Ultra HD Blu-ray

Movie: Fittingly for a film set in the 1980s, this Wonder Woman sequel is a story of excess. From the sheer number of ideas struggling against one another and accompanying wild mix of tones, to the excruciating 151-minute running time, Wonder Woman 1984 is a bloated mess that feels light years removed from returning director Patty Jenkins’ excellent 2017 original. Gal Gadot continues to impress as the title character, but for such a lengthy superhero film there’s a surprising lack of comic book action – and it doesn't help that the central wish-fulfilment theme mirrors that of Marvel’s recent WandaVision series.
Movie rating: 2.5/5

Picture: Shot predominantly on film (35mm and 65mm) with some additional digital inserts (3.4K and 6.5K) and finished as a native 4K DI, Wonder Woman 1984 cuts a fine figure on UHD Blu-ray.

Direct comparison with the Full HD Blu-ray reveals a ‘tighter’-looking image with a more refined grain structure and healthier detailing. More colourful than your typical DC superhero movie, the 4K HDR presentation also sees an uptick in vibrancy – although given the 1980s setting the film is perhaps not as luridly colourful as you may have been expecting, still favouring more ‘realistic’ tones.

The 4K transfer (mostly framed at 2.40:1, but with some sequences in 1.90:1) serves up a full suite of HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision grades. Right from the sun-drenched Themyscira flashback that opens the movie, the expanded dynamic range brings a heightened intensity to the imagery, while a night flight through fireworks (Chapter 10) punctuates deep blacks with brilliant explosions of luminous colour. The HDR grade also brings some much-needed clarity and nuance to Wonder Woman and Cheetah’s gloomy bunker brawl in Chapter 18.
Picture rating: 5/5

Audio: Wonder Woman 1984's Dolby Atmos soundmix delivers an effective and engaging audio experience, albeit one that never quite reaches the format’s upper echelons. The main point of contention is a relative lack of engagement with the overhead speakers; most of the action in the height layer comes from Hans Zimmer's musical score, with only the odd exploding firework or ambient sound effect elevating the onscreen action.

Other elements of the mix are excellent. Bass response is deep and varied in the film’s handful of action scenes, while surround/rear effects are thrillingly dynamic. Dialogue is crystal-clear throughout.
Audio rating: 4.5/5

Extras: As Warner Bros.'s 4K disc is devoid of extras, you’ll have to pop in the accompanying 1080p platter to enjoy bonus goodies. What’s on offer is a fairly standard set of behind-the-scenes extras, the highlights being a 36-minute Making of… documentary and a 21-minute virtual roundtable with director Patty Jenkins, members of the production design and costume design teams, and some of the Amazonian extras.

There are also some fun – if less essential – features, too, including a six-minute gag reel and a two-minute remix of the old TV show’s title sequence with clips from the new film.
Extras rating: 3/5

HCC VERDICT: 3.5/5
We say: This laboured and messy sequel does DC’s brightest star no favours. The 4K presentation itself is fantastic, though.

Wonder Woman 1984, Warner Bros., Ultra HD Blu-ray & All-Region BD, £30