The Lego Batman Movie 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review

**SYNOPSIS**


In the irreverent spirit of fun that made “The LEGO Movie” a worldwide phenomenon, the self-described leading man of that ensemble—LEGO Batman—stars in his own big-screen adventure. But there are big changes brewing in Gotham City, and if he wants to save the city from The Joker’s hostile takeover, Batman may have to drop the lone vigilante thing, try to work with others and maybe, just maybe, learn to lighten up.








**MOVIE REVIEW**


Batman stole the show three years ago in The Lego Movie. Will Arnett returns as the Dark Knight and you can tell he;s having a blast doing so. Michael Cera joins him as the boy wonder Robin and the various hints at Robin's sexuality are hilarious. The Joker is given a fun turn by Galifianakis but I do wish Mark Hamill was able to due his fine work with the iconic character.

Th Lego Batman Movie is kinetic and a visual feast. There's a lot of hidden humor that adults will appreciate while children will be gloriously entertained by the Lego style. So go pick up the Blu-ray or 4K disc on Tuesday and maybe a Lego Batman set or two to join in on the fun after the movie ends. 9/10


**VIDEO QUALITY**


The Lego Batman Movie arrives on 4K UHD Blu-ray with a 2160p transfer in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1 - The standard Blu-ray is a visual stunner with an eye popping display of colors. Beautiful saturation in deep greens, purples and reds are the standout feature of this presentation. Black levels were excellent lending an almost 3D pop to Batman at certain points depending on the background used. Being that the movie started and ended in the digital realm it is crisp and detailed throughout. I especially liked seeing all the minute details in the Batcave. No issues I didn't see any issues with banding. 10/10

The 4K Ultra HD presentation carries over the already demo quality and adds additional depth to backgrounds and stronger shadow detail. I did notice the lighting of the digital environment more on the UHD. HDR adds a slightly noticeable if not dramatic boost in color reproduction. I think most viewers would be perfectly happy with the 1080p Blu-ray disc but for those getting into 4K I would recommend picking it up on a good deal. 9.5/10


**AUDIO QUALITY**


Audio is provided by a Dolby Atmos track. - The masterful voice acting is supported by perfect dialogue reproduction. Crisp and prioritized to the center channel. Surround activity was brilliant with smooth overhead effects, objects whizzing past and to the sides of you as well. Dynamic range as expected was superb. For those who love deep, powerful bass the LFE performance doesn't disappoint. There are no issues to worry about. 9.5/10


**BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES**

* Director and Crew Commentary


* Original Animation Shorts (HD, Play All 07:30)
- Dark Hoser (02:08)
- Batman is Just Not That Into You (02:10)
- Cooking with Alfred (02:02)
- Movie Sound Effects: How Do They Do That? (01:24)

* The Master: A LEGO Ninjago Short (HD, 05:23)

* Deleted Scenes (HD, Play All 07:00)
- Batcave Studio (01:43)
- Lolipop (02:24)
- Batman & Mayor Swap (01:22)
- Clayface (01:45)

* Featurettes

- One Brick at a Time: Making the Lego Batman Movie (HD, 16:10)
- Rebrick Contest Winners (02:47)
- Inside Wayne Manor (02:36)
- Brick by Brick: Making of the LEGO Batman (03:50)
- Behind the Brick (04:13)
- Me and My Mini Fig (00:56)

* Film Trailers

- Trailer With Will Arnett intro (HD, 01:59)
- Trailer 2 (HD, 02:39)
- Trailer 3 (HD< 02:34)
- Lego Life Trailer (HD, 00:40)
- Follow Me Online (HD, 00:31)
- Don't Skip (HD, 00:21)
- Happy Holidays Jingle (HD, 00:25)
- Batsby New Year's (HD, 00:24)
- Team Cutdown (HD, 01:53)
- Comic-Con Panel (HD, 02:55)

Arrow: The Complete Fifth Season Blu-ray September 19th

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has officially announced they will release Arrow: The Complete Fifth Season to Blu-ray and DVD on September 19, 2017. The Blu-ray specs are set to be 1080p video in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio and a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track for audio. Below are the official details:








**SYNOPSIS**


In Season Five, newly appointed Mayor Oliver Queen finds himself challenged as he fights on two fronts for the future of Star City. With his right hand, John Diggle, back in the military and his sister Thea adamant about hanging up her vigilante hood as Speedy, Team Green Arrow is down to just Oliver and Felicity – but they’re no longer the only vigilantes in town. Green Arrow’s public defeat of Damien Darhk at the end of Season Four has inspired a new crop of masked heroes to step up and defend the city, though their painful inexperience makes them obstacles rather than allies in the field. The arrival of a deadly new adversary will force Oliver to confront questions about his own legacy, both as mayor and as the Green Arrow.

