Viva Physical Media: Andor Leads the Way for Another Great-Looking Batch of MCU and Star Wars 4K Discs
Plus, the much-maligned Madame Web and the much-enjoyed Ocean's Trilogy get new 4K discs.
Last year saw a notable change for Disney, as they finally released a handful of Disney+ series on physical media for the first time, including the first two seasons of The Mandalorian, Loki Season 1 and WandaVision. Thankfully, this was not a one-off and this week sees the release of four additional Marvel and Star Wars series on both 4K and Blu-ray, including Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and Moon Knight.
I received review samples for all of them on 4K, so let’s dig into what each offers.
Though first, I will note that it is frustrating there are only high-priced Steelbook packaging releases for these shows. Yes, the Steelbook covers are snazzy, and big fans will appreciate the collector’s art cards inside, but obviously a more affordable option would be ideal and much kinder on the wallet.
Star Wars: Andor - The Complete First Season 4K UHD
We’ll get to the odd labeling of “Complete First Season” vs. “Complete Series” on some of these below, but at least here we know the title is 100% correct, since Andor’s second and final season is on the way. Andor of course also stands out for how absolutely terrific it is, standing out both as the best show among these new 4K releases and the best Star Wars-based live-action show we’ve seen so far across the board.
Tony Gilroy’s grounded, nuanced approach to the Star Wars universe makes for an incredibly compelling story, as he takes Rogue One’s Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and gives him a prequel story. I don’t quite agree with those now saying “This is how all Star Wars should be done!” post-Andor, because by its very nature, it’s pushing against Star Wars and so many things we love about it, including by not being very kid-friendly – and come on, do you really never want to see lightsaber battles or scenes packed with a ton of alien species? – but as its own unique corner of the galaxy, it’s so strong, and the show’s look at the cost of war and rebellion and the complex motivations that exist for both Rebel and Imperial alike is so compellingly portrayed by an excellent cast.
The early episodes were a bit awkward in terms of format, with some strange non-endings that felt like Gilroy and his collaborators were going the “this is one long movie” route too much, but after the first arc, the pacing improved immediately, leading to the high mark that is the Narkina 5 prison storyline.
The show looks great, boasting excellent cinematography, and yes, it’s better than ever on 4K, showing off the gorgeous sets and locations Andor filmed in, such as the Scottish highlands used for the Aldhani episodes.
IS THERE A COMMENTARY?
Nope.
EXTRA EXTRA
All of Andor’s extras are on the first of the set’s three discs, but they are pretty great, comprised of a five-part Andor: Declassified documentary. It’s split into five sections, running around 8 minutes each, giving you nearly 40 minutes total of content. Gilroy and most of the main cast participate in interviews, along with other key crew members. It’s mainly focused on the characters and what drives them, though the final section has a lot of interesting info from composer Nicholas Britell about how they approached the in-universe funeral music in the finale. My one gripe is that Declassified pretty much skips over the fascinating Syril Karn’s role in the story, with Kyle Soller only seen briefly during the interview excerpts.
It’s no epic The Beginning documentary from The Phantom Menace DVD, but in 2024, getting a 40-minute original documentary for the physical release of a series is something to be grateful for. It does stand out though that Andor never got a Disney+ making-of special like other Star Wars series did, so perhaps this was content once intended for that. Regardless, it’s good to get it here.
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier: The Complete First Season 4K UHD
Here’s where the titles for these releases become weird. With Sam Wilson now officially Captain America (and starring in his own movie next year) and Bucky set for Thunderbolts in 2024 as well, it seems highly unlikely we’ll get a second season of this particular title/pairing. And yet the physical release is called “First Season.” Huh!
Overall, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is one of the weaker Marvel Disney+ shows, but it still has its high points. It starts out strong, examining Sam’s hesitation to take on the Captain America mantle and Bucky’s intense guilt over the horrors he caused while brainwashed by Hydra and there’s certainly cool moments along the way, from the inclusion of (dancing!) Zemo to the appearance of some of the Dora Milaje.
However, the show's main threats, the Flag Smashers, feel murky and poorly defined (amongst speculation that a virus subplot getting cut out thanks to Covid may have been a big reason) and the story of the US government’s choice to replace Steve Rogers as Captain America, John Walker, is initially intriguing until it gets rushed through in the finale, with the shift to suddenly making him a wacky third wheel in that last hour incredibly jarring. Meanwhile, the less said about Sharon Carter’s still unexplained heel turn the better. But Carl Lumbly is terrific as Isaiah Bradley and though the finale is kind of a mess in other ways, at least it does a good job paying off his role in the story and Sam’s decision to finally become Captain America.
