make the commentary worth a listen, but it lacks a ton of substance and can seem pretty bland much of the time.
We can view the movie with or without an Introduction from Boden and Fleck. In this one-minute, 51-second reel, they give us general thoughts about the flick. The intro lacks much substance but it seems painless.
Six featurettes follow. With a total running time of 23 minutes, 25 seconds, we get Becoming a Super Hero (6:40), Big Hero Moment (3:31), The Origin of Nick Fury (3:33), The Dream Team (2:44), The Skrulls and the Kree (3:31) and Hiss-sterical Cat-titude (3:23).
Across these, we hear from Boden, Fleck, producer Kevin Feige, Secretary of Air Force Public Affairs Leslie Finstein, Brigadier General Jeannie Leavitt, executive producer Jonathan Schwartz, visual effects supervisor Christopher Townsend and actors Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Lashana Lynch, Chris Hemsworth, Clark Gregg, Jude Law, and Ben Mendelsohn.
They discuss story and characters, cast and performances, training, Boden and Fleck’s impact on the production, and the movie’s feline star. Though some good shots from the set materialize, the comments tend toward the fluffy side of the street.
Six Deleted Scenes run a total of eight minutes, 47 seconds. The first three show more of the Kree from the first act, including a glimpse of who Yon-Rogg sees as the “Supreme Intelligence”.
The others extend existing scenes. We get a very T2-esque confrontation between Vers and the biker in LA as well as more from Talos in disguise. None of these seem crucial but they’re interesting nonetheless.
A Gag Reel goes for two minutes, two seconds. It presents the usual goofs and silliness, so don’t expect anything memorable. At least it ends quickly and doesn’t overstay its welcome.
The disc opens with ads for Rising as well as the Strike Force, Future Fight, Contest of Champions and Puzzle Quest games. No trailer for Marvel appears here.
As an origin story, Captain Marvel becomes one of the better MCU efforts. After a slightly sluggish start, it finds a groove and turns into an engaging superhero tale. The 4K UHD brings strong picture and audio along with a reasonable roster of supplements. I look forward to Captain Marvel 2.
To rate this film, visit the original review of CAPTAIN MARVEL