For whatever it's worth, I gave my German 4K disc a spin and I only have positive things to say about it. I managed to catch this one at the cinema during its exceptionally brief cinema run, and told myself to remember just how textured it looked on the big screen - down to a layer of source noise that accentuates the fine detail of the image. Happy to report that the 4K disc capably recreates what I recall witnessing at the cinema. The textures are tight and refined, it's always sharp as a tack, fine detail is excellent, and highlights are perhaps too good, as the result isn't exactly flattering to the likes of Willis or Dean Norris. And just to top it all off, the source noise is there. It's not in-your-face apparent like Sony grain (or even noise in other digital productions like Rampage or It), but it's there for those of you who have an eye for noticing details like that. It's also so fine that "grain haters" can probably turn on the TV's noise reduction and the disc'll still look good. I'm just thankful that the image wasn't filtered unnecessarily (a la 12 Strong), nor is there any edge enhancement. The image is untouched and natural for purists, while those who prefer digital tools can fiddle with their TV settings as much as they want.
The Dolby Vision HDR remains the biggest selling point of the disc. I'm DV-compatible so it was a nice bonus to get it on the disc. This does not represent a radical application of HDR, but it ensures that shadow detail and highlights are superior, while the palette itself is truer and more vibrant. Black levels are also deeper and contrast is spot-on. A fair chunk of the movie takes place at night, and the 4K is up to the task of ensuring textures remain strong in such sequences. Of course, too, the HDR works to bring out more nuances when harsh light sources are involved - just see the background buildings when Paul assassinates the ice cream man; you can better make out every individual brick. I only did some cursory comparisons with the included Blu-ray disc, and the 4K trumps it at every turn. I wouldn't exactly say that this is a Top 5 presentation due to the nature of the production (dingy locations, no major SFX sequences), but it's tighter and more consistent than any number of other 4K titles.
As for the movie itself, I can't say it's especially good from a critical perspective - the thematic detail is pared down to a bare minimum to ensure a mainstream product, credulity is certainly strained for a "gritty" modern take, and D'Onofrio's character still seems cartoonishly, OTT shady which suggests he's part of what happened but that leads nowhere - but I found enough to enjoy. It's slick, Willis appears to be awake, the shootouts are fine, the gore is satisfying. I'd just like to see what Joe Carnahan had in mind before his script was subjected to a Page 1 rewrite. Carnahan has even gone as far as saying that he could produce a movie from his script and it would be different enough compared to what we ultimately got.
For those interested, the disc itself is English-friendly. They didn't grab a German master with German-language titles, nor are there any forced subs. It's easy enough to navigate the main menu - before starting the movie, I just selected the English track and I was as good as gold.
This remake isn't getting much love and I can understand why a 4K release didn't materalize in the States given the harsh reception and poor box office. But for those who want to own the movie in the best possible quality, this is a good option.
My German copy of this turned up a couple of days ago, and I watched it last night. It's an excellent-looking 4k disc, pinpoint sharp to my tired old eyes, with deep blacks, bright HDR lighting and just a really nice, filmic look. Definitely one of the better 4k discs I've watched recently.
The sound is 'only' DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, but sounds crystal clear.
My only question to the guy above me, is are you sure it has Dolby Vision? I'm pretty sure my copy doesn't. Or perhaps they released two versions on disc?
My only question to the guy above me, is are you sure it has Dolby Vision? I'm pretty sure my copy doesn't. Or perhaps they released two versions on disc?
I have the Italian version and that definitely does not have DV, I can't say for the German version as I only have the Italian version.
I play my UHD on a Panasonic 820 into a LG OLED G6, neither the TV nor the player indicate DV during playback as they normally do for DV titles.
As stated in one of the earlier posts there are a number of hard coded "subtitles" in the picture when translating key English text from things like posters and signs, not very intrusive and only maybe 3 or 4 times, very brief.
Overall I quite like the presentation, not like reference wow but decent enough.
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