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The most important (Ultra HD) Blu-ray releases of April Homecinema Magazine

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Every week we add a number of new additions to the offer on Netflix but every month several films and series (old and new) appear on the physical carriers. We list the most important releases (Blu-ray and Ultra HD Blu-ray) for the month of April

(Ultra HD) Blu-ray in April

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Tomorrow, Disney will release the movie Star Wars: The Last Jedi on Blu-ray and 3D Blu-ray. Unfortunately, the Netherlands does not get a 4K edition of the film, although for example at Bol.com you can order the foreign UHD version (consisting of the Ultra HD Blu-ray, the Blu-ray and a bonus disc) for 35 euros, but this unfortunately has no Dutch subtitles. In The Last Jedi we see how the relationship between Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) continues to develop, after their meeting at the end of The Force Awakens. Meanwhile, the defeated Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) is being consulted by his mysterious leader Snoke (Andy Serkis). Furthermore, in The Last Jedi, among others, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac and Carrie Fisher, who died in 2016, return. The film was directed by Rian Johnson (Brick, Looper).

Both the Blu-ray and the 3D Blu-ray have been provided with a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track by Disney. The 3D version consists of three discs, because besides the 3D Blu-ray you also get the regular Blu-ray and the bonus disc. On the bonus disc (which is also included in the regular edition) you will find a large amount of extras. The big draw is the one-and-a-half-hour documentary ‘The Director and the Jedi’. There are also several featurettes present, as well as more than twenty minutes of deleted scenes, which can also be viewed with comments from Rian Johnson. On the other disc there is also a commentary track from Johnson for the full film.

Daddy’s Home 2

Universal still releases films in the 4K Ultra HD format, and so it can happen that a spectacle film like The Last Jedi does not appear here on UHD, but a comical family film like Daddy’s Home 2 does. In the sequel to the comedy from 2015, the number of fathers doubled. After father Dusty (Mark Wahlberg) and stepfather Brad (Will Ferrell) constantly fought each other in the original film, in this sequel they finally seem to have buried the battle ax. Together the men prepare a cozy Christmas for their children, but when their own fathers appear on the scene, family quarrels come to the surface again. Mel Gibson (after some action movies this was a ‘mainstream comeback’ again) the father of Wahlberg and John Lithgow can be seen as the father of Ferrell

The regular Blu-ray of Daddy’s Home 2 features Dolby Atmos and the UHD is equipped with DTS: X, DTS Headphone: X and Dolby Digital 5.1. In the field of extras (everything is on the Blu-ray disc, which is also included in the UHD release) we see five short featurettes, a gag reel and more than ten minutes of deleted and extended scenes. Both editions are currently available.

Ferdinand

Tomorrow Ferdinand will be released by Fox on Blu-ray and Ultra HD Blu-ray. The family film comes from the makers of Ice Age and Rio. The animated film revolves around the bull Ferdinand (voice of John Cena), who is prepared for bullfighting at a stud farm in Spain. However, Ferdinand does not want to fight at all and decides to escape. He ends up on the farm of the cheerful Nina and her father, where he enjoys the carefree life in the meadow full of flowers, until the bull breeders find him again. In the Dutch version the voice of Ferdinand is done by kickboxer Rico Verhoeven.

The Dutch spoken version of Ferdinand has a 5.1 DTS audio track on both versions. On the Ultra HD Blu-ray, the English spoken version has a Dolby Atmos track. On the regular Blu-ray, the English spoken version has a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track. On the Blu-ray (which is also included with the UHD Blu-ray) there are more than 45 minutes of extras, mainly in the form of short featurettes. This allows viewers to enjoy images of Spain through Ferdinand’s eyes and the video clip ‘Home’. The Blu-ray also contains various featurettes such as ‘Dansles van Ferdinand’ and ‘Een Geitengids voor het leven’

Coco

Unfortunately no 4K release, this is Disney again, but the animated film Coco is now in the Netherlands available on Blu-ray. Disney also released Coco for fans on 3D Blu-ray. The family film revolves around the young Miguel, who dreams of becoming a successful musician. He would love to become as famous as his idol Ernesto de la Cruz, but music is forbidden in his family. In a mysterious way, Miguel lands in the colorful Dead Kingdom on the Day of the Dead. There he meets Héctor and together they go on a journey to discover the real story behind Miguel’s family history.

Coco has been provided on Disney’s Blu-ray with DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (English) and Dolby Digital 5.1 (Dutch) / Flemish). On the Blu-ray are a number of short featurettes, plus the short film Welcome to the Fiesta. You can also view the entire film (and the short film) with audio commentary from director Lee Unkrich. Incidentally, the American release has many more featurettes and more than half an hour of deleted scenes. According to webshop Bol.com all that extra bonus material is present on the Dutch 3D Blu-ray, but this has not been confirmed by Disney.