Allegiant Blu-ray Review

"Allegiant" arrives on Blu-ray from Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in a 2.40:1 aspect ratio, providing a highly commendable visual experience. Captured with an assortment of Arri cameras at resolutions between 3.4K to 6.5K and finalized with a 4K DI, the presentation offers an enticingly sharp and nicely defined look. The visual palette features a range of intriguing colors, shifting from cool blue and slate gray shades in internal sequences to vibrant rust hues reminiscent of "The Martian" when characters traverse past the wall. The detail is particularly impressive in close-ups, revealing skin pores and flyaway hairs with striking clarity. Though some CGI elements appear softer, textures like those on floating globes are exceptionally rendered. The contrast typically remains consistent, with some murkiness in interior scenes that is often characteristic of digitally shot films.

Shot with a combination of Arri Alexa 65 and XT cameras, the transfer faithfully represents the stylized cinematography of Florian Ballhaus. The quality is stunning, not giving away its digital origins and instead offering a visually rich, film-like feel. The color palette leans towards warmer, amber tones which add significant texture and appeal to the overall picture, giving the desolate landscape an almost Mars-like aesthetic. Greens shift towards yellow but stay lively, while reds are profoundly deep, enhancing the dystopian environment. Blues remain vibrant, enriching the sky and details in dark uniforms with striking contrast. The well-balanced brightness and spot-on contrast deliver a bright presentation with full-bodied blacks that provide dimensionality and cinematic allure.

The freshly-minted 2.40:1 transfer is razor-sharp and brimming with detail, conveying the effort invested into the film’s dystopian setting. Scratches, imperfections, and pockmarks on structures and vehicles are vividly clear, contributing to the film’s grim atmosphere. Minute details such as pebbles, sand grains, and debris are distinct even amidst chaotic explosions, ensuring every visual element is perceptible. Costumes reveal intricate fabric and threading details, while facial textures display life-like fidelity, highlighting every wrinkle and blemish. Overall, "Allegiant" on Blu-ray delivers an eye-catching high-definition visual feast that engages viewers with its exceptional clarity and intricate detail.

The audio presentation of "Allegiant" Blu-ray features a Dolby Atmos track, with a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 core for those without Atmos capabilities. This track is impressively dynamic, regularly utilizing low-frequency effects (LFE) that elicit floorboard-rattling responses. Discrete effects are exceptionally well-placed, with flying objects and other elements moving fluidly throughout the soundstage. The overhead speakers, while not consistently active, offer nicely rendered panning effects during key action sequences, providing an engaging auditory experience. Ambient sounds are also well integrated, enveloping the listener even in quieter scenes.

Action sequences particularly shine, with the best usage observed during scenes involving the Bureau's flying aircrafts. These moments tease viewers with sounds that convincingly pan from the front to the back and overhead, creating a half-dome wall of sound. Front soundstage imaging is broad and spacious, with excellent panning effects that enhance immersive engagement. The track’s dynamic range and acoustic details are sharply defined, capturing everything from minor debris sounds to significant explosion fragments with precision.

The low-end remains powerful and weighty, delivering room-shaking thrills during intense scenes. Dialogue is clear, cleanly rendered, and consistently well-prioritized above the action, ensuring that it remains intelligible amidst the chaos. While the Atmos track might not reach the heights of its predecessors, it still delivers an exciting and entertaining experience for fans of the series. Overall, the audio mix offers a rich soundscape that adds considerable depth to the viewing experience.

The extras included in the "Allegiant" Blu Ray offer a detailed and engaging exploration of the film's production. The audio commentary by producers Douglas Wick and Lucy Fisher primarily focuses on technical elements but lacks unique insights not covered in other featurettes. The "Book to Film" featurette provides interviews discussing the adaptation process and minor changes between the book and movie. "Battle in the Bullfrog" breaks down the choreography and efforts behind one of the key action scenes. "Finding the Future: Effects and Technology" delves into both visual effects and practical production elements, including props and design. "Characters in Conflict" gives a brief overview of the film's plot dynamics, while "The Next Chapter: Cast and Characters" expands on this with cast interviews. Lastly, "Building the Bureau" provides an intriguing look at repurposing Chicago’s O’Hare for new settings.

Extras included in this disc:

Audio Commentary with Producers Douglas Wick and Lucy Fisher: Generally focused on technical aspects of production.

Allegiant: Book to Film: Discusses adaptive process and splitting book into films.

Battle in the Bullfrog: Breakdown of choreography for key action scene.

Finding the Future: Effects and Technology: Detailed look at VFX, props, and production design.

Characters in Conflict: Brief overview of plot dynamics.

The Next Chapter: Cast and Characters: More insights with interviews.

Building the Bureau: Examination of repurposing O’Hare airport for the film.

The third installment in the Divergent series, Allegiant, struggles to maintain momentum in an increasingly saturated young adult dystopian genre. Despite efforts to extend the narrative into a four-part series, the film feels unexpectedly tired and meandering compared to its predecessors. Post the fall of Jeanine (Kate Winslet), Tris (Shailene Woodley) and Four (Theo James) grapple with new conflicts as Evelyn (Naomi Watts) takes on a dictatorial role. The film’s plotline is marred by melodramatic turns and illogical decisions, notably Evelyn's sealing off Chicago, echoing familiar themes from series like The Maze Runner.

The story’s convoluted approach does little to enhance its appeal, with the complexity often feeling forced rather than organic. Tris and her companions struggle against a series of pseudo-scientific and moral dilemmas that ultimately lack coherence. Jeff Daniels as David offers shallow insights meant to ground the plot but instead, add to the absurdity. Director Robert Schwentke imbues some vivacity into the film through engaging action sequences and stunning visuals. Cinematographer Florian Ballhaus and production designer Alec Hammond create an aesthetically appealing yet hollow world.

Although the film benefits from impressive visual effects and commendable production design, these elements are relegated to mere window dressing for a plot that fails to offer compelling content. Theo James, Shailene Woodley, and the supporting actors, including Miles Teller, deliver serviceable performances, yet their characters are given little room for substantial development. The movie stumbles in its attempt to offer anything novel within an already formulaic genre, rendering Allegiant a visually attractive but ultimately disappointing continuation of the Divergent saga.

'Allegiant,' the third installment in the 'Divergent' franchise, continues to polarize with its perplexing narrative and attempts to tackle the original premise's problematic aspects. Director Robert Schwentke again assumes the directorial reins, infusing the film with improved and more dynamic action sequences. However, despite these efforts, the film remains a sluggish journey mired in convoluted pseudoscience and narrative shortcomings. While the movie stops abruptly, leading to an obvious setup for a finale, it fails to sustain the initial promises of its predecessors.

The Blu-ray release of 'Allegiant' excels in delivering a visual and auditory spectacle. The video presentation is impressive, showcasing a well-executed post-apocalyptic setting with exceptional clarity and detail. The audio mix complements this, providing an immersive experience that highlights the action sequences and enhances viewer engagement. Despite the minimalistic approach to supplemental content, the available features offer some intriguing insight into the film's production processes and artistic choices.

As mentioned above, one of the talking heads in one of the supplements on this disc makes the unfortunate decision to describe other attempts to split one book into two films as leaving a feeling of treading water in the first film, something that is more or less exactly what Allegiant often seems to be doing. Fans of the film will probably be willing to get through this one in order to finally arrive at the big finish, but that's an awfully low bar to be setting for a franchise that started with such decent promise. The film is a visual and sonic feast, however, and that may help some viewers and listeners to cut it a bit of slack. Technical merits are excellent for those considering a purchase.