Cruella (UHD Blu-ray) review

[David Vaughn]

Studio: Disney
Release Date: September 21, 2021
Rating: PG-13
Film: 4/5
 
Plot
A film about the rebellious early days of one of cinemas most notorious - and notoriously fashionable - villains, the legendary Cruella de Vil. "Cruella," which is set in 1970s London amidst the punk rock revolution, follows a young grifter named Estella, a clever and creative girl determined to make a name for herself with her designs. She befriends a pair of young thieves who appreciate her appetite for mischief, and together they are able to build a life for themselves on the London streets. One day, Estella's flair for fashion catches the eye of the Baroness von Hellman, a fashion legend who is devastatingly chic and terrifyingly haute, played by two-time Oscar (R) winner Emma Thompson ("Howards End," "Sense & Sensibility"). But their relationship sets in motion a course of events and revelations that will cause Estella to embrace her wicked side and become the raucous, fashionable and revenge-bent Cruella.
 
My Thoughts
Disney has been going through their animated library and adapting them into live-action films with some decent success. With Cruella, they’ve taken a central character from 101 Dalmatians and have given her an origin story, and oh what a story it is. Emma Stone stars as the iconic villain and does a fabulous job in the portrayal. In a lot of ways, her performance reminds of me of Heath Ledger’s Joker—compelling and twisted.
 
The film starts out a bit slow as we get the backstory of Cruella’s youth and it really picks up the pace in the second act as we see her living her deviant life in London in the 1970s. Her and her two best friends are thieves always looking for the next score until Cruella finally lands her dream job working for Baroness von Hellman, who has mental issues of her own.
 
Overall, this is a fun adventure, but is probably about 20 minutes longer than it should be. The soundtrack is littered with a slew of 1970s jams that capture the mood of the era and add to the overall enjoyment of the film. Furthermore, the supporting cast is outstanding in support of Stone’s leading role. Emma Thompson is always great, but Paul Walter Hauser steals almost every scene he’s in and is fun to watch.
 
The video encode is extremely good on this 4K disc. My only complaint is that some of the CG is rather obvious with the higher level of detail, which can take you out of the moment. Colors are fantastically rendered—especially red—and the shadow detail is to die for. The Dolby Atmos track is a tad better than the video, although the recording volume is about 2 dB lower than other titles—nothing a twist of the volume knob doesn’t solve. There are a few action scenes that make great use of the surround channels and the musical score (and various rock tunes) sound amazing.
 
 
Video 9/10
 
Audio 9.5/10 (Dolby Atmos)
 
Special Features:
 

• The Two Emmas
• The Sidekick Angle
• Cruella Couture
• The World of Cruella
• New Dogs, Old Tricks
• Cruella 101
• Bloopers
• Deleted Scenes
• 4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital Copy

 

 
Conclusion
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this, but I have to say it’s probably my favorite adaption since Cinderella in 2015. This is a very dark film and younger audiences should definitely shy away unless you want the kids sleeping in your bed for a few days. This will definitely get a repeat viewing at some point in the future and is an easy one to recommend.
 
 
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS2000 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 88” 16x9 Fixed Screen
Trinnov Altitude 16 Audio/Video Processor
ATI AT527NC Powering Bed Channels
ATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
System Controller: URC MX-990
M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)
M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
SVS PC-Ultra Cylinder Subwoofer
HSU VTF-15H MK2 Subwoofer
JL Audio Dominion F110 Subwoofer x 2
Mini DSP HD controlling all subwoofers
Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner

[bmoney]

Family also loved this 

[DLCPhoto]

Great review, Dave, and I agree completely.  I've watched it twice now, on Disney+ via Roku Ultra, and I was very impressed with both the video and audio.  A really fun movie in every way.

[David Vaughn]

Family also loved this

How old are your kids?

[David Vaughn]

Great review, Dave, and I agree completely.  I've watched it twice now, on Disney+ via Roku Ultra, and I was very impressed with both the video and audio.  A really fun movie in every way.

Thanks for chiming in and sharing your thoughts. 

[Barry]

Dave we are watching it now!

[David Vaughn]

Dave we are watching it now!

Let me know what you think. 

[Barry]

       First, I enjoyed the movie, it wasn’t great but it was fun Disney has announced a sequel. It is also a movie I would not think the youngest of kids would like, there are adult themes, such as the death of a parent. And it not exactly the cruel Cruella from the animated movie.
 
It may surprise you but I thought this movie actually emulates at many times another movie, “The Devil Wears Prada.” Emma Thompson does her best Meryl Streep, Mark Strong does Stanley Tucci and Emma Stone does an Anne Hathaway from time to time.
 
David is right, it does go on twenty minutes too long. But it is mostly fun and should not be taken too seriously, even it a serious issue or two are brought in.

[David Vaughn]

      First, I enjoyed the movie, it wasn’t great but it was fun Disney has announced a sequel. It is also a movie I would not think the youngest of kids would like, there are adult themes, such as the death of a parent. And it not exactly the cruel Cruella from the animated movie.
 
It may surprise you but I thought this movie actually emulates at many times another movie, “The Devil Wears Prada.” Emma Thompson does her best Meryl Streep, Mark Strong does Stanley Tucci and Emma Stone does an Anne Hathaway from time to time.
 
David is right, it does go on twenty minutes too long. But it is mostly fun and should not be taken too seriously, even it a serious issue or two are brought in.

Well said Barry. I've never seen "The Devil Wears Prada," but now I may have to as a comparison. 

[bmoney]

How old are your kids?

10 and 7

[Ralph P.]

Greetings,

Nice review Dave! Yeah, I enjoyed it also and, agree that tighter editing was in order. The two Emmas were fun to watch..


Regards,

[randman]

Thanks for the review. Now I gotta go see this!