Customer reviews are independent and do not represent the views of Zavvi.

Ex Machina steelbook

Alex Garland's philosophical directional debut Ex Machina arrives, again, on Blu-ray in steelbook form from Universal. Some may be skeptical about buying this since it doesn't have the 4K disc and not even the DTS:X track, "just" a 5.1 track instead. But if you're still deciding and have come this far, read on... You've probably seen the film but I'm still going to give it a (very) small review. Well, it's a great one, especially for a robot movie since they're usually not my type. There's just something about Alex's writing and directing, and the best part; cinematography. Just.. avoid the trailers please. For the video quality: I can't say I'm disappointed. It was never promising enough to be disappointing, at least from some reviews I've read. Sure, it may surprise some because the film was (reportedly) finished at 4K. But no, it's not bad. I've seen worse. It's just not outstanding either. Detailing was quite good, especially in close-ups, but for the most part it was quite soft. When the power goes off and everything goes all red is when the PQ is at its weakest. But the shots of the beautiful Norwegian landscape look stunning! And of course with some other shots, especially near the end, the PQ starts to get a little sharp. Also, this is probably a weird thing to say but this film actually uses the wide aspect ratio well. Although I love the wide ratio, I gotta admit there are some movies that just feel too zoomed in and cropped like there's something missing behind the black bars, if that even made sense. But here; no complaints. Here it's necessary. But speaking of black bars, they sometimes get a little lighter shade of black here which can be distracting to some. I don't really mind, I'm just all about the quality of the picture. But I thought I should warn. Audio: Honestly. Wow. Perfect. Just perfect. Not a second of it disappoints. Let's start with the basics. Dialogue is extremely well-handled and clear. Background noises, especially the river in the forest; perfect. And the music: Ohohoh my lord did the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 do the music justice. Bunsen Burner: my favorite track on the soundtrack album and my favorite scene here. You know what happens here? It's even better. Unless you really want this with overhead speakers, the lack of a few channels honestly doesn't matter, AT ALL. Sure, overhead is fun and all but this is one of the best 5.1 tracks I've heard, along with The Neon Demon (Koch's 16-bit) and Don't Breathe. Extras; Meh. Worth a watch, sure. Worth buying the Blu-ray mainly for them? Nah. Although the picture of Ava's side profile (on the steelbook) looks like it was taken on iPhone 5, it's still a very nice steelbook and I'm glad I got it over the standard case edition. Highly recommend this for the film, audio and the steelbook packaging. Zavvi does not disappoint here! This arrived in perfect condition and is very much appreciated!