Air Force One 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

Air Force One 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Sony again returns to the vault to release another of its popular, and shot-on-film, catalogue titles to the UHD format with the Harrison Ford Action film 'Air Force One.' This UHD features a new 2160p/HDR-enhanced transfer as well as a new Dolby Atmos soundtrack. The director's commentary from the 2009 Blu-ray has been ported over to the UHD disc, and the studio has added the film's trailer in 1080p. The bundled Blu-ray is identical to that released in 2009.

Air Force One 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc. Watch for 4K screenshots at a later date.

Air Force One released to theaters in the summer of 1997 at a time when film, not digital, still ruled the cinema landscape. This 2160p/HDR-enhanced presentation, sourced from a 4K scan, looks terrific and is a major improvement over the 2009 BD release. The opening blue titles against the black background are the first sign of the wonderful things to come in terms of Sony's HDR color upgrade. The inky deep blacks and the bold, intense blues make a statement before a character is seen, a gun is fired, or a jet screams across the screen. The opening action kidnapping scene enjoys terrifically rich black level depth (which is a constant for every nighttime shot and scene throughout the film) supported by intense explosions and red laser beams. The sequence introducing President Marshall is glorious. Colors are a little warm by the scene's nature, but the screen-expansive presentation of flowers, decorations, and attire make for one of the film's most diversely colorful moments. Beyond, the movie is not extremely colorful. Air Force One's interior is largely made of warm woods and neutral color furnishings and panels which don't allow for much color intensity beyond deep blue military uniforms or some of the more colorful button and switch clusters in the craft's communications center. The plane's exterior blue paint is another standout, but the increase in color depth, nuance, accuracy is nevertheless obvious and most welcome, and the commanding boost over the Blu-ray is apparent in every scene. One of the most obvious examples of the HDR's improvements comes at the 24:55 mark, a fairly expansive shot of the White House lawn. Green grass looks dull and flat on the Blu-ray while the UHD livens it up considerably, giving it a healthy, intense shading.

Texturally, the image is nothing short of stellar. Grain is nicely distributed, a little intense in spots, but it's a critical factor in shaping a handsome, sharp, and wonderfully detailed filmic presentation. The increase in clarity, stability, firmness, and accuracy over the 2009 Blu-ray is significant. Facial textures are naturally intimate, clothes appear sharp and crisp, and aircraft interiors benefit from the additions to clarity as well, particularly various instrument panels seen in close-up as well as the plane's carpeted flooring which reveals a tactile, textural richness which extends to any debris that sits atop it. The image enjoys a boost in natural depth and inherently softer shots are very few and far between. No encode artifacts or source deteriorations are obvious. This is another gorgeous 4K/HDR release from Sony, easily the best and most consistent studio releasing on the UHD format today.

Air Force One 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2009 Blu-ray release of Air Force One contained only one English language track, a 5.1 TrueHD presentation. This release replaces that with a Dolby Atmos presentation as well as an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track (additional French and Spanish tracks are listed in the specifications above). The Atmos track sees the opening title theme soar with organic front end width and balanced, yet prominent, surround support, along with a very light overhead component. Bass is sturdy and balanced in the percussion elements, and total orchestral clarity is terrific, not only over the opening titles but throughout the film as well. The track folds in some wonderful overhead components right away when soldiers parachute into the Kazakhstani palace where the rogue general is living. Shouts reverberate throughout the stage and across the top, while small arms fire pops with prominence from all over the stage. Gunfire aboard Air Force One sounds crisp and hits hard with a good bit of low end support. It's never shy about spitting out from, and shooting into, every speaker in the configuration; listeners will feel like part of the shootouts in the plane's tight corridors and small rooms. Jets rush through the stage with very (maybe even slightly overly) pronounced, but very enjoyable, zip and weight across and through the stage on several occasions. Overhead components lack real prominence beyond the aforementioned dialogue reverb and a scene featuring a call between Korshunov and the Vice President. Otherwise, the Atmos channels settle for supporting the core music and action elements. Basic dialogue is well prioritized, firm in its front-center position, and verbal clarity never falters.

Air Force One 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Sony's 2009 Blu-ray release was a little skimpy on extras, containing only a director's commentary. For the film's 4K UHD release, Sony has carried over that commentary on the UHD disc and added one additional extra, the film's theatrical trailer (1080p, 2:27). This release comes bundled with the previously released Blu-ray. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code is included with purchase. The release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

Air Force One 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Air Force One greatly benefits from the 4K/HDR treatment and may be one of the more extreme makeovers from Blu-ray to UHD. The 2009 BD was not at all bad in its day but pales in comparison to Sony's new reference presentation. The picture is beautifully filmic and naturally complex. Colors, albeit from a fairly limited and bland palette, greatly benefit from the fuller, firmer, and more stable HDR encoding. The Atmos soundtrack is also a treat, no surprise considering that the movie has always been an audio standout, even back in the DVD era. Very highly recommended.