The Man In The Iron Mask - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

The Three Musketeers are brought out of retirement in Randall Wallace's The Man in the Iron Mask, both literally as a key aspect of Wallace's script and figuratively as a source of inspiration. In the 1990s, Alexandre Dumas's tales of the swashbuckling heroes gained a short-lived resurgence in pop culture not seen since the Lester-Salkind 1973 productions, The Three Musketeers. And Wallace's movie was the second adaptation of a Dumas novel with Walt Disney's The Three Musketeers pillaging theater screens three years earlier. In fact, the swashbuckling adventure was somewhat in vogue during that decade, starting with big-budget features like Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Cutthroat Island and ending with The Mask of Zorro and the likes of The Mummy. And so, Wallace, best known for his script of Braveheart, made his passable directorial debut with this rather mediocre action drama. 

Starring Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Gérard Depardieu and Gabriel Byrne as the sword-wielding daredevils of 17th-century France, the movie has its moments of excitement and adventure, largely due to the performances of the aforementioned actors. This also includes Leonardo DiCaprio in duel roles as the selfish, cold-hearted King Louis XIV and his more charitable brother Phillipe, the man sentenced to wear a mask of iron. Heck, even the cinematography, production design and score are on point to make this into a grand, sweeping period piece. The problem is with Wallace, who very plainly lacks the skill to deliver the many dramatic moments with poignancy and gravitas, turning those performances into drab hysterics while failing to give those scenes the emotional weight he clearly wants. And since much of the plot seems to hinge on what should be a moving but nonetheless predictable revelation, the story ultimately falls flat, making this an average but ultimately forgettable melodrama. (Movie Rating: 2.5/5)

For another take on the film, check out our review of the 2018 20th Anniversary Blu-ray HERE.

Vital Disc Stats: The Ultra HD Blu-ray
Shout! Factory brings The Man in the Iron Mask to 4K Ultra HD as a two-disc Collector's Edition. The triple-layered UHD100 disc sits comfortably opposite a Region A locked, BD50 disc inside the standard, black keepcase. At startup, the disc goes to a static screen with the usual options along the bottom.

Coming from the same 2018 remaster of the original 35mm camera negatives used for the Blu-ray, the swashbuckling drama now takes arms against the Ultra HD chateau. The jump into the realm of higher resolution is not a huge, night-and-day difference, but it is nonetheless enough of an upgrade to make this edition the clear winner. Except for a few moments of mild softness that is to be expected, the native 4K transfer is highly-detailed throughout, exposing every nook and cranny of the palace where we can plainly make out the small architectural features in the background. The texture of the fabric and threading in the elaborate costumes is distinct, and facial complexions appear healthy and lifelike. The presentation's strongest aspect is thanks to the Dolby Vision HDR grading, bathing nearly every scene in lush, richly-saturated primaries and opulent, varied secondary hues. Contrast and brightness balance is spot-on, displaying crisp, vivid whites and inky, velvety blacks while shadows allow for excellent visibility within the darkest, murkiest corners of the frame. Specular highlights supply a radiant, more vibrant glow to the hottest spots without washing over the finer details and resplendent sparkle to various metallic surfaces. Awash in a fine layer of natural grain, the 1.85:1 image is appreciably film-like and overall gorgeous to behold. (Dolby Vision HDR Video Rating: 92/100 or 4.5/5)

The Musketeers storm home theaters equipped with what appears to be the same pair of DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks as the previous Blu-ray release in 2.0 stereo and 5.1 surround sound. Being mostly a dialogue-driven film, both tracks present clear, well-prioritized vocals although a few lines can be a little hard to make out, but thankfully, it's nothing too egregious as to ruin the movie's enjoyment. A well-balanced imaging displays a wide sense of space with impeccable, convincing movement between three front channels and a distinct, dynamic mid-range, supplying the score with great warmth and excellent clarity in the cannon and musket fire. The surround mix employs the rears with various atmospherics, adding a welcomed immersive feel to the visuals. The low-end also provides an appreciable weight to the few action sequences, but it's not quite as strong or as palpable as would be expected, mostly staying in the mid-bass range and never really digs deeper. All in all, both lossless mixes are a great listen and complement to the film. (Audio Rating: 78/100 or 4/5)

The same set of bonus features are ported over this Ultra HD edition.

UHD Disc

• Audio Commentary with writer and director Randall Wallace

Blu-ray Disc

• Audio Commentary (HD, 10 min)
• Director's Take (1080i/60, 29 min) 
• Interview (HD, 19 min) with producer Paul Hitchcock
• Interview (HD, 8 min) with production designer Anthony Pratt
• Myths and Musketeers (1080i/60, 8 min) 
• Original Behind-the-Scenes (1080i/60, 5 min) 
• Alternate Mask Prototypes (1080i/60, 2 min) 
• Trailer (HD, 3 min)

"The Man in the Iron Mask never outshined the Titanic mania in the spring of 1998 but ultimately provided an interesting take on the Three Musketeers with a stellar cast and beautiful locations. Twenty-five years on, the film still feels like a work-in-progress that needs an identity. For 90’s fans who still have a poster of Leo on their wall (you know who you are!), this is a perfect upgrade to your collection." Celebrating its 25th Anniversary, Shout Factory brings the swashbuckling melodrama to 4K Ultra HD with a gorgeous Dolby Vision HDR presentation, delivering a notable upgrade from the previous Blu-ray release. Porting over the same pair of DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks and the same set of bonus features, this UHD edition makes for a Recommended addition to the 4K library. 

All disc reviews at High-Def Digest are completed using the best consumer HD home theater products currently on the market. More about the gear used for this review.