Arrow stars Stephen Amell (Private Practice), David Ramsey (Blue Bloods, Dexter), Willa Holland (The O.C.), Emily Bett Rickards (Brooklyn), Echo Kellum (Sean Saves The World), with Josh Segarra (Sirens, Chicago P.D.) and Paul Blackthorne (The River). Based on the characters from DC, Arrow is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Greg Berlanti (The Flash, Supergirl, Blindspot), Marc Guggenheim (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow), Andrew Kreisberg (The Flash, Supergirl), Wendy Mericle (Desperate Housewives) and Sarah Schechter (The Flash, Supergirl,Blindspot).



**SPECIAL FEATURES**


* Arrow: 2016 Comic-Con Panel
* The New Team Arrow
* Allied: The Invasion Complex (Arrow)
* Returning to the Roots of Arrow: Prometheus
* Deleted Scenes
* Gag Reel

Gifted Blu-ray July 25th

Fox Home Entertainment has officially announced they will release Gifted to Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD on July 25, 2017. The Blu-ray specs are set to be 1080p video in the 2.40:1 aspect ratio and a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Below are the official details:







**SYNOPSIS**


Frank Adler (Chris Evans) is a single man dedicated to raising his spirited young niece, Mary (Mckenna Grace), a child prodigy. But Frank and Mary’s happy life together is threatened when Mary’s mathematical abilities come to the attention of her overbearing grandmother (Lindsay Duncan) – who has other plans for the girl. You’ll love every moment of this “deeply satisfying” (Edward Douglas, Film Journal International) film, also starring Jenny Slate and Oscar Winner Octavia Spencer.


**SPECIAL FEATURES**


* Deleted Scenes
- Do You Blame Yourself?
- Unresolved Issues
- Cookies
- Rarer Than Radium
- Take A Hint

* Featurettes
- Gifted: A First Look
- Story
- An Accomplished Cast
- Inside the Equation
- Marc’s Method

* On Location: Gifted

* Gallery

Lethal Weapon: The Complete First Season Blu-ray September 19th

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has officially announced they will release Lethal Weapon: The Complete First Season to Blu-ray and DVD on September 19, 2017. The Blu-ray specs are set to be 1080p video in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio and a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track for audio. Below are the official details:








**SYNOPSIS**


With an average weekly audience of 9.3 million in its first season, FOX’s #1 new series is an explosive thrill ride filled with comedy, action and heart that features America’s original buddy cop duo. Based on the hit movie franchise, Lethal Weapon, tells the story of a slightly unbalanced former Navy SEAL joining forces with a veteran detective as partners on the Los Angeles police force. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment brings all 18 episodes of this season’s most electrifying action series to Blu-Ray and DVD with the release of Lethal Weapon: The Complete First Season on September 19th, 2017. Available to own for $39.99 / $44.98 SRP, Lethal Weapon: The Complete First Season also includes a Blu-Ray and DVD exclusive featurette; an uncensored, extended pilot episode; deleted scenes and a hilarious gag reel! Lethal Weapon: The Complete First Season is also available to own on Digital HD via purchase from digital retailers.

Roger Murtaugh (Damon Wayans) and Martin Riggs (Clayne Crawford) are back on the streets of L.A., in Warner Bros. Television’s adaptation of the classic buddy cop action-comedy. The series introduces these two polar opposites: Riggs a volatile former Navy SEAL-turned-detective out of El Paso, Texas with a tendency to dive into the line of fire following the tragic deaths of his wife and unborn son; and Murtaugh, a seasoned, by-the-book detective cautiously returning to the LAPD in the wake of a heart attack that nearly killed him. While the partnership seems doomed from the start, the dynamic is crazy enough that it just might work. The question remains… can the two of them work together to protect the crime-ridden streets of Los Angeles, or will Riggs get the two of them killed first?

With Blu-ray’s unsurpassed picture and sound, Lethal Weapon: The Complete First Season Blu-ray release will include 1080p Full HD Video with DTS-HD Master Audio for English 5.1. The 3-disc Blu-ray will feature a high-definition Blu-ray of all 17 episodes from season one.

