BLU-RAY REVIEW

Cloud Atlas

Featured In Issue 177, June/July 2013

Picture5+
Sound5
WSR Score5
Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
(Studio/Distributor):
Warner Home Video
(Catalog Number):
3000046972
(MPAA Rating):
R
(Rating Reason):
Violence, language, sexuality, nudity and some drug use
(Retail Price):
$35.99
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
No
(Running Time In Minutes):
172
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
Not Indicated
(Theatrical Year):
2012
(Theatrical Release):
Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release):
No
(Disc Release Date):
05/14/13
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
No
(Director):
Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer & Andy Wachowski
(Screenplay/Written By):
(Story):
(Music):
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer):
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor):
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers):
(Co-Producers):
(Producers):
(Academy Awards):
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
(Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
(Disc Soundtrack):
Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS HD Lossless 5.1
(Theatrical Sound):
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(DTS Bit Rate):
(Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
(Additional Languages):
(French Language):
(Spanish Language):
(Chinese Language):
(Subtitles):
(Cantonese Language):
(Mandarin Language):
(Japanese Language):
(Italian Language):
(German Language):
(Portuguese Language):

Based on the novel by David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas explores how the actions and consequences of individual lives impact one another throughout the past, the present, and the future. Action, mystery, and romance weave dramatically through the story as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and a single act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution in the distant future. (Gary Reber)

Special features include the featurettes A Film Like No Other (HD 07:15), Everything Is Connected (HD 08:00), The impossible Adaption (HD 09:07), The Essence Of Acting (HD 07:20), Spaceships, Slaves And Sextets (HD 08:08), The Bold Science Fiction Of Cloud Atlas (HD 07:14), and Eternal Recurrence: Love, Life, And Longing In Cloud Atlas (HD 07:39); upfront previews; and an UltraViolet digital copy.

The 2.40:1 1080p AVC picture is gorgeous! The image capture is perfectly captured and exhibits a beautiful, pristine filmic appearance. The color palette is warm and rich, with strong primaries and vibrant saturation. Hues appear accurately rendered. Fleshtones are earthy and accurate throughout. Contrast is excellent, with deep blacks and revealing saturation. The production design is extraordinarily engaging visually, with an excellent sense of depth. Resolution is exemplary, with fine detail exhibited in facial features, hair, clothing, and object texture, especially in the display of futuristic technology. The editing and special effects are seamless as the imagery transforms from one scene to another. This is a true epic picture experience that visually excites and satisfies with its imaginative imagescapes, production design, and cinematography—a tour de force. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is superb, with an impressive holosonic® presence. Each sound element is perfectly executed with proficiency. Atmospherics and sound effects, as well Foley, nicely inject life into the numerous imagescapes, which enhances the sense of suspended reality. Deep bass complements the more intense and dramatic sequences with .1 LFE energy that extends, at times, to sub-25 Hz. The orchestral score is sweeping in scope, extending to the surrounds from the deep and wide soundstage. The overall sonic presence is, at times, aggressively enveloping, yet always subtlety engaging. Dialogue is nicely integrated spatially. This is an effective sonic experience that seamlessly defines each soundscape. (Gary Reber)