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Category:    Home > Reviews > Comedy > Slapstick > Satire > Fashion > Cruella 4K (2021/Disney 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray w/Blu-ray)

Cruella 4K (2021/Disney 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray w/Blu-ray)



4K Ultra HD Picture: B+ Picture: B Sound: B+ & B Extras: C Film: C



101 Dalmatians was a hit for Disney back in 1961 when they were still a smaller mini-major production company, then Glenn Close made two films as its villain in a successful live-action set of films that did well enough. Now, in the midst of the superhero movies and a run of luck making live-action films based on their classic animated catalog, we get Craig Gillespie's Cruella (2021) with Emma Stone as the title character, younger than the character has ever been.


In this version, we get an origins story, how she became who she is (looking like a defanged Edward Scissorhands) and a story of her becoming involved in the world of fashion, only to clash with a Baroness (Emma Thompson, picking up an easy paycheck) and though she is a bad person, maybe we should just try to 'understand' Cruella and side with her anyhow.


Dumb message to send, but this was a hit and actually goes along with the two recent super-villain movies (the well made The Joker and mixed Venom) as what is developing as a cycle of villain films, even though this is the first one NOT to be superhero-genre affiliated. Unfortunately, the script is paper thin, lame, formulaic in points and the used of licensed music shows off the the film's budget. Too bad the songs are all over the place and sloppier than Captain Marvel (see our 4K review elsewhere on this site) and the quality of some of the copies of the songs leave something to be desired.


I may not necessarily be the audience for this film, but even if I somehow was, I did not laugh once and can say without Stone and then Thompson backing her later, this would have been a financial disaster and even worse as they are the only factors not making me want to use this disc for skeet shooting!


They already have sequels planned and I cannot imagine how they will play, but they had better figure out something because this is one of the most cynical things I have suffered through in a while. Sad.


The 2160p HECV/H.265, 1.85 X 1, HDR (10; Ultra HD Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition image on the 4K disc was shot in HD and looks good on the 4K disc, but the color and look are nothing too special and sometimes push for a consistent fake look that gets tired quickly, which you can still see on the 1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image on the regular Blu-ray. No demo shots here, either.


The Dolby Atmos 11.1 (Dolby TrueHD 7.1) on the 4K disc does have its sonic moments when not playing poor copies of classic hit records or having the characters talk too much. The regular Blu-ray only has a mixdown of the 12-track soundmaster in its DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 7.1 lossless mix. Again, no sonic demo moments here either.


Extras include Digital Copy, while the discs add (per the press release) Bloopers,

  • Deleted Scenes:

    • Hotel Heist Hallway

    • Baroness Rejects Design Sketches

  • The Two Emma's - Discover how real-life friends Emma Stone and Emma Thompson prepared for their roles as Cruella de Vil and the Baroness von Hellman and transformed into the fashionably cool, but devilishly cruel, characters.

  • The Sidekick Angle - No Disney villain/hero is complete without their sidekicks! Meet the talented actors who play Horace and Jasper, and learn how their characters deepen the film's story and how the trio's friendship changes as the smart, feisty Estella becomes Cruella.

  • Cruella Couture - Take in the spectacular artistry of this couture collection, with an in-depth behind-the-scenes look at some of the most fashionable moments in the movie.

  • The World of ''Cruella'' - Experience the city locations and elaborate sets of ''Cruella'' each featuring extraordinary production design detail, which bring 1970s London to life and enhance the backstories of these iconic Disney characters in a whole new way.

  • New Dogs... Old Tricks - Go behind the scenes of the on-set life of an animal actor, and meet the smart, expressive, delightful dogs who play Buddy, Wink and the Dalmatians, along with their devoted trainers. Catch the joy the pups experience in their daily doggie duties.

  • and Cruella 101 - Uncover Easter eggs and clever connections to Walt Disney's ''101 Dalmatians'' that are masterfully woven throughout this modern origin story of ''Cruella.''


So see this one only if you are very, very, very curious.



- Nicholas Sheffo


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