J. Robert Oppenheimer was a theoretical Physicist who was the Director of the Manhattan Project's Los Alamos Lab during World War II. He is also often referred to as the Father of the Atomic Bomb for his work on the project - a fact he often struggled with later in his lifetime. His work, beliefs, and relationships have always been a subject of discussion and this past summer director Christopher Nolan (Tenet) brought a three-hour epic drama to theaters. Oppenheimer, the second biggest grossing film of the summer behind Barbie, made close to a billion dollars worldwide, is now in stores for purchase on 4K UHD.
Cillian Murphy (Red Eye), portrays the scientist with an air of serious conviction. He is very well cast as he embodies the calm yet determined nature of Oppenheimer. While he isn't physically a match for Oppenheimer he manages well enough for the purposes of this drama. Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada), as his wife, Kitty, is a solid choice as she goes through a range of emotions. Matt Damon (The Martian), who can be hit or miss with his choices of film roles, does a good job as General Leslie Groves, the US Army Corps of Engineers Officer who oversees The Manhattan Project. Supporting cast members including Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Jason Clarke (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story), Tony Goldwyn (Scandal), Kenneth Branagh (Much Ado About Nothing) and Florence Pugh (Black Widow) give Oppenheimer an added level of credibility as they are all adeptly skilled in the craft of acting.
The 2160p video quality is outstanding with details so sharp that one can see the threads on the suits that Murphy and other cast members wear. The visual effects of "the explosion" are perfect and don't look unnatural at all. Every detail offers clean lines and brilliant colors - as much as color can play a role in desert scenes. The lush hues of California's greenery are deep and true and give the film some depth.
The surprise with this release is that the audio is only presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 instead of Dolby Atmos. While the 5.1 version is top-notch, one can't help but wonder if the quality would not have been enhanced by the latest technology. Perhaps, the variation was so minute that Universal Pictures felt it was an unnecessary upgrade. Regardless, the sound, from dialogue to effects and even the score, is stunning. It doesn't feel as though anything is missing by not presenting the movie in Atmos.
The combo pack comes with three discs and a digital download. The 4K disc is the movie as is one of the Blu-ray Disc. The third disc in the set houses almost 3 hours worth of extras including: The Story of Our Time: The Making of Oppenheimer feature broken down into seven featurettes:
- Now I Am Become Death
- The Luminaries
- The Manhattan Project
- The Devil of Details
- Walking A Mile
- Can You Hear Music?
- We Can Perform This Miracle
Plus Trailers, Innovations in Film: 65mm Black-And-White Film in Oppenheimer, Meet The Press Q&A Panel: Oppenheimer, and To End All War: Oppenheimer & The Atomic Bomb.
Oppenheimer is arguably one of the best films of the year, and it wouldn't be surprising if it didn't get at least a few Oscar nominations. Whether or not you have already seen it, you will want to add it to your home entertainment collection, and this combo pack is the way to go as it has superior technical quality and a plethora of interesting extras that are worth watching more than once.
Grade: A
