Movie studios are beginning to release their summer films, and some of them look visually stunning. In particular, Oppenheimer looks like an incredible film with some stunning visuals. Nuclear bombs and explosions make this a movie that we’d want to watch on a microLED screen. Then there’s Barbie, which promises to provide some colors–pink, namely–that will pop right off of the screen. Then there’s Elemental, which has the makings of another Pixar visual masterpiece with an abundance of colors.
With a few soon-to-be released movies sure to provide some stunning visuals, we looked back at some films that lend themselves to cutting edge display technology like microLED that can really sell the value of professional home theater systems. Here are some past titles to check out from CE Pro editors Arlen Schwieger, Bob Archer and Zachary Comeau. And be sure to check out our list of some of the top microLED TVs to really dial in the perfect viewing experience.
Avatar: The Way of Water
James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water follows the events of the first film after Marine Jake Sully joins the Na’vi via his avatar and starts a family with his Na’vi wife Neytiri. The film follows Sully and his family as they hide from the human military group Sully left as they return to colonize Pandora. They hide amongst the Metkayina, a Na’vi species that lives in a very colorful habitat on the water. Similar to the jungle-like environment where the Omatikaya clan lives, the Metkayina’s habitat is full of rich colors, including the blue and turquoise colors of the Na’vi themselves as well as the blues and greens of the ocean and indigenous fauna. This movie is one that is best served by a microLED TV.
Interstellar
Apocalyptic dust storms on Earth? A spaceship? A supermassive black hole? A wormhole? Alien planets? Another dimension? If those sound to you like the ingredients for a movie that would benefit from cutting-edge display technology like microLED, you’re 100% right. Interstellar tells the tale of humans searching for a habitable planet as Earth begins dying. Since much of the film is based in space, the visuals and colors are incredible.
Gravity
Films about outer space always lend themselves to great visuals, which is why we’re sticking with this theme for a little bit longer. Gravity tells the tale of astronauts orbiting Earth that are stranded in space without a working ship to get them back home. It stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, but the best thing about this film is of course the scenes from Earth’s orbit where the planet is illuminated by the sun, highlighting the deep blue color of the ocean and the rich greens and browns of the continents. There are also scenes showing the planet at night, with small pockets of land lit up by city lights. However, the scenes with the sun just barely poking around Earth’s edge that create a plethora of colors take the cake.
Star Wars
We said we’d be sticking with the space theme for a bit longer, and by its very nature, Star Wars films and series make great use of space settings to bring viewers great visuals. Aside from the space scenes and battles that show planets getting destroyed, red and green laser projectiles, colorful lightsabers, light-speed travel and more, the films are known for their grand scale. Take, for example, the ending of Revenge of the Sith when Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker duel it out with their lightsabers around a very volatile volcanic planet. If you’re a videophile, you should be chomping at the bit to watch that scene on a microLED TV.
Dune
Speaking of grand scale, open landscapes, science fiction and space, we have to mention Dune on this list. Futuristic spaceships, giant sand worms, desert planets, advanced infrastructure, an atmosphere rich in a coveted ambient mineral, futuristic weapons and large battles make this movie a great watch on a microLED screen. Oh yeah, there are also plenty of explosions to test out those LEDs.
Gladiator
Starring Russell Crowe, Connie Nielsen and Joaquin Phoenix, this movie from 2000 features a great cast and a theme of revenge. Much of the look of the backgrounds are dank and overcast, but the costumes and sets stand out for their detail, which includes many subtle colors. Small details such as the ornamental work on Maximus’ armor, along with colors of his uniform offer a lot of detail to resolve, and the catapult fire shots call for instantaneous abilities to produce high levels of image dynamics in the movie’s opening battle scenes.
The Dark Knight
Arguably the best comic book movie ever made, The Dark Knight features a gritty look with muted colors, and famously, the movie shifts aspect ratios, including the opening bank robbery scene. Specific details to look for to test a video system’s ability to deliver a wide spectrum of color and high levels of detail include the close ups of The Joker’s suit, and the chase scene towards the end of the movie where Batman is pursuing The Joker on his “Bat Cycle” under the dimly lit bridge. This scene will test the dynamics, black levels and contrast capabilities of any video system.
Wall-E
The 2008 Pixar movie produced some masterful demo material somewhat reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz roughly 70 years earlier. The first half of the movie is a sepia-toned, detail-rich look at Wall-E the robot doing his daily trash pickup on a planet whose lifeforms have either gone extinct or moved on. The second half features a colorful palette illustrating life aboard the ship where everyone who left the planet leads couch potato-like lives where everything is automated for them. Like other Pixar films, you get the punchy colors in Wall-E but you also get the contrasting desolate yet detailed landscape of the first half, which by the way is basically silent, letting the viewers focus on the visuals without distraction.
The Lion King
No list of big-screen microLED videophile selections would be complete without the pioneers of animation, Disney. This revered 1994 movie features an eye-popping kaleidoscope of colors from the opening scene. The songs are catchy, and here too the opening number is a showstopper that should have potential customers drooling over what they’re seeing onscreen (I’m sure the live-action version is equally striking).
Ponyo
Rounding out this trio of animated film suggestions (the DreamWorks stuff is pretty solid as well visually), this 2008 production from renowned Studio Ghibli is the Japanese animation giant at its best. There’s lots of microdetail and fast-motion scenes that will make you want to do a lot of pause/rewind, but you can find nuggets for your demo script, plus Ponyo is wonderfully rich in a rainbow of colors in the familiar anime style.
Life of Pi
We absolutely have to add this one to the list. If you like great special effects and colorful visuals, this film may be the holy grail. Life of Pi tells the story of an Indian teenager, Pi, stranded on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger and how the two eventually form a bond and survive. The special effects and colors are outstanding. In particular is a night scene where bioluminescent algae light up the night from the ocean. In that scene, a whale breaches the surface and destroys Pi’s raft that he created to give himself distance between him and the tiger. Another night scene sees an island lit up with a hue of blue and green. Vibrant blues, greens, and of course the orange and black of the tiger make this movie pop.
