From Executive Producer Roland Emmerich (Moonfall) comes a captivating film that follows a teen on two journeys: one into a prestigious boarding school to fulfill his aspirations as a singer, and another into a parallel world filled with fantasy and adventure. Tim (Jack Wolfe, Shadow And Bone) has been dreaming his whole life about attending Mozart All Boys Music School, but already his first days there confront him with a hostile headmaster (F. Murray Abraham, The White Lotus), the stresses of a first love, and serious doubts about the authenticity of his singing voice. When he discovers a mystical gateway in the school’s library, he is pulled into the fantastic cosmos of Mozart’s opera, The Magic Flute, where imagination has no limits and the Queen of the Night (Sabine Devieilhe) reigns.
For in-depth thoughts on The Magic Flute, please see my colleague Michael Cook’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
Shout! Factory brings The Magic Flute to Blu-Ray with a magnificent 1080p video presentation in 2.39:1. The image is clean with the natural color palette popping off the screen, especially when Tim is in the magical realm. The film employs subtle splashes of colors within the environment which makes for a sumptuous image. The production design from the academy in the real world to the villages in the fantasy realm, along with the fabrics of clothing, provide crystal clear textural details.
The visual effects are not quite to the level of a huge Hollywood production, but everything blends pretty well for the most part. The presentation provides a significant amount of depth on display, especially in the exterior shots of the land. The black levels are appropriately deep and inky with no discernible digital noise. The flesh tones are natural with a magnificent amount of detail present in close-ups, especially when certain characters have heavy makeup or piercings. This Blu-Ray is a top-tier representation of this movie.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with a stellar DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that captures this magical soundscape as intended. Music is the driving force of the film, and it always comes through crisp and clear without being clipped by any competing sounds. Both the singing and the instrumentation fill the speakers in a wonderful, well-balanced way that envelops you in a way that transports you to this world. Dialogue never struggles to come through with every word rendering crystal clear in the mix.
This is not an all-out action film, but the handful of sequences when things get especially thrilling are supported favorably. The various sound effects provide a fantastic engagement to the low end of the track. The environmental sounds of the world engage the surround speakers in a really pleasing way. When the characters are walking through the bustling streets or attending class, there are some really nice ambient details that flesh out the setting in a more three-dimensional way. The audio track is a terrific presentation for a feature that deserves the best. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.
Special Features
- The Making Of The Magic Flute: A five-minute featurette which explores the development of the material for the screen, the qualities that each performer brings to their roles, how the music shaped the film, the impressive production design and more.
- Visual Effects Presentation: A four-minute look at certain moments from the movies with different stages of visual effects completed.
- A Visit To The Premiere: A minute-long look at the premiere of the film in Germany.
- Trailers: Three trailers totaling nearly six minutes are provided here.
Final Thoughts
The Magic Flute is a film which offers a surprisingly thrilling time even for those who find the mere idea of an opera to be a dull experience. The talent behind the music is so potent that you can feel the energy in every sequence. The story does not try to cram in too many unnecessary elements to pander to a modern audience, at least when the classic opera itself is being portrayed. The real-world elements are not completely baked, but they lend enough personal elements to keep you emotionally invested throughout. Even at a touch over two hours, the movie moves at a really good pace and rarely loses your attention. Shout! Factory has provided a Blu-Ray disc that sports a top-notch A/V presentation and a couple of brief supplements. If you are at least mildly intrigued by the synopsis, give this one a shot. Recommended
The Magic Flute will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray + DVD Combo Pack, DVD and Digital on May 16, 2023.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Shout! Factory 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.