In Moonfall, a mysterious force knocks the Moon from its orbit around Earth and sends it hurtling on a collision course with life as we know it. With mere weeks before impact and the world on the brink of annihilation, NASA executive and former astronaut Jo Fowler (Academy Award® winner Halle Berry) is convinced she has the key to saving us all – but only one astronaut from her past, Brian Harper (Patrick Wilson, “Midway”) and a conspiracy theorist K.C. Houseman (John Bradley, “Game of Thrones”) believes her. These unlikely heroes will mount an impossible last-ditch mission into space, leaving behind everyone they love, only to find out that our Moon is not what we think it is.
For in-depth thoughts on Moonfall, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its theatrical release here.
Video Quality
Moonfall makes the most of its 2160p/Dolby Vision presentation in 2.39:1 on this 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc. The uptick in detail is apparent in the lush colors of the environment, the textures of the clothes and the production design of the spaceship. This presentation especially shows its worth with black levels that are incredibly deep and detailed with digital noise mostly absent from the screen. There are many shots of the expanses of space that show no signs of crush. Brighter scenes like those depicting the daytime journey on our planet wow with an intense clarity and a strong handle of white levels that show no evidence of blooming.
The 4K presentation provides a depth of field that just cannot be replicated as well with the accompanying Blu-Ray. This transfer shows an immense amount of detail in even the smallest gadgets and articles of clothing. Skin tones look very realistic throughout and show a great amount of facial detail. Color highlights are another area of substantial improvement in comparison to the Blu-Ray. Colors look more natural in this presentation with moments of fiery explosions beaming off the screen with force. Overall, this is an excellent 4K UHD presentation that offers a noticeable uptick in clarity and depth.
Audio Quality
This disc comes equipped with an incredibly effective Dolby Atmos presentation that fully immerses you in this world. There are elements in this track that are truly enveloping, such as the sounds of destruction and chaos that radiate in a way that utilizes the height channels. Sounds are appropriately rendered with precise directionality from the more kinetic scenes to the quieter dialogue-driven exposition dumps filled with hurried delivery. The score brings to life a truly sweeping soundscape that amps up emotional stakes. Dialogue is presented perfectly clear without ever being overwhelmed by any of the competing sonic elements. The low end is engaged exceptionally well with a full-throttle experience from nearly the first moment. The sound design of this film is quite intense, and the implementation of environmental sounds are executed very effectively. The mix here is very well done with nice engagement of all the channels, which makes this track more than satisfactory for fans of the film.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Writer/producer/director Roland Emmerich and writer/producer/composer Harald Kloser provide a pretty decent commentary track in which they discuss the stylistic flourishes of the title cards, securing a key Toto song, the character dynamics, nailing the special effects work, reshoots that were made to clarify plot elements, the casting process, the decision to make this effort “more sci-fi” and more.
- Against Impossible Odds – Making Moonfall: An excellent three-part 59-minute documentary in which the filmmakers and actors discuss the genesis of the film, the character arcs, the cultural fascination with the end of the world, the epic action scenes, and crafting a moon unlike we have ever known. .
- Exploring the Moon – Past, Present, and Future: A nearly 27-minute piece in which scientists, historians and astronauts break down what we have learned about the Moon through the ages and where human exploration is going next.
- KC Houseman Speaks the Truth!: Four “viral videos” totaling eight minutes from Megastructurist KC Houseman in which he presents his theories about the moon.
Final Thoughts
Moonfall is simply ridiculous, but you really expect nothing less from Roland Emmerich. The man is a slave to unhinged spectacle, and those willing to say goodbye to logic or nuance will probably cackle at the creative choices in this film. The dialogue is clumsy, the jokes can be a bit hammy, and nothing feels in any way natural. Even still, there are times in your life when you want something big, dumb and full of fun. This movie delivers on these fronts. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray that sports a truly stunning A/V presentation and a decent array of special features. The film is good for a mindless watch, but not much beyond this.
Moonfall is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-ray, Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Lionsgate Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