IS THERE A COMMENTARY?
Another nope.
EXTRA EXTRA
When it comes to bonus features, there’s a pretty big discrepancy between how much new material the Marvel releases are getting vs. the Star Wars shows, with Marvel coming up short. Yes, it’s appreciated that we get the hour-long Assembled making of specials first seen on Disney+ for these shows, which is the case here, but the actual new elements are pretty slim.
The five-minute “Cap’s Shield” featurette hints at something more in-depth, if there was more time allotted, as it discusses the decision to move Sam training with the shield from the premiere to later in the season, after they realized it didn’t make sense within Sam’s arc to have it occur so early. Besides an amusing gag reel, there are two deleted scenes that extend moments that are still in the finished show. One, adding to the Rhodey and Sam interaction in the premiere, has them bring up some lingering issues from Captain America: Civil War, even as the more recent events of Secret Invasion call into question just who this Rhodey even is.
Moon Knight: The Complete First Season 4K UHD
I’d also list Moon Knight as one of the lesser Disney+ Marvel shows and yet it does have a lot of charm throughout. Oscar Isaac is excellent, getting to really go for it as one man with many personalities, from the bumbling Steven Grant to the intense Marc Spector to the costumed avenger (though not with a capital A - yet?) known as Moon Knight. The show using its protagonist’s confused, fractured point of view as a storytelling device is very clever, including non-action action scenes in which Steven keeps blacking out, causing him (and the audience) to miss the mayhem another identity is mixed up in.
Despite the always great Ethan Hawke playing him, the show’s villain, Arthur Harrow, loses steam as the series progresses, though a journey into the afterlife in the penultimate episode is very cool and appropriately trippy. Overall, something feels missing in Moon Knight, as though the “hey, this would be a cool moment!” ideas were running wild – and there are indeed many cool moments – yet the center was lacking.
The show has a lot of strong visuals and pops on 4K in a way The Falcon and The Winter Soldier doesn’t quite match. We don’t get as much actual Moon Knight (or even the suit-wearing “Mr. Knight” identity) as much as some fans would like, but when we do see him fighting across the night sky, he looks spectacular. Even though Moon Knight has plenty of obvious flaws, I did find a lot to like revisiting it.
Oh, and as for if the title of this disc is weird… TBD? We’ve heard nothing about another season of Moon Knight, but the show obviously left off in a place where more adventures could take place.
IS THERE A COMMENTARY?
Nope yet again.
EXTRA EXTRA
It’s the same approach as The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, with the Assembled episode on the first disc and the second disc containing one short featurette, a gag reel and two deleted scenes. The featurette, focused on the Egyptology the series contains, is interesting, while one of the deleted scenes stands out for having two explicit mentions of larger parts of the MCU in a way Moon Knight otherwise nearly entirely avoided.
Obi-Wan Kenobi - The Complete Series 4K UHD
Title check in! Ewan McGregor has said he’s open to playing Obi-Wan again, which leaves open the possibility of another story of some sort with the character, but I still think “Complete Series” is a fair title for this one, since it was approached as a one and done miniseries.
Of course, originally, the Obi-Wan story told here was intended for a feature film. The show was ultimately somewhat divisive, but I liked it quite a bit - while agreeing with the criticism that you can feel this was a movie that may have been stretched out a bit more than needed. This feels most obvious in the show’s fourth episode, which involves young Leia being captured again, in what feels like an unneeded side mission (albeit to the wonderfully named Fortress Inquisitorius).
Still, McGregor proves he once more was born to play Obi-Wan and it was a thrill to see him on screen with Hayden Christensen again, with the latter getting quite a nice offscreen redemption arc, given how he was received by many when the prequels first came out. Vivien Lyra Blair is perfect as the kid version of Leia, forming a great onscreen dynamic with McGregor, and wow was the hate unwarranted for Moses Ingram, who is very good as the conflicted Inquisitor, Reva. Some elements of bringing the Inquisitors into live-action feel a bit goofy to be sure, but Reva was not one of them.
There were definitely moments where Obi-Wan Kenobi’s use of Stagecraft virtual reality walls for backgrounds felt more artificial than it did in The Mandalorian, though other visual moments are appropriately striking and epic, including in the final Obi-Wan and Vader battle. On 4K, some of those less convincing moments stick out to be sure, but overall, the show’s use of color and the different environments look better here, especially in the darker scenes where the clarity is improved, including in the finale, with its key confrontation set on a dark Tatooine night.
IS THERE A COMMENTARY?
Come on, you know the answer is No…
Wait, what? There is one?!