From executive producers Matt Miller (Forever, Chuck), Dan Lin (Sherlock Holmes, The LEGO Movie), Jennifer Gwartz (Veronica Mars, Forever) and McG (Charlie's Angels, Terminator Salvation), the action-packed first season of Lethal Weapon stars Damon Wayans (In Living Color), Clayne Crawford (Rectify, A Walk to Remember), Jordana Brewster (The Fast and the Furious), Keesha Sharp (Are We There Yet?), Kevin Rahm (Desperate Housewives), Chandler Kinney, Dante Brown (Mr. Robinson), Johnathan Fernandez (Girls) and Michelle Mitchenor (Chi-Raq). Returning for a second season on FOX, Lethal Weapon is produced by Lin Pictures, Inc. in association with Good Session Productions and Warner Bros. Television.

“Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is thrilled to deliver Lethal Weapon: The Complete First Season to Blu-ray and DVD this fall,” said Rosemary Markson, WBHE Senior Vice President, Television Marketing. “Fans old and new will embark on an action-packed ride throughout all episodes of the hit new series as well as new exclusive bonus features and extras.”


**SPECIAL FEATURES**


* Reloading Lethal Weapon – NEW Featurette
* Uncensored – Extended Pilot Episode
* Deleted Scenes
* Gag Reel

Going In Style Blu-ray August 1st

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has officially announced they will release Going In Style to Blu-ray and DVD on August 1, 2017. The Blu-ray specs are set to be 1080p video in the 2.40:1 aspect ratio and a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Below are the official details:








Oscar winners Morgan Freeman (“Million Dollar Baby”), Michael Caine (“The Cider House Rules,” “Hannah and Her Sisters”) and Alan Arkin (“Little Miss Sunshine”) team up as lifelong buddies Willie, Joe and Al, who decide to buck retirement and step off the straight-and-narrow for the first time in their lives when their pension fund becomes a corporate casualty, in director Zach Braff’s comedy “Going in Style.”

Desperate to pay the bills and come through for their loved ones, the three risk it all by embarking on a daring bid to knock off the very bank that absconded with their money.

The film also stars two-time Oscar nominee Ann-Margret (“Tommy,” “Carnal Knowledge”) as Annie, a grocery cashier who’s been checking Al out in more ways than one and Joey King (“Wish I Was Here”), as Joe’s whip-smart granddaughter, Brooklyn. John Ortiz (“Silver Linings Playbook”) stars as Jesus, a man of unspecified credentials who agrees to show the guys the ropes, and Peter Serafinowicz (“Guardians of the Galaxy”) as Joe’s former son-in-law, Murphy, whose pot clinic connections may finally prove useful; with Oscar nominee Matt Dillon (“Crash”) as FBI Agent Hamer; and Christopher Lloyd (“Back to the Future” trilogy) as the guys’ lodge buddy, Milton. Zach Braff (“Garden State”) directs from a screenplay by Theodore Melfi (“Hidden Figures,” “St. Vincent”).

“Going in Style” will be available on Blu-ray for $29.98 on August 1, and includes the film in high definition on Blu-ray disc, a DVD and a digital version of the movie in Digital HD with UltraViolet*. Fans can also own “Going in Style” via purchase from digital retailers beginning July 11.


**SYNOPSIS**


Desperate to pay the bills and come through for their loved ones, three lifelong pals risk it all by embarking on a daring bid to knock off the very bank that absconded with their money.


**SPECIAL FEATURES**


* Deleted Scenes
* Director’s Commentary by Zach Braff

Smurfs: The Lost Village 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray July 11th

Sony Pictures Entertainment has officially announced they will release Smurfs: The Lost Village to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD on July 11, 2017. The 4K Blu-ray specs are set to be 2160p video in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio and a Dolby Atmos track for audio. Below are the official details:








**SYNOPSIS**


In this fully animated, all-new take on the Smurfs, a mysterious map sets Smurfette and her best friends Brainy, Clumsy and Hefty on an exciting and thrilling race through the Forbidden Forest filled with magical creatures to find a mysterious lost village before the evil wizard Gargamel does. Embarking on a rollercoaster journey full of action and danger, the Smurfs are on a course that leads to the discovery of the biggest secret in Smurf history!

Directed by Kelly Asbury (Shrek 2) from a screenplay by Stacey Harman (“The Goldbergs”) and Pamela Ribon (Moana) and based on the characters and works of Peyo, SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE is produced by Jordan Kerner and Mary Ellen Bauder Andrews; with Raja Gosnell and Ben Waisbren serving as executive producers. Based on the characters and works of Peyo. Music by Christopher Lennertz. Imagery and Animation by Sony Pictures Imageworks Inc.


