Cruella
4K (2021/Disney 4K Ultra
HD Blu-ray w/Blu-ray)
4K
Ultra HD Picture: B+ Picture: B Sound: B+ & B Extras:
C Film: C
101
Dalmatians
was a hit for Disney back in 1961 when they were still a smaller
mini-major production company, then Glenn Close made two films as its
villain in a successful live-action set of films that did well
enough. Now, in the midst of the superhero movies and a run of luck
making live-action films based on their classic animated catalog, we
get Craig Gillespie's Cruella
(2021) with Emma Stone as the title character, younger than the
character has ever been.
In
this version, we get an origins story, how she became who she is
(looking like a defanged Edward Scissorhands) and a story of her
becoming involved in the world of fashion, only to clash with a
Baroness (Emma Thompson, picking up an easy paycheck) and though she
is a bad person, maybe we should just try to 'understand' Cruella and
side with her anyhow.
Dumb
message to send, but this was a hit and actually goes along with the
two recent super-villain movies (the well made The
Joker
and mixed Venom)
as what is developing as a cycle of villain films, even though this
is the first one NOT to be superhero-genre affiliated.
Unfortunately, the script is paper thin, lame, formulaic in points
and the used of licensed music shows off the the film's budget. Too
bad the songs are all over the place and sloppier than Captain
Marvel
(see our 4K review elsewhere on this site) and the quality of some of
the copies of the songs leave something to be desired.
I
may not necessarily be the audience for this film, but even if I
somehow was, I did not laugh once and can say without Stone and then
Thompson backing her later, this would have been a financial disaster
and even worse as they are the only factors not making me want to use
this disc for skeet shooting!
They
already have sequels planned and I cannot imagine how they will play,
but they had better figure out something because this is one of the
most cynical things I have suffered through in a while. Sad.
The
2160p HECV/H.265, 1.85 X 1, HDR (10; Ultra HD Premium)-enhanced Ultra
High Definition image on the 4K disc was shot in HD and looks good on
the 4K disc, but the color and look are nothing too special and
sometimes push for a consistent fake look that gets tired quickly,
which you can still see on the 1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition
image on the regular Blu-ray. No demo shots here, either.
The
Dolby Atmos 11.1 (Dolby TrueHD 7.1) on the 4K disc does have its
sonic moments when not playing poor copies of classic hit records or
having the characters talk too much. The regular Blu-ray only has a
mixdown of the 12-track soundmaster in its DTS-HD MA (Master Audio)
7.1 lossless mix. Again, no sonic demo moments here either.
Extras
include Digital
Copy, while the discs add (per the press release) Bloopers,
Deleted
Scenes:
The
Two Emma's
- Discover how real-life friends Emma Stone and Emma Thompson
prepared for their roles as Cruella de Vil and the Baroness von
Hellman and transformed into the fashionably cool, but devilishly
cruel, characters.
The
Sidekick Angle
- No Disney villain/hero is complete without their sidekicks! Meet
the talented actors who play Horace and Jasper, and learn how their
characters deepen the film's story and how the trio's friendship
changes as the smart, feisty Estella becomes Cruella.
Cruella
Couture
- Take in the spectacular artistry of this couture collection, with
an in-depth behind-the-scenes look at some of the most fashionable
moments in the movie.
The
World of ''Cruella''
- Experience the city locations and elaborate sets of ''Cruella''
each featuring extraordinary production design detail, which bring
1970s London to life and enhance the backstories of these iconic
Disney characters in a whole new way.
New
Dogs... Old Tricks
- Go behind the scenes of the on-set life of an animal actor, and
meet the smart, expressive, delightful dogs who play Buddy, Wink and
the Dalmatians, along with their devoted trainers. Catch the joy
the pups experience in their daily doggie duties.
and
Cruella
101
- Uncover Easter eggs and clever connections to Walt Disney's ''101
Dalmatians''
that are masterfully woven throughout this modern origin story of
''Cruella.''
So
see this one only if you are very, very, very curious.
-
Nicholas Sheffo
