Welcome to the March 2025 edition of the Blu-ray Bounty, where we’ll be looking at three 4K discs released in March 2025 that you could add to your (hopefully) growing collection.
If this is your first time here, you can read past entries of the Blu-ray Bounty here. This is where we at TechRadar get to indulge in our love of 4K Blu-ray by exploring the latest releases in the 4K world.
4K Blu-ray is the best way to experience movies on your home theater, as combining one of the best 4K Blu-ray players, best TVs and best soundbars into one entertainment powerhouse package can give you the cinema experience at home. Plus, it’s our favorite way to test TVs and soundbars here at TechRadar!
In our last Blu-ray Bounty in February 2025, we looked at The Last Voyage of the Demeter, Winchester 73’ and Punch Drunk Love as three titles that could make great additions to any collection. This month, I’ve picked Wicked, Constantine and Gladiator II.
I’m sticking with my trusty setup of the Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player, Panasonic MZ1500 OLED TV and Samsung HW-Q990C Dolby Atmos soundbar to put these discs through their paces.
As always, I’m not reviewing the movies themselves; I’m just highlighting new options with some visual and/or audio qualities to show off the power of 4K Blu-ray.
Wicked
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The movie adaptation of one of the world’s most popular stage musicals, Wicked is a prequel to The Wizard of Oz. It follows the story of how Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) (the wicked witch and good witch respectively in The Wizard of Oz) came to meet one another and forge an unlikely friendship.
Wicked is of course a musical so sound is critical. Thankfully, it uses every ounce of its Dolby Atmos soundtrack. Soaring, powerful vocals from both Grande and Erivo are crystal clear, and balanced well with the uplifting score, which when given a proper soundbar or sound system to play through will be a real showcase.
Interesting movement in the sound is presented in every musical number with excellent accuracy. It’s a seriously engaging Atmos soundtrack that even manages to capture the surround effects with serious detail. Musical fans with a home theater system; take note.
Visually, Wicked is a veritable feast for the eyes. With Dolby Vision HDR support, it’s a visually striking movie with gorgeous, bright and dynamic colors that really benefit from that Dolby Vision touch.
Pink and green play a critical role in the movie and thankfully, are presented in a stunning manner. From Glinda’s sickly-sweet pink outfits to Elphaba’s green skin and the dazzling greens of the Emerald City, colors somehow are both accurate and shockingly punchy.
Even in darker scenes, however, black levels and contrast are authentic and balanced. Put this movie on one of the best OLED TVs or one of the best mini-LED TVs.
Constantine
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Somewhat of a cult ‘comic book’ movie, 2005’s Constantine follows the exploits of John Constantine (Keanu Reeves), based on the DC Comics character of the same name, who is a demon-hunting exorcist with otherworldly powers, finds himself tasked by Detective Angela (Rachel Weisz) to investigate her twin sister’s mysterious death.
There’s no getting around the fact that Constantine has a very distinct color palette, with the grimy browns and reds of hell and the pale, beige whites in the skies being the predominant colors. Still, this 4K HDR release presents these colors with real accuracy and plenty of detail.
It’s also a high-contrast movie, with plenty of dark scenes, blending with minimal light. Black levels, contrast and shadow detail are all excellent throughout the movie and textures, especially skin tones, are presented with a true-to-source look.
Audio-wise, Constantine’s Dolby Atmos soundtrack captures all the gusto you could hope for in an action movie. The often pounding score is suitably tense and immersive, but speech and other effects aren’t lost in the mix. Any shootouts or fight sequences carry plenty of heft, with bass giving thumping sound effects a nice boost and the direction of sound is connected well with the action on screen.
Gladiator II
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The sequel to Ridley Scott’s action-blockbuster epic, Gladiator II is the story of Lucius (Paul Mescal), son of Maximus Decimus Meridius (Gladiator’s protagonist), who after years of life in exile is captured to fight in the Colosseum in Rome. The movie also features Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn and more.
Gladiator II’s greatest strength lies in its Dolby Atmos soundtrack. Engaging, immersive and downright meaty, every combat sequence has real punch. Slicing swords are presented with superb detail and the action and sound are always working in tandem.
In the chaotic opening battle, arrows whistle through the air and feel like they’re either raining down or swooping past. The rousing score is nicely mixed with the other elements of the soundtrack, never overpowering speech or other effects.
In terms of visuals, Gladiator II has a very brown-and-beige heavy color scheme. While these are presented accurately, it’s moments when the gold of the throne and outfits of the emperors or the reds of the Roman headpieces add that extra visual punch. Scenes in dark rooms with torchlight show great contrast and black levels and textures are realistic, with every bit of sweat, blood and mud on characters’ faces looking authentic.
Looking to get a similar setup to ours? Below, we’ve listed the closest available models to what we use (our TV and soundbar are a couple of years old).
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james.davidson@futurenet.com (James Davidson)
