Legion of Super-Heroes appears in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 on this 4K UHD Disc. As expected, this became a satisfying image.
Sharpness excelled. The movie always came across as tight and well-defined, so don’t expect any signs of softness.
Jaggies and moiré effects also remained absent, and the image lacked edge haloes or artifacts. In addition, print flaws were a non-factor and didn’t appear at any point.
In terms of colors, Legion went with a fairly palette that emphasized greens, blues and purples. The tones looked solid within those parameters, and HDR brought impact and punch to the hues.
Blacks were deep and tight, while shadows showed nice clarity. HDR gave power and range to whites and contrast. Across the board, the image worked well.
I thought the DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack of Legion opened up the comic book material in an appropriate manner. The forward channels brought out the majority of the material, but the entire package added a lot to the movie. Music presented strong stereo imaging, while effects cropped up in logical spots and blended well.
The surrounds also contributed good information. For the most part, these reinforced the forward channels, but they also contributed a fair amount of unique material.
These instances mainly occurred during bigger action scenes, but they spread out in quieter scenes as well and even featured some directional dialogue. The back speakers brought out a nice sense of space and environment.
Audio quality always satisfied. Speech was warm and natural, without edginess or other issues.
Music sounded lively and full, while effects displayed good definition. Those elements seemed accurate and dynamic. All of this led to a positive presentation that deserved a “B+”.
How did the 4K UHD compare to the Blu-ray version? Audio remained identical.
The 4K’s visuals boasted improvements in terms of delineation, colors and blacks – but not major ones. While the 4K became the more satisfying rendition of the film, it didn’t offer a substantial upgrade over the Blu-ray.
No extras appear on the 4K disc itself, but we get some on the included Blu-ray copy. The Legion Behind the Legion runs four minutes, 40 seconds and brings notes from producer James Krieg, writer Josie Campbell, and actors Meg Donnelly and Yuri Lowenthal.
The program looks at the Legion and issues related to the film’s story development and cast/performances. A few decent details emerge but the featurette can feel fluffy.
Down to Earth goes for eight minutes, 21 seconds and offers comments from Campbell, Krieg, Donnell, and Lowenthal.
“Earth” covers story/character areas as well as cast/performances. Expect another fairly superficial piece.
Next comes Meet the Legionnaries, a nine-minute, 24-second piece that includes Campbell, Krieg, Donnelly, and Lowenthal.
As implied by the title, “Meet” looks at the secondary members of the Legion. It offers a cursory overview.
Brainiac Attack lasts eight minutes, 14 seconds and delivers info from Campbell and Krieg. It delivers a general discussion of Brainiac 5 as well as the Dark Circle but it doesn’t offer much substance.
We also find two bonus episodes of Superman: The Animated Series: “Little Girl Lost, Part 1” (21:17) and “Little Girl Lost, Part 2” (21:30).
“Lost” shows how Superman found Supergirl and brought her to Earth. This two-part program offers good entertainment and adds value to the disc.
Two Previews finish the disc. To look at Justice League Vs. the Fatal Five (9:26), we hear from producer Bruce Timm, screenwriters Jim Krieg and Eric Carrasco, director Sam Liu, and voice director Wes Gleason.
“Peek” gives us basics about story and characters, cast and performances, and related areas. It’s a decent overview, albeit one that exists to sell the movie.
A discussion of Superman: Man of Tomorrow (8:34) provides remarks from Krieg, Gleason, director Chris Palmer, producer Butch Lukic, screenwriter Tim Sheridan, and actors Zachary Quinto, Alexandra Daddario, Ryan Hurst, Brett Dalton and Darren Criss. Expect another basic promotional overview.
As an introduction, Legion of Super-Heroes offers a moderately entertaining opening salvo. Though not innovative, the movie brings a lively experience. The 4K UHD boasts strong picture and audio along with a mediocre roster of bonus materials. Hopefully future Legion adventures will offer more depth but remain fun.
To rate this film, visit the prior review of LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES