Predestination appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.40:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. Across the board, the transferred looked good.
Sharpness was fine. A little softness occurred in some wide shots, but those didn’t become a concern. Overall definition seemed solid. I noticed no jagged edges or moiré effects, and the presentation lacked apparent edge haloes or other artifacts. I also saw no print flaws, as the movie always seemed clean.
In terms of colors, Predestination reflected Hollywood’s modern fascination with orange and teal. As tedious as that has become, the colors looked fine within the design parameters. In addition, blacks were dark and tight, while low-light shots were decent; some could be a bit dense, but they weren’t bad. This was a generally positive presentation.
As for the film’s DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, it added breadth to the experience. The movie didn’t deliver a rock-em-sock-em soundscape, but it managed to open up well. A few louder sequences – usually connected to action beats like car chases – made more dynamic use of the spectrum, but those didn’t pop up with great frequency. Instead, the emphasis on general environment remained, and that was fine. I felt the soundfield fit the material.
Audio quality always pleased. Speech remained natural and concise, with no edginess or other flaws. Music sounded full and dynamic, while effects came across as accurate and clear. All of this suited the film and earned a solid “B”.
When we shift to extras, the big attraction comes from a multi-part documentary. All You Zombies: Bringing Predestination to Life runs one hour, 16 minutes, 30 seconds and offers notes from writers/directors Michael and Peter Spierig, producers Paddy McDonald and Tim McGahan, director of photography Ben Nott, special makeup effects designer Steve Boyle, production designer Matthew Putland, special makeup effects supervisor Samantha Lyttle, costume designer Wendy Cork, film editor Matt Villa, and actors Sarah Snook, Noah Taylor and Ethan Hawke. “Time” looks at the source and its adaptation, story/character areas, cast and performances, pre-production and design choices, costumes and makeup effects, sets and locations, visual effects, editing, stunts and action, music and connected areas.
I’m always a little disappointed when a Blu-ray lacks a commentary, but “Zombies” does a lot to compensate. The documentary covers the movie’s creation in a concise, organized manner that takes us through the production in a positive manner. We get a good feel for the flick’s creation in this strong program.
A Journey Through Time goes for four minutes, 33 seconds, and includes notes from Hawke, Peter and Michael Spierig, Taylor, and Snook. We get basic story/character notes and some production elements. This is a quick overview and not especially interesting, especially after the thorough “Zombies”.
Finally, Bloopers lasts one minute, 37 seconds. It shows the usual mix of goofs and silliness. It doesn’t do much for me.
The disc opens with ads for Home Sweet Hell, Third Person, The Intruders, The Remaining, No Good Deed and Fury. No trailer for Predestination appears here.
More than most time travel movies, Predestination falters due to its rampant array of paradoxes. I can swallow some of these, but this film goes too far, and those insane twists drag down a promising tale. The Blu-ray provides very good picture and audio along with an informative documentary. If you have a high tolerance for leaps of logic, you’ll like Predestination more than I did.