The Huntsman: Winter's War

A balanced mix of the blandly familiar and surprisingly imaginative, "The Huntsman: Winter's War" came as a sequel nobody necessarily asked for to the equally average "Snow White and the Huntsman." Tossing Kristen Stewart aside and focusing this time solely on Chris Hemsworth's title character, 'The Huntsman' follows a typical Hollywood blockbuster trajectory but definitely overcomes its pitfalls through a concrete understanding of its strengths.

These strengths include things such as a strong cast of female powerhouses, a trio defined by Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt and Jessica Chastain. Additionally, the film finds humor in its supporting characters, most notably a duo of dwarves played by Nick Frost and Rob Brydon. And most impressive is the film's elaborate and extravagant use of costume design, art direction and visual effects.

Thankfully, the generous bonus features on the film's 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD release highlight these key areas. The featurette "Two Queens and Two Warriors" focuses on the aforementioned three powerful women and how the strength of the characters and respective actresses enhanced the film. "Meet the Dwarfs" zeroes in on Frost and Brydon's dwarf characters, as well as their delightful romantic foils. And in my favorite featurette, entitled "Magic All Around," the film's array of astonishing visual magic takes center stage. These bonus features are exclusive only to the Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD releases.

The DVD home release (as well as Blu-Ray and 4K) includes deleted scenes with commentary, a gag reel, a featurette called "Dressed to Kill," highlighting the costumes, and one called "Love Conquers All," highlighting the script and production process. There is also a feature commentary by director Cedric Nicholas-Troyan.

The abundance of extras on the higher quality releases trump the DVD's offerings in so many regards, and one should consider these options regardless considering the overall look boasted by "The Huntsman: Winter's War." Despite its narrative clich�s, it's a visual wonder and a joy to look at.

"The Huntsman: Winter's War"
Available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD