Above the Law 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		2.5

Above the Law 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 26, 2026

Note: Toy Robot Video didn't waste much time jumping into the 4K UHD fray, after having just launched their first releases a couple of months ago, including Masters of the Universe 4K . Above the Law and The Corruptor 4K are two new releases in the format, and both have received previous 1080 releases.

Ken Brown's review of the Warner Brothers 1080 release from years ago (review link below) mentions that the only supplement on that release was a trailer, but Ken doesn't offer any description or timing which may indicate it's the same kind of strange trailer included as a supplement on this release. Why would a trailer be strange? Well, it prominently (and recurrently) features Nico emblazoned interstitially between snippets of Steven Seagal pummeling various people, and then in the the credits shows Nico as the title even as the stentorian narrator says Above the Law. What's up with that? Well, if as some wise man once said "a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet", that phrase might be amended slightly to say "Above the Law by any other name would still smell".

As stated in the previous paragraph, Above the Law had a 1080 release by Warner Brothers in 2009. Ken Brown's Above the Law Blu-ray review offers a plot summary, screenshots from that edition, and Ken's reaction to the technical presentation.

Above the Law 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 disc in this package.

Above the Law is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Toy Robot Video with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 1.85:1. An AVC encoded 1080p transfer in the same aspect ratio is offered on a separate disc. One of the art cards enclosed in the keepcase offers the following information about the presentation:

Above the Law has been restored by Toy Robot Video and is presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The original 2.0 stereo and a legacy 5.1 track are included.

The original 35mm camera negative was scanned at 4K / 16 bit resolution at Warner Brothers Motion Picture Imaging on the Warner Brothers lot.

The film was restored in 4K and color graded at Duplitech (Burbank/Torrance, CA).

The new master was approved by director Andrew Davis.

Ken wasn't overly enthusiastic about the old Warner Brothers 1080 presentation, and there's no doubt that this new presentation offers a number of improvements, starting with the now accurate aspect ratio (the old 1080 disc was in 1.77:1). More importantly, though, a number of issues Ken mentions in his review are notably and commendable absent here, including telecine wobble, scratches and other blemishes. Ken's description of "stormy grain" that is "aggressive and uneven" still pertains here, and is probably only more noticeable in the 4K's edition's increased resolution and HDR / Dolby Vision grades. There are also some noticeable variations in clarity and overall color temperature at times, with some brief interstitial moments that can look kind of dowdy and brown with a much more prevalent and at times even splotchy grain field. That said, the palette is considerably more vivid now, especially courtesy of the HDR / Dolby Vision grades (where things like Pam Grier's bright pink dress can almost look fluorescent, even when compared to Toy Robot's SDR 1080 presentation). The overall timing here is somewhat more florid and skewed toward reds than on the old Warner Brothers presentation. Fine detail also sees some improvement, especially in close-ups. While the HDR / Dolby Vision grades offer some improvements in shadow detail, there are still a number of relatively murky looking moments where clarity in the darkest sections of the frame doesn't reveal a wealth of information.

Above the Law 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Ken was even less enthused about the old Warner Brothers' 1080 disc's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track, and things are also improved here with the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track offered in addition to the original theatrical stereo mix offered in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. As Ken mentioned in his review, even in this new edition there is only intermittent engagement of the rear channels in particular, but surround activity can still be quite enjoyable in any number of the cacophonous action sequences, as in the crazy vignette where Seagal hops atop a car that is speeding away after a gunfight. Repeated effects like fists pummeling bodies or those aforementioned gun shots reverberate with sufficient if not overwhelming force. David Michael Frank's score is also well represented throughout. Dialogue encounters no issues. Optional English subtitles are available.

Above the Law 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Note: Both the 4K UHD and 1080 discs in this package sport the same slate of supplements.

• Audio Commentary by Andrew Davis and Pam Grier is accessible under the Audio Menu.


• Sounds of Seagal (HD; 16:39) is a fun interview with composer David Michael Frank. Frank's name may not be overly well known, but he has some interesting credits for Broadway junkies like yours truly, including being the youngest conductor on Broadway at the time when he took over music directing the charming musical The Me Nobody Knows, which had a score including "Light Sings", which became a significant hit for the 5th Dimension. Frank also served as pianist for the notorious Jule Styne - Bob Merrill flop Prettybelle, which starred Angela Lansbury.


• Archival Interview with Steven Seagal (HD; 15:01) is offered in a snippet which bears the watermark for a site called Ask Jimmy Carter, which one assumes does not involve the former President.


• Theatrical Trailer (HD; 1:20)


• Home Video Trailer (HD; 00:17)

Toy Robot includes its usual packaging extras, a reversible sleeve (offering the Nico title), art cards, a slipcover and an Obi sleeve.

Above the Law 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

As Ken's review kind of alludes to subliminally, "nostalgia ain't what it used to be", and even diehard fans of the film who first encountered it when they were younger may be considerably less enthusiastic about it now. There's still some fantastic action to enjoy, even if Seagal can only be charitably described as "wooden" a lot of the time. Technical merits are solid and certainly an improvement over the old Warner Brothers 1080 disc, and the few supplements included are enjoyable, for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.