Jurassic World 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review

Bigger does not always mean better

by Simon Crust
MSRP: £19.99

Jurassic World Film Review

Maybe you should include that in the brochure... eventually one of these things will eat someone

There is a very telling line in this film: Claire Dearing says, “But consumers want them bigger, louder - "more teeth".” It could be used as a metaphor for modern cinema, and is certainly true for this ‘soft re-boot’, or re-make. Coming hot off the heels of the original trilogy it is amazing how quaint Jurassic Park is in comparison. Sure it has all the effects, spectacle, peril and tension. But it also has an advancing plot; characters that move the plot forward and a story that precipitates the drip feeding of the audience to reach an ultimate conclusion – you know, film-making. The modern blockbuster has lost sight of that in favour of the next big bang. And Jurassic World is in the centre of the maelstrom.
That is not to say it is not entertaining. On the contrary it entertains by the sheer force of its pace, indeed it has everything you would expect from a modern film – it’s loud, brash, made by committee and aiming to be all things to everyone; luckily it does succeed on most fronts. Chris Pratt is a likable lead, the premise is familiar (it should be) and the effects are turned up to eleven. It manages to maintain an entertainment level even if there is no empathy with any of the characters so their ultimate fate doesn’t really matter. Bigger does not always mean better, and in this case bigger means lost charm at the expense of action.

Jurassic World 4K Picture

Jurassic World
Jurassic World was shot using a combination of Arriflex 435, Panavision Panaflex and Red Epic Dragon cameras both digitally (with resolutions up to 6K) and on film and finally finished as a 2.4K DI, which has presumably been used here for this 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release. The disc presents an up-scaled 3840 x 2160p resolution image in the widescreen 2.00:1 aspect ratio, and uses 10-bit video depth, a Wider Colour Gamut (WCG), High Dynamic Range, and is encoded using the HEVC (H.265) codec HDR10. We reviewed the Region free UK 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of Jurassic World on a Panasonic 65DX902B Ultra HD 4K TV with a Panasonic DMP-UB400 Ultra HD Blu-ray player.

WGC and the HDR which significantly boost the image quality

There is a modest but visible upgrade in detail seen not only in close ups (skin texture, clothing weaves, computer consoles, weapons etc.) but also in landscape shots of jungle foliage or the crowds entering the theme park. Indeed it is these type shots the benefit the most from the added resolution. CG is very tidy and the various dinosaurs look very detailed, from teeth to skin. Added to this, and improving things further, is the WGC and the HDR which significantly boost the image quality beyond anything Blu-ray can achieve. Greens fair particularly well, showing shades and hues simply not present in the 1080 image; though reds/oranges are fine as well. Flesh tones tend a little orange/brown, but this was always the case, just more so now. Black levels are terrific, with strong depth of frame and plenty going on in the shadows when required. White level is superb, perhaps even better than the black level with no clipping and simply more to them.

The source is pristine with an addition of film grain to give a nice organic nature to the piece. Digitally nothing to worry about.

Jurassic World 4K Sound

Jurassic World
The English DTS:X surround track takes an already reference 7.1 track and effortlessly adds the extra layer to a truly immerse experience; whether it be Pterodactyls attacking a crowd, kids riding baby Triceratops or automatic gun fire trying to put down the hybrid Indominus – the sound is pin point accurate within 3D space. Subtle effects, such as riding in the gyrosphere work just as well proving it does not all need to be about the bombast. Dialogue is clear and precise, has a little bit of directionality and sounds perfectly natural. The score makes full use of the available speakers and headroom. While bass is deep, tight and strong. Amazingly it doesn’t go quite as subterranean as the original, but it’s close. Dinosaurs walking, gun fire, helicopter blades, explosions – all benefit from the sub’s LF effects. The roar of the Indominus when it comes from above is something to behold!

Jurassic World 4K Extras

Jurassic World
Deleted Scenes – Six minutes of unused footage.
Chris & Colin Take on the World – Nine minute feature that has Chris Pratt and Colin Trevorrow ask one another various questions.
Welcome to Jurassic World – A 30 minute making of featurette that covers most bases, usual interviewees discuss production aspects.
Dinosaurs Roam Once Again – 16 minutes having a closer look at the visual effects, how they were achieved, new technologies etc.
Jurassic World: All-Access Pass – Somewhat pointless feature has Chris Pratt and Colin Trevorrow take a look at several moments in the movie.
Innovation Center Tour with Chris Pratt – 2 minute look at the set showcasing ‘highlights’.
Jurassic's Closest Shaves - Presented by Barbasol; is there no shame to product placement!

Conclusion

Jurassic World 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review

Jurassic World
Jurassic World is a big, brash re-boot of the 1993 original that trades charm for effects, but still manages to entertain thanks largely to a likeable cast, even if the characters themselves offer no real empathy so their fate is inconsequential. No denying the action stakes though, as a rogue hybrid dinosaur wreaks havoc in the latest resort, you are left feeling breathless!

No denying the action stakes

As a 4K UHD set, the package from Universal is pretty good. You would never know that the image is an up-scale; it is well detailed, with superb colouring with incredible blacks and even better whites. The DTS:X surround track is a blast, taking everything that was good and adding the extra layer with pin point accuracy and stomping bass. The extras, all having been seen before, are still a little lightweight.

Scores

Movie

.
.
.
7

Picture Quality

.
9

Sound Quality

.
9

Extras

.
.
.
.
6

Overall

.
.
8
8
AVForumsSCORE
OUT OF
10

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