Ultra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Right out of the gate with Cronos, his first feature film, director Guillermo del Toro displayed a keen eye that would serve him well throughout his career. It’s a vampire story… kind of, as a rich old man is seeking a legendary device that can supposedly impart eternal life, but with some dark side effects. When the golden doodad comes into the possession of a humble antiques dealer, violent and unpredictable events begin to unfold. Anyone looking for a well-executed offbeat horror would do well to check out Cronos.

The use of color, whether part of the scene—green glow sticks, an azure-themed New Year’s party—or purely artistic lighting choices are strangely inviting in this new 4K restoration from the original negative, supervised by del Toro himself. The movie is presented in Dolby Vision; affording that extra bit of panache; at its proper 1.85:1 aspect ratio, although the bundled HD Blu-ray is a black bar-less 1.78:1. The shadows are neither unnatural nor especially nuanced, but a healthy level of grain is maintained.

The language is an interesting blend of English and Spanish (mostly the latter), with characters often speaking off-camera or with their mouths covered, likely to aid in international dubbing. The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 matrixes out into the rear speakers with some engaging atmospherics that prove vital to achieving the proper mood, from rudimentary ambient audio to specific elements such as a train passing by in the distance.

Among the legacy extras across the two discs are a pair of 2002 audio commentaries; one with del Toro and the other with his producers; the revised version of a pre-Cronos horror short and a brief but amusing interview with co-star Ron Perlman. A hefty booklet is highlighted by extensive script notes plus artwork by Mike Mignola (Hellboy) and Dave Stewart.

Chris Chiarella