Yes, it’s a Life Day miracle in April, as Obi-Wan Kenobi becomes the first physical release of a Disney+ series with any audio commentary. Director Deborah Chow does the honors on the show’s finale episode, discussing the overall approach to the show and how much work went into the Obi-Wan vs. Anakin lightsaber battle depicted in the episode. While not a Best Commentary Ever candidate, it still has some good info, including Chow discussing how they were aware they needed to not overdo it when it came to repeating dialogue from the Star Wars films - including holding back from having anyone mention Darth Vader clearly having the high ground over Obi-Wan at one point, even though everyone, both on screen and off, is thinking it.
EXTRA EXTRA
Besides the commentary, there are three featurettes – Duels of Fate: Obi-Wan vs Vader, The Dark Times: Villains, and Designing The Galaxy - exploring different aspects of the series. Each runs about 11 minutes and are pretty strong, with a lot of clips from across the franchise used to illustrate how Obi-Wan Kenobi’s creators worked to fit their story in within a larger tapestry. I enjoyed seeing them discuss, for instance, the tricky aspects of bringing characters like the Grand Inquisitor and the Fifth Brother from animation to live-action, where the exact original design choices wouldn’t always work (even if you’ll find some fanboys saying otherwise).
Overall, this is a decent amount of content, even though it is curious that the Marvel discs include the Assembled documentaries but this one frutratingly doesn’t include the hour-long Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi’s Return one made for Disney+. Still, what we get does once more underline that the Star Wars discs are the clear winner when it comes to actual newly produced material.
There are a couple other 4K releases this week I received review copies of, so here are some briefer comments on both, beginning with a Marvel adaptation that really proves that even at its weakest, the MCU still stands above a lot of the alternatives.
Madame Web 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray
Whew, yeah, this one has earned its reputation. Can it be enjoyed on a completely ironic, laughing-at-it level? Sure. But as an actual narrative, it’s a total mess, with some of the most glaringly over-explaining and repetitive dialogue in recent memory, treating the audience like they’re idiots who can’t process what they just saw. It also screams that it’s a movie that was drastically reworked during and after production, but never satisfyingly so, from Ben Parker and Mary Parker being in the film without having any real significance to the story, to the much-mocked, blatantly obvious re-dubbing of nearly everything said by the villain.
The extras on the Blu-ray disc (none are on the 4K) include a completely superfluous deleted scene, a gag real, and several short featurettes, but those are almost entirely surface level, with a basic “this is who the characters are” approach. The featurettes include a lot of footage of Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced and Celeste O'Connor in those rather great Spider-Woman costumes that are barely seen in the actual film (teasing a sequel that will never happen), which just underlines the missed opportunity here.
I will say that between the gag reel and other behind-the-scenes footage, it at least feels like Dakota Johnson was having a pretty good time making Madame Web, going against any “She hated making it and wasn’t friendly with her castmates” narrative that became popular speculation. Though Johnson at one point also claims she specifically loves not just Marvel movies but “Sony Marvel movies,” and Dakota, between Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Morbius, and now the movie you starred in, that’s a tough claim to buy in on.
As someone who did defend the cinematography of Madame Web — out of context, I thought there were some clever shots in it — I will say the 4K transfer is quite strong. Yes, that doesn’t make the movie itself actually good, but it’s a colorful and vibrant looking presentation that makes for a pleasant backdrop onto which some terrible dialogue and plot points are overlaid.
Ocean's Trilogy 4K UHD
The terrifically talented Steven Soderbergh has always gone big on the “one for me, one for you” approach, mixing in mainstream studio fare with much more esoteric indies. When he wants to deliver a crowdpleaser though, he’s very capable of doing so, which was underlined with Ocean’s Eleven and its sequels.
The new 4Ks of Soderbergh’s Ocean’s trilogy gives the films a notable visual upgrade from their previous Blu-ray transfers, with the three movies available individually in Steelbook packaging or packed together (in more economical form). The first Ocean’s is the best by far and the second the weakest, but this is still an undeniably fun time overall, with a bevy of Very Famous Actors clearly having a blast time bouncing off each other.
No new special features were created for the 4Ks, though plenty of previously produced ones were ported over from older versions, including multiple commentaries and featurettes. My only gripe is that Ocean’s Eight wasn’t included. Sure, it’s a spinoff with a different director and core cast, but it’s still another entertaining part of the franchise, featuring several character connections to the earlier films, and it deserved inclusion.
You can find more of my ramblings at the We Enjoy Podcast on Apple or Patreon or on YouTube.
Ocean's 8 is the one movie I'll always watch on the plane if its available