Elio 4K Ultra HD

In "Elio," alien-obsessed Elio Solís, a space fanatic with an active imagination, suddenly has a close encounter of the intergalactic kind. After trying everything to contact extraterrestrials, Elio is thrilled when they not only respond, but beam him up to their cosmic “Communiverse”. Imagine his surprise when other planetary powers-that-be assume he is the leader of Earth! Elio’s experience in the Communiverse not only expands his horizons but teaches him how important it is to build connections with loved ones back on Earth.i

Special features include three featurettes: "Inside The Communiverse: The World And Characters Of Elio" (HD 09:53), "Out Of This World: An Astro Q&A" (HD 10:01) and "Astronomic Art Class: Ooooo And Glordon" (HD 05:07), extraterrestrial easter eggs and fun facts (HD 04:02), galactic gag reel (HD 02:47), five deleted scenes (HD 18:56) and a Movies Anywhere digital copy.

The 2.39:1 2160p HEVC/H.265 Ultra HD Dolby Vision/HDR10 picture, reviewed on a VIZIO Quantum X P85QX-JI UHD/HDR display, was animated digitally and sourced from a 4K Digital Intermediate. The picture was crafted in Stereoscopic 3D both no 3D Blu-ray was provided for review.. The picture is gorgeously beautiful with imagery that is exceptionally sharp and clear, as well as dimensional. The animation is spectacular. The color palette exhibits wonderfully saturated hues that are warm and rich in tone. Colors pop throughout the presentation, such as greens, blues, yellows purples an teals. The color gamut is wide and exhibits a nuanced palette of hues that is amazing. HDR contrast is extremely wide with deep, solid blacks, excellent shadow shadings, and brilliant white level illumination that, at times, is extremely intense. Resolution is superb with fine detail and texture revealed throughout, especially with respect to the widely variant textures of the Communiverse resident aliens' bodies and Elio's and the other human characters. This is a fabulous picture that is visually exciting and compelling entertainment. (Gary Reber)

The Dolby Atmos/Dolby TrueHD 7/1-channel soundtrack sounds dynamic and delivers excellent fidelity. Spatial dimensionality is excellent with superb imaging across the soundstage. Atmospherics are mostly subtle, but sound effects are strong and prevalent, especially once Elio gets to the Communiverse. Sound effects are fluid with transient resolution and deep bass support with active .1 LFE energy. Foley sound effects nicely enhance the sonics. The orchestra/choral score is sweeping with a dynamic presence that occupies a wide and deep soundstage with aggressive surround envelopment. Surround energy is strong with excellent directional imaging and panning. The ADR=produced dialogue is intelligible with satisfying integration.

The Immersive Sound element is comprised of an extension of the orchestra/choral score, subtle crowd rumblings, occasional woman announcement alerts and various subtle Communiverse character voices, The music is the prominent element and a few instances of alert announcements. While certainly far more could have been achieved, the height layer elements are effective in enhancing the sound field's dimension.

This is a well-crafted holosonic® spherical surround soundtrack that is loaded with dynamic sound effects and music that is certain to warmly entertain the entire family. (Gary Reber)