Justice League: Throne Of Atlantis – Commemorative Edition (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)
We are just weeks away from the sneak peak and then ultimate release of James Wan’s Aquaman starring Jason Momoa and Amber Heard. Because of Wan’s involvement, my worry about the DC project is less so than many of the others. To celebrate the new film and to help people brush up or learn Aquaman, the DC Animated Universe is rereleasing and upgrading their film Justice League: Throne of Atlantis on a new 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray release. This is the story that introduced the character to the current roster after a tease at the end of Justice League: War. This particular version is widely available now and you can nab yourself a copy by clicking the Amazon link below the review.
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Film 
Cyborg discovers an imminent threat in the depths of the oceans so powerful that it rallies together the newly formed Justice League. Meanwhile, wandering thousands of feet above the ocean floor is drifter Arthur Curry, a man with strange powers who may be the last chance to bridge the ancient Atlantean world with our own. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the rest of DC’s Justice League must band together as they face off against warmongering Orm, an army of sea creatures, otherworldly weapons and perilous odds. In this all-new epic adventure from the DC Universe, mankind’s only hope of escaping from the darkness lies with the guiding light of a man – Aquaman!
As a fan of War, I was looking forward to their take on the Aquaman lore. Unfortunately, it wasn’t near as interesting as I thought it was going to be. Luckily the DCAU brand is obviously fine and they work so well as good one offs that we can move on right after this one is over. While I’m not the biggest on this one, it does serve as a solid introduction to Aquaman and the underwater kingdom he serves in as well as its inhabitants.
What might hamper this one is that it can’t commit to fully following around Arthur Currie. It feels the need to include as any Justice League members as possible and then juggle them around. It really should have had minimal Justice League involvement. Let them come in toward the end or have a brief scene in their. Knowing they are around instantly makes Aquaman have a big crutch and we realize no matter what peril he gets into, they are around. But, while I’m not big on this one, it is fun to hang with the characters in the bits we get that do have some good laughs. Overall, this is the same one you saw a few years ago, and nothing has really changed any perspective I have for it.
Video
Encoding: HEVC / H.265
Resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Layers: BD-66
Clarity/Detail: Justice League: Throne of Atlantis makes the exact type of 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray debut we’ve come to expect from the DCAU brand. Which is, “Why did you put this on 4K?”. While the image looks as nice as its going to, its pretty much the same as the standard Blu-ray edition for most of it and if there is anything noticeably different, most aren’t going to pick up on it. Still, the image looks very nice, but not worthy of an upgrade.
Depth: This is flat 2D animation. While it has confident movement, it really doesn’t provide much in the way of a 3 dimensional look.
Black Levels: Blacks take a nice deep turn and are handled just a little better than the Blu-ray. Shading and darkened underwater scenes have a nice tone.
Color Reproduction: Colors are pretty strong for what we have here and do lift a little off the screen. Nothing ever takes advantage of the HDR glow at any point.
Flesh Tones: N/A
Noise/Artifacts: Clean
Audio
Audio Format(s): English 5.1 DTS-HD MA, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English SDH, French Spanish
Dynamics: Throne of Atlantis carries over the rock solid 5.1 track from the previous release of the film. This one gets in there and displays some really good action bits to go with a healthy balancing of the score, effects and vocals. Each aspect really knows how to take center stage while also being generous to the other tracks.
Height: N/A
Low Frequency Extension: Explosions and underwater pressure to go along with many different deep effects feel a nice push from the subwoofer
Surround Sound Presentation: This track can really decently build a room together. Rear channels give good support with strong ambiance and also carrying things like spears and more across during battles.
Dialogue Reproduction: Vocals are clear and crisp.
Extras
Justice League: Throne of Atlantis – Commemorative Edition comes with the standard Blu-ray edition and a digital copy of the film. All bonus materials are found on the standard Blu-ray edition of the film. This edition retains all previously release bonus materials and adds a new featurette and commentary.
Audio Commentary
- With Heath Corson and Mike Carlin
Justice League: Throne of Atlantis: Aquaman: The New King (HD, 14:50) – A basic overview of Aquaman, who he started out as and what he’s become. It also wants to shake the old stymie about the character and make sure to sell him as powerful and cool as opposed to that super hero that just talks to fish.
Villains of the Deep (HD, 11:33)
Scoring Atlantis: The Sound of the Deep (HD, 30:05)
Robin and Nightwing Bonus Sequence (HD, 3:50)
Throne of Atlantis: 2014 New York Comic-Con Panel (HD, 26:44)
From the DC Comics Vault
- Batman: The Brave and the Bold: Aquaman’s Outrageous Adventure!
- Batman: The Brave and the Bold: Evil Under the Sea!
- Aquaan: Menace of the Black Manta and The Rampaging Reptile-Men
- Justice League Unlimited: Far From Home
Throne of Atlantis Soundtrack – Isolated score track
A Sneak Peek at DC Universe’s Next Animated Movie: Reign of the Supermen (HD, 9:33)
A Preview of DC Universe’s Next Animated Move: The Death of Superman (HD, 7:06)
Trailers (HD, 3:15) – The Death of Superman, Teen Titans Go! To The Movies
Summary
Justice League: Throne of Atlantis is kinda a disappointment and one of the lower tier movies in the otherwise terrific DC Animated Universe. And in normal fashion, one has to scratch their head as to why they put it on 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray. There’s no audio upgrade and the video really looks the same. Its admirable that they are pushing the new format, but its not yielding results. Furthermore, why are these getting the 4K UHD treatment but not Teen Titans Go! To The Movies? The new bonus features are nice, but you should either hold onto the copy you have or pick up the old one which is now super cheap.
