VERDICT
SEPTEMBER 2019 HOME CINEMA CHOICEthe stereoscopic presentation – which projector
owners certainly will.
Beginning with the 4K version, the use of HDR
and wide colour technologies is fantastic, giving the
movie a wonderfully rich, vibrant, three-dimensional
feel compared to the 1080p SDR Blu-ray. Alita...'s
futuristic world seems more immediate and
visceral, giving it – and its characters – a much more
physical presence.
This is especially true when it comes to Alita
herself. The disc's enhanced light and colour range
help integrate this CGI creation into her environment,
particularly during exterior sequences in Iron City.
And this has an impact on how much you connect
with the movie – and how much you’re willing to
overlook its weaknesses. The HDR work also creates
a diff erent, almost romanticised atmosphere versus
the SDR Blu-ray, and boosts the scale of the night-
time and interior shots. In fact, Alita... delivers one
of the best all-round demos of HDR we've yet seen.
The 4K image isn’t as impressive in resolution
terms. Some shots only look marginally more
detailed than they do on the 1080p platter. But
overall it has a cleaner appearance, enhancing
your appreciation for the remarkable SFX.
The 3D transfer is outstanding. Shots on Iron
City’s streets convey extreme 3D depth, ramming
home the movie's epic scale, yet the real prowess
of Alita’s 3D work can be found in more intimate
situations. Interiors, such as Alita’s bedroom and
Ido’s workshop, both enjoy a fantastically natural,
organic sense of space, rather than just looking like
an awkward collection of fl at layers.
Even better, close-up shots give Alita an incredibly
three-dimensional presence. Her fi rst porcelain-like
body is defi ned and tangible, right down to its
lovingly crafted engravings, while the ‘surgery’ scene,
where Ido attaches bodywork layers, is up there
with the most eff ective 3D uses you'll witness.
Audio: The 4K Blu-ray is the audio disc of choice
here, sporting a Dolby Atmos mix while the HD
Blu-ray and 3D presentation get a 7.1 DTS-HD Master
Audio track. The latter is by no means a slouch,
with a meaty LFE track and fast, immersive eff ects
steering, yet the Atmos mix delivers the expected
performance hit.
Most apparent is the greater sense of scale and
dynamism, making the fi ght scenes more frenetic
and dragging you into the lunacy of the adrenaline-
fuelled Motorball sequences (surely destined to
become audio demo material), which strive to
position Alita relative to her competitors and the
track. The Atmos height layer also pays dividends
with other specifi c eff ects and set-pieces, in addition
to overall immersion. It's just a shame it doesn't
accompany the 3D version.
Extras: Bonus features are satisfying, although
there's no director's (or producer's) commentary.
Highlights include background information
on Alita...’s world, gorgeous concept artwork
accompanied by a narrated synopsis of the
fi lm, and substantial documentaries on both
the progression from Manga comic to Hollywood
blockbuster, and the technology used to bring the
title character to life. JAThe VFX-heavy fi lm had a reported
budget of $170mRose Salazar previously appeared in
the Maze Runner franchiseA niggle is that it tries to cram way too much into
its two-hour running time, leading to a choppy fi nal
third. Also, while the ‘heart on sleeve’ directness is
appealing in some ways, it does lead to one or two
corny moments. Overall, though, there’s way more
for home cinema fans here to love than hate.
Picture: Cameron’s infl uence seems to have worked
wonders on the Alita: Battle Angel 4K package.
Twentieth Century Fox has been persuaded to
not only make this its fi rst Dolby Vision 4K platter,
but also partner the DV encode with an HDR10+
dynamic HDR master on the same disc.
The 4K Blu-ray package also includes both
2D and 3D HD Blu-rays, rather than demanding
you buy a separate version if you want to view
PLAYBACK 89
Alita: Battle Angel
« 20th Century Fox
« Region-free UHD BD, All-region
Blu-ray « $30 (US import)
WE SAY: This world-building sci-fi
benefi ts from exceptional HDR work
and thrilling 3D.Movie:
Picture:
Audio:
Extras:
OVERALL: