Wonder Woman 1984 appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.90:1 and 2.39:1 on this 4K UHD Disc. Ala many Chris Nolan movies, WW84 included some footage shot with IMAX cameras – albeit the 1.90:1 digital IMAX, not the 1.44:1 65mm IMAX Nolan prefers.
In any case, WW84 gives us the same kind of alternating ratio presentation found on discs like Dark Knight Rises and Tenet. WW84 joins fellow DCEU effort Aquaman in the “alternating ratio club”, and I’m glad to see it, even if WW84 uses the IMAX ratio less often than I might hope.
I’m also pleased with picture quality, as WW84 consistently looked great. Finished at 4K, the Dolby Vision image held up nicely.
Overall sharpness seemed strong. Nary a hint of softness impacted the image, so it 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, WW84 opted for an orange and teal orientation. Occasionally the image threw out other hues as well, and the 4K UHD depicted them in an appropriate manner.
The disc’s HDR added impact and range to the tones. Given the 1980s setting, a bolder, more period-appropriate palette would’ve been nice, though.
Blacks showed good depth, and shadows offered appealing clarity and smoothness. HDR contributed depth and punch to contras and whites. In the end, the movie provided pleasing visuals.
In addition, WW84 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? Audio remained identical, as both came with the same Atmos mix.
However, the Dolby Vision 4K disc outdid the Blu-ray, as it looked tighter, more vivid and dynamic. While the BD worked very well, this native 4K production dazzled on UHD.
No extras appear on the 4K disc, but a mix of video pieces materialize on the included Blu-ray copy, and we open with Expanding the Wonder, a 36-minute, 23-second show that offers notes from writer/director Patty Jenkins, producer Chuck Roven, co-writers Dave Callaham and Geoff Johns, production designer Aline Bonetto, set decorator Anna Lynch-Robinson, costume designer Lindy Hemming, stunt coordinator Rob Inch, and actors Gal Gadot, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal, Chris Pine, and Lynda Carter.
“Expanding” covers story and character areas, comic book influences, cast and performances, production design, locations and the 1980s setting, costumes, stunts and action. Though laden with too much happy talk and praise, we learn enough about the production to make this a moderately effective piece.
Friends Forever runs five minutes, 10 seconds and involves Gadot, Wiig, Johns, Jenkins, and Inch. We get some notes about the Barbara/Cheetah character as well as how much Wiig and Gadot love each other in this passable but fairly superficial segment.
Next comes Small But Mighty, a 10-minute, 44-second show that includes comments from Gadot, Jenkins, Roven, Inch, horsemaster Camilla Naprous, and actors Lilly Aspell, Jessie Graff, Jade Lewis, and Connie Nielsen.
“Small” looks at the work done by Aspell as young Diana. Expect another mildly informative but fluffy reel.
Under Scene Study, we find two segments: “The Open Road” (6:11) and “The Mall” (5:03). In these, we hear from Jenkins, Gadot, Inch, Roven, Bonetto, location manager Tobin Hughes, and special effects supervisor Mark Holt.
These two pieces look at the specifics of the scenes in question. Both offer some good information, and I especially like “The Mall” since they shot at the now-defunct Landmark Mall in Virginia, a place I visited dozens of times over the years – even if the production took liberties and didn’t literally recreate Landmark circa 1984.
Gal & Krissy Having Fun goes for one minute, 12 seconds and shows the impromptu song Gadot and Wiig did on the set. We see some of this in “Friends” but it’s fun to view the clip on its own.
After this comes Meet the Amazons, a 21-minute, 28-second piece that offers a virtual panel with Jenkins, Graff, Aspell, Inch, Hemming, Bonetto, trainer Jenny Pacey and actors Bronte Lavine, Dayna Grant, Moe Sasegbon, Gwendolyn Smith, Miranda Chambers, Jade Johnson and Briony Scarlett.
As implied by the title, we learn about some of the cast who played Amazons in the film’s prologue and their experiences as well as stunts/action and related elements. This becomes another sporadically informative but often puffy piece.
Black Gold Infomercial lasts one minute, 38-second and lets us get a full glimpse of Max Lord’s TV promo. It becomes a fun addition.
A Gag Reel fills six minutes, 26 seconds with the usual goofs and giggles. Actually, Gadot’s extended struggle with some props during one sequence amuses more than typical, but most of the rest feels ordinary.
Finally, Retro Remix takes up one minute, 40 seconds and attempts to give the movie an 80s TV sheen. It’s cute.
The disc opens with ads for The Batman and The Suicide Squad. No trailer for WW84 appears here.
After the success of the first movie, Wonder Woman 1984 turns into a moderate disappointment. While the film enjoys some good moments, it drags too much and turns into a bit of a mess. The 4K UHD offers terrific picture and audio as well as a decent allotment of bonus materials. Hopefully the third Wonder Woman flick will offer a return to form.
To rate this film visit the original review of WONDER WOMAN 1984