Marvel Comics’ famed Living Vampire debuted in cinemas earlier this year, much to the disapproval of critics and the surprising mockery of fans, but now hopes to sink its teeth into ultra-high home theater audiences. definition in Morbius (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, rated PG-13, 2.39:1 aspect ratio, 104 minutes, $45.99).

Much like his sequential art origins, Dr. Michael Morbius (Jared Leto) suffers from a rare and life-threatening blood disorder. He finds a cure for himself and his equally ill surrogate brother Milo (Matt Smith), using vampire bat DNA, but he learns that the cure is far deadlier to other humans than the disease. .

Yes, Michael and Milo now exist as vampires, with Milo taking the drugs against Michael’s wishes, and without the creatures supernatural weaknesses, they fiercely suck human blood at all hours to stay alive while exhibiting superpowers .

The character’s origins of Morbius remain mostly intact, particularly his presentation with a lithe body type and gruesome appearance, as well as facial features that go beyond the reality of the comics.

Unfortunately, Mr. Leto sleepwalks through the role with a character who lacks the emotional terror one would expect of a man with a noble cause who tragically turns into a monster.

Mr. Smith, however, has some excitement as he embraces his villainous vampire form of Milo, a performance full of rage and sarcasm often directed at his brother.

Weighing down the routine and the overly short plot are a doting pair of FBI agents (Al Madrigal and Tyrese Gibson) trying to catch Morbius and acting like he’s a shoplifter and a romance pulverized with the research assistant Martine Bancroft (Adria Arjona) who never has time to develop.

Another error was the “PG-13” rating. Reference Guillermo Del Toro’s “Blade 2” to see why a vampire superhero movie can get an “R” rating thanks to a level of gore and brutality one might expect from a movie. of horror.

Despite being backed by Marvel Entertainment, the film falls flat next to all of Sony’s previous carefully cultivated superhero entries tied to the Spider-Man cinematic universe.

That’s right, Morbius is a Spider-Man villain turned anti-hero evolving since his first comic book appearance in 1971. Audiences would have no idea he existed alongside the web slinger.

The only clue is a pair of misplaced post-credits scenes trying to tie in with Sony’s latest Spider-Man movie by using another villain.

The result makes no sense to the plot of Morbius and is completely out of context, making the movie even more confusing for the average viewer.

4K in action: What the film lacks in originality and length, Sony more than makes up for with an impressive UHD transfer from a 4K digital intermediate.

The presentation delivers a detailed, color-saturated world of Morbius and most importantly his vampiric hunger pangs.

One can examine Mr. Leto’s wiry torso and pale purplish flesh to count his superficial veins or watch his inner ear cartilage ripple to reveal his echolocation powers.

Plus, colorful smoky tentacles stream behind him as he leaps or flies at a breakneck pace, and any chance to closely watch the doctor transform from humanoid to vampire is a visual delight.

Best extras: A very cheesy and promotional style of featurettes are found on the Blu-ray Disc.

The six segments (about 30 minutes) cover visual and practical effects, supporting actors, stunts, Morbius’ anti-hero qualities, a spotlight on the director, and a brief production rundown.

The throwaway “Nocturnal Easter Eggs” exposes a few secrets in the film, but in less than three minutes, it lacks any real depth to offer fanboys any treats.

A meaty retrospective cover is sorely lacking The story of Morbius in Marvel Comics and Spider-Man sequence art.