Slowly but surely, more and more Ultra HD 4k Blu-rays are making their way to stores, and in the UK at least, it seems as though it’s now Tesco as well as HMV that’s stocking them on physical shop shelves. Players are falling in price, 4K televisions seems to have co-sponsored whatever Black Friday is, and thus a few more people may just have entered the world of Ultra HD Blu-ray. With that in mind, here’s a round-up of some of the discs that we’ve enjoyed thus far… Warner Bros has been one of the main backers of the format thus far when it comes to movie releases, and the pick of its releases to date is arguably George Miller’s stunning Mad Max: Fury Road. It carries across the extra features from the Blu-ray release (by, simply, including said Blu-ray in the box, although not the newly-released Blood & Chrome version), and it looks really special. Technically, perhaps not the pick of Warner Bros’ release to date. But still, an excellent disc for an exquisite film.
Buy Mad Max: Fury Road now from Amazon The early days of any format have people scrabbling around for demo discs. Those who recall the early days of DVD might also remember that Batman & Robin was one such disc, and Warner Bros shifted a lot of copies of it as a consequence. Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice is a better film, of course, if one of the more argued over of 2016. There’s little arguing with the presentation of it, though. From a technical standpoint, it’s one of the finest 4K discs to date. Warner Bros has also released Man Of Steel, that we’ve had a quick play with. Snyder’s visuals – whether you’re a fan or not – really make the most of the format. Buy Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice now from Amazon Animation fares extremely well in high definition – Sony is about to release Sausage Party too, incidentally – and The LEGO Movie is the high point thus far on the format (with apologies, natch, to The Smurfs 2). The film is great, the presentation is great, the disc is great.
It’s also a real showcase for a 4K presentation, with the sheer level of detail of individual LEGO bricks instantly notable. A HDR demo disc, too. Buy The LEGO Movie now from Amazon We’ve got some quarrel with the pricing of some of the catalogue discs on the 4K format, and as such, you may want to do some hefty bargain hunting as best you can. Pacific Rim is a quality addition to said catalogue, though. Guillermo del Toro’s visuals gleam, the sound mix is exceptional, and the extras will keep you busy for hours. Buy Pacific Rim now from Amazon It’s interesting in the titles that Warner Bros is choosing from its archive for a 4K upgrade. Heat is arriving next year, for instance, but in its wave thus far is Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby. The studio is primarily zeroing in on directors with visual flair, and Luhrmann’s bloated take on Gatsby certainly doesn’t lack that. Again, Warner Bros carries across the extra features too by including the original Blu-ray.
Buy The Great Gatsby now from Amazon One more from Warner Bros. The terrific Creed – as with all new Warner Bros major releases – has found its way to 4K. It’s perhaps not essential as a home cinema workout, but it’s certainly something special as a movie. If you’ve invested in the requisite equipment and have a really big screen though, it’d be daft not to treat yourself. One of the best films of the year for us. Buy Creed now from Amazon Let’s switch to 20th Century Fox. It too has been releasing titles on the 4K format for a good few months now, including all of its big new releases (er, Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates is getting an Ultra HD 4K Blu-ray release). The Martian is available in two versions: the original cut, and Ridley Scott’s subsequently released extended version. We’ve only tried the former – which is being packaged with select players – and it’s a good release, most notably for its wonderful audio mix. Buy The Martian now from Amazon
Not unlike Batman V Superman, X-Men: Apocalypse may have significant critics as a film, but as a piece of high definition reference material it really does deliver. Again, the excellent sound mix deserves praise here too. Be lying if we didn’t say the film’s still a slog, though. X-Men: Days Of Future Past is also available on 4K HD and is a much better bet film-wise, if weaker as a 4K release. In some territories, X-Men: First Class is also available, just not in the UK. Note that there’s no region coding on Ultra HD Blu-rays, though. Buy X-Men: Apocalypse now from Amazon The biggest surprise hit of the year, Deadpool has lots of details for you to seek out, and Fox has delivered an excellent 4K disc to help you do so. One of the highlights of the format to date. Buy Deadpool now from Amazon Here’s a title that offers a significant visual and audio upgrade on the Blu-ray. The film’s setting and background approach have been widely discussed this year, but crucially, this also lends itself to a striking visual treat.
The film’s use of natural lighting, and the fact that it was shot in 4K, are significant reasons why this is a superb release. Buy The Revenant now from Amazon There’s some funny stuff in Ice Age 5, if not much narrative glue to hold it all together. Still: in terms of a 4K transfer, this is as good as The LEGO Movie’s. It’s genuinely glorious to look at, and richly rewards the money you’ve spent on a quality display. The LEGO Movie is the superior film, mind… Buy Ice Age: Collision Course now from Amazon We’ve only had the pleasure of one of Lionsgate’s releases thus far, and it’s also put The Hunger Games, Sicario and The Expendables 3 on 4K. Criminal is one of those gritty thrillers where there’s plenty of detail for a good quality picture transfer to explore. But - and we say this as Costner devotees - the film is an utter stinker. Its upcoming release of Deepwater Horizon is one to watch out for. Buy Criminal now from Amazon From Sony’s archives, let’s look at a relatively maligned comic book movie that’s made the jump to 4K.