7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Batman's first year as the dark knight crime-fighter.
Starring: Bryan Cranston, Ben McKenzie, Eliza Dushku, Jon Polito, Alex RoccoComic book | 100% |
Action | 83% |
Sci-Fi | 70% |
Animation | 68% |
Fantasy | 63% |
Adventure | 63% |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0
English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Warner Bros. has re-released their animated adaptation of Sam Liu and Lauren Montgomery's Batman: Year One on 4K UHD to coincide with the film's 10th anniversary. Based on the celebrated original comics written by Frank Miller with artwork by David Mazzucchelli, this brisk 64-minute production is faithful and well-made with solid voice work by Brian Cranston, Ben McKenzie, Eliza Dushku, and more. The 2011 Blu-ray was later re-issued in 2015 as a handsome Deluxe Digibook Edition and, while this new 4K release scales back on the packaging bells and whistles, its terrific new 2160p transfer offers a solid visual upgrade and a new featurette explores the main character James Gordon.
Although its 2160p transfer is technically an upscale, this brand-new 4K presentation of Year One offers a substantially better viewing experience than the original Blu-ray. First and foremost, disc compression is vastly improved in direct comparison to that earlier release: although the Blu-ray was hardly packed to the gills with total content (roughly 3.5 hours, and a mixture of HD and SD material), the movie-only 4K disc is dual-layered (66GB) and thus runs at a much higher bit rate than its predecessor. Fine detail, black levels, and shadows are better resolved with a much smoother and less processed appearance overall. Additionally, several low-lit scenes that appeared artificially boosted on the Blu-ray are now suitably darker but still very "readable", thanks to both its better-handled contrast and well-placed use of HDR10 color enhancement. Colors stand out cleanly against black and other dim backgrounds, which now more closely resemble the original book's ultra-moody appearance bolstered by David Mazzucchelli's particular art style; one that's defined more by colors and compositions than bold outlines. Likewise, the film's more vivid sequences -- such as those taking place in Gotham's red-light district, the fiery warehouse where Batman is nearly killed by invading police forces, and the memorable gala event where Carmine Falcone and his wealthy guests are confronted -- offer greater color depth and saturation with no bleeding. Overall, this more refined palette serves up a potent mixture of bold and subtle improvements that, in my opinion, make Year One a more impactful and effective adaptation.
All things considered (and considering the limitations of its limited-budget 2K source material, which still suffers from trace amounts of banding), this is a fine improvement and I sincerely hope other prominent DCAU Batman films from this era (Under the Red Hood, The Dark Knight Returns ) get the same treatment, and soon.
That said, there's still plenty of room on the 4K disc so it's a shame that the animated companion short Catwoman -- still included on the Blu-ray as a bonus feature -- wasn't given a bump to 4K as well.
Speaking of the included Blu-ray, it features a brand-new menu interface and different bonus features (see below), but still has the same transfer as seen on the 2011 release. This is far from a terrible presentation -- as evidenced by these screenshots sourced from the Blu-ray disc -- but banding and compression artifacts run rampant at times, so I'd imagine that a fresh new 1080p transfer might have sweetened the pot for non-4K fans of the film.
Both the included 4K and Blu-ray discs feature the same terrific DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix as heard on the 2011 Blu-ray, so please read that review for a full evaluation of the audio. While I'd have loved to hear a reworked Dolby Atmos mix just for fun, what we get here is still very impressive so it's pretty tough to complain.
Optional subtitles, including English (SDH), are offered during the main feature and all applicable extras.
This two-disc release ships in a standard dual-hubbed keepcase with painterly new cover artwork, a matching slipcover, and a Digital Copy redemption slip. The extras listed below are all found on the Blu-ray disc; they're slightly different than those found on the 2011 release and thus have been separated into different categories.
New to this release:
Returning from the original Blu-ray, and detailed in our previous review:
NOTE: A few extras are missing from the original Blu-ray. These include:
Sam Liu and Lauren Montgomery's Batman: Year One is a pretty faithful animated adaptation of great source material; in this case, an influential four-issue run by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli back in 1987. Briskly paced at just 64 minutes, it's a relatively fat-free production that features a solid voice cast while leaving out very little of consequence. First released on Blu-ray in 2011, Warner Bros. celebrates its 10th anniversary with a welcome 4K UHD release that serves up a great new transfer with tasteful HDR10+ color enhancement that gives the film a more refined appearance and more closely resembles the original books. One new featurette is also included. While a separate Blu-ray edition is not available, this one's a no-brainer if you're a fan equipped for 4K. Firmly Recommended.
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