Alfonso Cuaron's vision of the future is bleak and depressing, but damn it looks and sounds awesome on Blu-ray. Don't expect a cornucopia of color, which is virtually nonexistent in 2027 with perpetual overcast skies and gloomy lighting, and there certainly isn't any stimulus money being spent on infrastructure—the world needs some fresh paint! The disc excels in detail—both foregrounds and backgrounds are always razor-sharp. The audio features top-notch frequency response, dynamic range, and imaging.

Terrorist strike.

• Chapter 1, 00:02:23
• Detail, surround imaging, frequency response
• Just before the explosion, look at the detail in the double-decker bus, the couple snuggling against each other while walking down the street, and the gloomy architecture.
• Before the explosion, listen to the sounds of the city and the panning of the bus moving from left to right. When all hell breaks loose, you'll feel the impact of the explosion and hear the screaming voices of the victims from every speaker—very creepy!

Riding in style!

• Chapter 4, 00:16:53
• Detail, surround imaging
• Look at the detail in the background and how it's clearly in focus. Pay attention to the reflection of the surrounding area in the shiny car window and the glistening coat of fresh wax on the car fender.
• Listen to the sounds of traffic, the shouts of the pedestrians on the busy street, and the hustle and bustle of the city.

The uprising.

• Chapter 17, 01:26:36
• Detail, imaging, frequency response, dynamic range
• Notice the muddy footprints in the road with their distinct outlines, the corridor of buildings and their three-dimensional effect, and finally, the smoke in the background without any compression artifacts.
• This entire chapter is filled with reference-quality audio, so turn up the volume and enjoy the sound of crisp gunfire, vehicles passing through the front soundstage, a wide dynamic range with intelligible dialog—even during a battle—and distant gunshots in the surround speakers.

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