BLU-RAY REVIEW

The King's Daughter

Featured In Issue 260, March/April 2022

Picture4
Sound4
WSR Score3.5
Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
(Studio/Distributor):
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
(Catalog Number):
10000814239
(MPAA Rating):
PG
(Rating Reason):
Some violence, suggestive material, and thematic elements
(Retail Price):
$34.98
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
(Running Time In Minutes):
98
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
A
(Theatrical Year):
(Theatrical Release):
Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release):
No
(Disc Release Date):
4/19/2022
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
(Director):
Sean McNamara
(Screenplay/Written By):
(Story):
(Music):
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer):
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor):
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers):
(Co-Producers):
(Producers):
(Academy Awards):
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
(Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
(Disc Soundtrack):
DTS HD Lossless 5.1
(Theatrical Sound):
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(DTS Bit Rate):
(Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
(Additional Languages):
(Subtitles):

In "The King's Daughter," The Sun King, Louis XIV (Pierce Brosnan) is the most powerful and influential monarch on the planet. Obsessed with his own mortality and the future of France, ouis tuns to his spiritual advisor, Pére La Chaise (William Hurt) and the royal physician to help him obtain the key to immortality. Believing a mermaid (Fan Bingbing) contain a force that grants everlasting life, Louis commissions a young sea captain (Benjamin Walker) to search the seas and capture the mystical creature. Further complicating his plans is his orphaned daughter, Afarie Joséphe (Kaya Scodelario), who returns to court with an abundance of elegance and an inherent defiance of authority. With a rare solar eclipse approaching, Louis will discover where his daughter's true loyalties lie as he races against time to extract the mermaid;s lie-giving force. Based on the noval "The Moon And The Sun" by Vonda N. McIntyre. (Gary Reber)

Special features include a deleted scene (HD 01:40), the featuette "Cast Reflections" (HD 08:24) and a Movies Anywhere digital code.

The 2.39:1 1080p AVC picture, reviewed on a Sony Bravia Z9D 4K Ultra HD HDR display, upconverted to 2160p with greater resolution and luminance, was photographed digitally using the Arri Alexa XT camera system and sourced from a 2K master Digital Intermediate format. Colors are fully saturated with rich and warm hues that provide image density. Colors often pop with brilliance. Flesh tones are perfectly natural. HDR contrast is excellent with strong, deep black levels, revealing shadow delineation and brightly illuminated white levels. The result is a colorful stylization that is beautiful. Resolution finely defines facial features including hair and beards, complex costumes and objects such as the Versailles palace buildings and gardens, as well as the below ground cavern that holds the mermaid and the captain's ship that captured her. This is a nicely saturated picture that exhibits many elements of beauty. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1-channel soundtrack is fluid with an expansive orchestral score that occupies a wide and deep soundstage that aggressively envelops the soundfield. Atmospherics nicely enhance the environments. Sound effects, such as strong winds, ocean waves and other environmental effects, realistically and effectively complement the action sequences. Deep bass is evident in the music and the sound effect but are never overly powering. Dialogue is intelligible throughout with generally good spatial integration. This is a pleasing holosonic® soundtrack that does not disappoint. (Gary Reber)