Description

Moonage Daydream – Blu-ray Review

Criterion Collection | 2022 | Region A | 1080p |

DISC DETAILS

• Disc Type: BD-50
• Region: A (locked)
• Resolution: 1080p HD
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Codec: AVC
• Audio Tracks:
  • English Dolby Atmos
  • English Dolby TrueHD 7.1
  • English LPCM 2.0
• Subtitles: English SDH

VIDEO QUALITY: ★★★★★ (5/5)

The 1080p Blu-ray presentation of Moonage Daydream is virtually identical in source quality to the 4K disc, albeit with lower resolution and no HDR.

• Picture Quality: The film’s eclectic montage of footage — from pristine concert recordings to degraded VHS-era clips — remains intact. The AVC encoding handles this layered collage beautifully, without compression artifacts or banding.
• Color & Contrast: While not as saturated or nuanced as the 4K edition, this Blu-ray still delivers punchy neon lighting, solid black levels, and strong contrast. It looks especially great on a calibrated screen.

Verdict: For those without 4K setups, this Blu-ray is still a top-tier HD transfer, doing justice to Brett Morgen’s audiovisual tribute.

AUDIO QUALITY: ★★★★★ (5/5)

The Blu-ray carries over all three audio options from the 4K disc:

• Dolby Atmos (TrueHD 7.1 Core): Monumental, spatial, and layered. Instruments swirl, voices echo, and effects leap through your surround system. The mix mirrors the theatrical experience.
• LPCM 2.0: A clean, powerful stereo track that honors the music and narration beautifully.
• Dialogue & Music Balance: Crystal clear, with Bowie’s voice always intelligible amid dense sonic layering.

Verdict: The Blu-ray retains the 4K disc’s best feature — its thunderous, immersive soundtrack.

SPECIAL FEATURES (Blu-ray Disc Only): ★★★★☆ (4/5)

This is where Disc 2 shines, offering exclusive bonus content not found on the 4K disc:

Audio Commentary

• By director Brett Morgen
• Recorded in Spring 2023
• Covers Morgen’s editing approach, Bowie’s archives, artistic challenges, and audio mix strategies. An essential track for understanding how this unconventional film was assembled.

Featurettes

• Q&A at the TCL Chinese Theatre (23 min)
  Brett Morgen, director Mark Romanek, and Bowie’s longtime pianist Mike Garson talk candidly about Bowie’s creative legacy. Jack Black also makes an appearance.

  Highlights: Garson’s insights into Bowie’s evolution as an artist and performer.

• Moonage Soundscapes (27 min)
  Morgen and sound designers Paul Massey and Davi Giammarco discuss the sonic architecture of the film. This is a fascinating look at how Atmos was creatively employed.

  Highly recommended for audiophiles or anyone curious about immersive sound design.

• “Rock ’n’ Roll with Me” (Live, 1974) (5 min)
  A vintage performance in archival quality, offering a rare, raw snapshot of Bowie mid-’70s.

FINAL SCORE: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

Final Thoughts:

Criterion’s Blu-ray disc of Moonage Daydream complements the 4K version with a robust and insightful set of extras, along with reference-quality audio. While the main feature looks slightly better on the 4K disc, this Blu-ray edition more than holds its own as a standalone experience. If you’re into Bowie, modern sound design, or just love visually unique docs, this disc is well worth your time.

RECOMMENDED — especially for those diving deeper into Bowie’s mythos or the film’s creative process.