**SPECIAL FEATURES**


* Filmmaker Commentary
* Meghan Trainor “I'm A Lady” Music Video
* The Emoji Movie Sneak Peek
* Deleted Scenes
* Featurettes:
- "The Lost Auditions"
- “Kids at Heart! The Making of Smurfs: The Lost Village”
- “Demi Lovato Meets Smurfette”
- “Lost Village Dance Along”
- “Smurfify Your Nails”
- “Baker Smurf's Mini Kitchen”
- “How To Draw Smurfette”
- “How To Draw Brainy”
- “How To Draw Clumsy”
- “Making The Song ‘You Will Always Find Me In Your Heart’"
- “The Sound Of The Smurfs”

The Flash: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray September 5th

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has officially announced they will release The Flash: The Complete Third Season to Blu-ray and DVD on September 5, 2017. The Blu-ray specs are set to be 1080p video in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio and a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track for audio. Below are the official details:








**SYNOPSIS**


Just in time for the fourth season premiere of the #1 show on The CW, catch the fastest man alive as he zigzags through the action-packed release of The Flash: The Complete Third Season from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Blu-ray and DVD on September 5, 2017. Delivering 5 million Total Viewers per episode, The Flash is a Top 10 series on all broadcast with Men 18-34 (#7) and Men 18-49 (#10)⃰. Fans will be able to revisit all 23 electrifying episodes from the third season, including the DC-crossover episode, plus over two hours of extra content, including behind-the-scenes featurettes on the “Invasion!” cross over episode and the “Duets” musical episode, a conversation with Andrew Kreisberg and Kevin Smith, deleted scenes, and more. The Flash: The Complete Third Season is priced to own at $49.99 SRP for the DVD and $54.97 SRP for the Blu-ray which includes a Digital Copy. The Flash: The Complete Third Season is also available to own on Digital HD via purchase from digital retailers.

*Source: Nielsen National TV View Live + 7 Day Ratings, excluding repeats, specials, and <5 telecasts; 16-17 Season To-Date = 9/19/16-1/22/17; *major demos = Total Viewers, Adults 18-34, Adults 18-49, Adults 25-54

Struck by the supercharged fallout of a particle accelerator explosion, forensic scientist Barry Allen becomes the fastest man alive: The Flash! With his newfound time-warping speed and help from the S.T.A.R. Labs team – Caitlin Snow, Cisco Ramon and Harrison Wells – and his adoptive family, Detective Joe West and Joe’s daughter Iris, the Scarlet Speedster runs circles around other metahumans set on wreaking havoc in Central City, while traveling between alternate universes and protecting our world from otherworldly threats. Last season, new dangers arrived from a parallel earth known as Earth-2, under the direction of an evil speedster named Zoom. In Season Three, Barry faces the unknown – as he irrevocably alters the timeline by saving his mother from the clutches of the Reverse-Flash. The only question now is – as he wrestles with the consequences of his own Flashpoint Paradox, including the wrathful Speed God Savitar – will he be able to find a way out?

“After three seasons, The Flash continues to score in ratings and ranks as the top series for The CW,” said Rosemary Markson, WBHE Senior Vice President, TV Marketing. "Loaded with both in-depth and exclusive new bonus content, both fans of the show and DC fanboys will be eager to add the Blu-ray or DVD release to their collections."

With Blu-ray’s unsurpassed picture and sound, The Flash: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray release will include 1080p Full HD Video with DTS-HD Master Audio for English 5.1. The 4-disc Blu-ray will feature a high-definition Blu-ray and a Digital Copy of all 23 episodes from season three.

The Flash stars Grant Gustin (Arrow, Glee), Candice Patton (The Game), Danielle Panabaker (Justified, Necessary Roughness), Carlos Valdes (Once), Keiynan Lonsdale (Insurgent), Tom Felton (Harry Potter films), with Tom Cavanagh (Ed, The Following), and Jesse L. Martin (Law & Order). Based on the characters from DC, The Flash is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Greg Berlanti (Arrow, Supergirl, Blindspot, Riverdale), Andrew Kreisberg (Arrow, Supergirl, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow), Aaron Helbing (Spartacus, Black Sails), Todd Helbing (Spartacus, Black Sails) and Sarah Schechter (Arrow, Riverdale, Supergirl).


**SPECIAL FEATURES**


* The Flash: 2016 Comic-Con Panel
* A Flash in Time: Time Travel in the Flash Universe
* Villain School: The Flash Rogues
* Allied: The Invasion Complex (The Flash)
* Rise of Gorilla City
* The Flash: I’m Your Super Friend
* The Flash: Hitting the Fast Note
* Harmony in a Flash
* Synchronicity in a Flash
* A Conversation with Andrew Kreisberg and Kevin Smith
* Deleted Scenes
* Gag Reel

Unforgettable Blu-ray July 25th

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has officially announced they will release Unforgettable to Blu-ray and DVD on June 27, 2017. The Blu-ray specs are set to be 1080p video in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio and we await details on the audio track. Below are the official details:






**SYNOPSIS**


Tessa Connover (Heigl) is barely coping with the end of her marriage when her ex-husband, David (Stults), becomes happily engaged to Julia Banks (Dawson)—not only bringing Julia into the home they once shared but also into the life of their daughter, Lily. Trying to settle into her new life, Julia believes she has finally met the man of her dreams, the man who can help her put her own troubled past behind her. But Tessa’s jealousy soon takes a pathological turn until she will stop at nothing to turn Julia’s dream into her ultimate nightmare.


**SPECIAL FEATURES**


* Reclaiming What's Yours: Making Unforgettable
* Director's Commentary
* Deleted Scene with Commentary

Queen Sugar: The Complete First Season DVD Review

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the DVD I reviewed in this Blog Post. The opinions I share are my own.

**SYNOPSIS**


Following the highest-rated two-episode debut in OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network history, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment brings you Queen Sugar: The Complete First Season. From award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay and executive producer Oprah Winfrey, the series tells the story of the Bordelon family,as three estranged siblingsreturn homeafter a family tragedy forces them back together. Queen Sugar: The Complete First Season will be available May 30, 2017 on DVD for $29.98 SRP. The full first season of Queen Sugar: The Complete First Season is already available to own on Digital HD via purchase from digital retailers.

Contemporary drama Queen Sugar chronicles the lives and loves of the estranged Bordelon siblings in the fictional town of Saint Josephine, Louisiana. After a family tragedy, the Bordelons must navigate the triumphs and struggles of their complicated lives in order to run an ailing sugarcane farm in the Deep South.

Starring Rutina Wesley (True Blood), Dawn-Lyen Gardner (Unforgettable), Kofi Siriboe (Awkward), Omar J. Dorsey (Rizzoli & Isles), Dondré T. Whitfield (Middle of Nowhere), Timon Kyle Durrett (Single Ladies), Nicholas L. Ashe (Custody), Greg Vaughan (Lucifer, The Closer), Ethan Hutchison (The Path), Marycarmen Lopez (Book of Ruth) and Tina Lifford (South Central), the drama begins as Charley (Gardner), a savvy woman living an upscale Los Angeles lifestyle, returns to her family home and reunites with her siblings, Nova (Wesley), a world-wise journalist and activist and Ralph Angel (Siriboe), a formerly incarcerated young father in search of redemption. Their newly inherited farm forces the siblings to rely on one another as they rebuild both the land and their relationships. Queen Sugar: The Complete First Season brings all the renowned first season’s powerful family moments set to an original music score created by 10 time Grammy nominee, Meshell Ndegeocello.

The brain-child of Winfrey and DuVernay was so highly anticipated, Queen Sugar was renewed for a second season even before the series premiered. Based on Natalie Baszile’s best-selling book, Queen Sugar lived up to its predicted success with 2.4 million viewers tuning in to the September 2016 two-night premiere, a network record.

“After such a spectacular debut, we are excited to bring every momentQueen Sugar: The Complete First Season to DVD in anticipation for the second season!”said Rosemary Markson, WBHE Senior Vice President, TV Marketing. “Featuring an interview with showrunner Ava DuVernay, we’re looking forward togiving fans an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at this show’s remarkable production.”





**SERIES REVIEW**


I wasn't aware of this show until this DVD arrived and I was surprised how interested I was in the material. It's a slow burn but the atmosphere of the show and the cast suck you in and transport you to the south. I was happy to see Rutina Wesley land a new show as I always found her work to be entertaining on True Blood as Tara. 8/10


Episodes

First Things First
Evergreen
Thy Will Be Done
The Darker Sooner
By Any Chance
As Promised
In No Uncertain Terms
Where With All
Next To Nothing
So Far
All Good
Far Too Long
Give Us This Day


**VIDEO QUALITY**


Queen Sugar arrives on DVD with a 480p transfer in the aspect ratio of 1.78:1 - Colors are beautifully rendered with a warm palette. Black levels and shadow detail were strong performers. Fine details in the costumes and faces look crisp. The overall image is sharp with no major signs of compression artifacts. 8.5/10


**AUDIO QUALITY**


Audio is provided by a Dolby Digital 5.1 track. - Dialogue reproduction was crisp and always intelligible, no problems with deep south accents. Environmental effects bleed to the surround channels. The tracks aren't overly bass heavy but LFE performance added depth when needed. 8/10


**SPECIAL FEATURES**


* Extraordinary in the Ordinary: Making Queen Sugar
* Oprah Winfrey and the Cast Q&A
* Inside Queen Sugar: Origins
* Deleted Scenes