Last Witch Hunter, The

In The Last Witch Hunter, Kaulder (Diesel), is the legendary warrior sworn to protect the modern world from treacherous black magic and prevent the Queen Witch from returning. Kaulder is an immortal witch hunter who has spent centuries tracking down those who practice evil magic. When history’s deadliest witches resurrect their bloodthirsty Queen Witch, Kaulder becomes humanity’s last hope as he clashes with the supernatural in a an epic battle for the ages. (Gary Reber)

Special features include commentary with Director Breck Eisner, the featurette Crafting The Magic (HD 30:20), the animated short films The Origins Of The Axe And The Cross (HD 09:52) and Sizzle Reel/Paint It, Black (HD 01:36), two deleted scenes (HD 05:42), upfront previews, and an UltraViolet digital copy.

The 2.40:1 1080p AVC picture exhibits a gorgeously warm color palette with rich and vibrant hues, yet is natural in appearance. Colors pop in the depiction of elements of magic effects. Often the imagery is lush in color. Fleshtones exhibit a natural appearance with distinctive variances in skin tone under varying lighting conditions. Contrast is excellent and balanced with deep, solid blacks and revealing shadow delineation. Resolution is excellent throughout, with fine detail revealed in facial features, hair, clothing, and object texture. The special effects are visually engaging and finely detailed. The movie was photographed in Panavision® 4K using the Arri Alexa XT Plus. A 4K UltraHD HDR Blu-ray is also available. This is a visually stimulating experience, with reference-quality imagery throughout. (Gary Reber)

The DTS:X (DTS-HD Master Audio™ 7.1-channel) soundtrack is dynamic and immersive, with a spatially dimensional spherical holosonic® soundfield. The 11.1 DTS:X mapping, as shown by the loudspeaker channel layout available in the special features menu, is virtually identical to the Auro-3D 11.1 mapping, as was presented theatrically. This is a really effective immersive sound experience. Steve Jablonsky’s orchestral score is presented wide and deep with an expansive side and back-channel presence. Atmospherics and sound effects are well produced with both finely nuanced and energized soundscapes. During intense segments, the .1 LFE channel extends to sub-25 Hz. The surroundfield is aggressively charged, and along with the height signals delivers an awesome immersive sound experience. Dialogue manages generally to retain intelligibility with good spatial integration. This is a terrific soundtrack, with excellent dynamics and spherical surround holosonic character that is reference quality. (Gary Reber)