Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Battleship 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Bingo!

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 23, 2017

Universal has re-released the critically panned but reference quality technical dazzler 'Battleship' to the UHD format with a new 2160p/HDR-enhanced picture presentation and an upgrade in sound with a DTS:X offering. If nothing else, the material seems like a showcase for both, and the audio in particular. How does it stack up against the original and technically acclaimed Blu-ray? Hint: this disc rocks.

Battleship's connection to the game on which it is based -- the popular game in which players place five plastic ships of different sizes on a grid and attempt to "sink" their opponents by guessing the correct location, orientation, and size of each ship with a "shot"-per-turn gameplay -- starts and stops in that both feature naval vessels. That means that any movie released since 1967 (the year Milton Bradley brought the game to mass market) and features naval vessels in action could theoretically claim to be based on the game. In fact, any movie ever to feature dice could be said to be based on Yahtzee and every movie featuring money based on Monopoly. The name is just an added gimmick, an extra little push to get audiences excited for a movie that boils down to the world's navies versus digitally constructed aliens. It's a rather slick affair when all is said and done, a decent little excuse to blow stuff up, show off digital effects, and make good use of the theater's sound system. The movie falls apart whenever the action isn't at its most frenzied and in the forefront, when Director Peter Berg (Lone Survivor) fruitlessly tries to make the movie into something that it doesn't need to be. Too long at well over two hours but really quite engaging when it's on and doing what it does best, the movie is one of the ultimate exercises in frustration, one that can be thrilling one moment and infuriating the next. Rework it and trim it by 45 minutes and chances are audiences, and maybe even critics, would like it a whole lot better.

For a much longer film review (and a slightly more critical take), please see the original Blu-ray.com review, penned by a different author, here.

Battleship 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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

Battleship was shot on film, and even considering that it was reportedly finished at 2K -- making this an upscale to 4K -- this UHD represents an honest improvement over the 1080p Blu-ray. Universal's 2160p/HDR-enhanced presentation finds a firmer, more organic picture that bests even a considerably good Blu-ray by an honest, but not substantial, margin. The image is, in a word, firmer. Details are much tighter and more organic, and there are some real "wow" moments in a classic showdown between the two. Skin textures are a very revealing difference and maybe the most stark contrast available between the competing releases. Switching between the two formats and looking at various close-ups, there's no mistaking a greater density, depth, and general detail to skin. The UHD isn't quite as naturally organic as the best transfers on the market -- there's still, maybe, a hint of smoothness or room for slight improvement -- but the Blu-ray is almost smeary in comparison. Raised and more naturally dense and complex textures aren't quite the radical leap forward, such as various adornments on military uniforms, but there's still a noticeable uptick in raw clarity. A good example is a close-up shot featuring Liam Neeson at the 15:12 mark. It's tight enough to notice fine-point differences, and it features a close-up of his face and his Navy cover, too, both making for good comparative analysis. Even digital elements shine; the effects are so good it's hard to tell where real stops and make-believe begins, and even with the added resolution the movie never betrays its wares.

The HDR color enhancements don't alter the movie's look in any way. If anything, and as seems to be the case with the best of the UHD releases, they prove more a complimentary refinement. Brightness is toned down a bit. The palette is firmer but doesn't sacrifice vitality. Brightly colored adornments against white Navy dress uniforms, bright blue skies, multicolored flags, and orange fireballs are appropriately rich and pop right off the screen, but there's much more balance and a greater sense of color nuance and depth on the UHD. Black levels hold up well and appear fairly deep but could stand to maybe push a shade or two darker. Flesh tones are natural and refined, much less pasty here compared to the Blu-ray. A fine grain structure compliments the entire experience. The movie looks great in action on the UHD format, a fine example of an honest upgrade in terms ofd both color and clarity while maintaining the movie's intended look and feel. Even sourced from a 2K DI, this one looks great.

Battleship 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Battleship's DTS:X soundtrack is, unsurprisingly, really good. Regardless of one's opinion of the movie, its soundtrack is a top-flight sort of whirlwind example of a reference presentation that will put any sound system through its paces, and then some. Never mind specifics. A string of superlatives should do the trick: engaging, tight, wide, immersive, clear, detailed, precise. Take anything good that's ever been said about an Action movie soundtrack, amplify it, and expect more. This is a track that can kick down doors, ring ears, punish floorboards, wake the neighbors. Gunfire tears through. Alien tech hulks about. Shells zip around the stage. Explosions rock. Crashes all but leave debris scattered in the theater. Waves all but soak the floor. Every speaker is engaged, every last ounce of directional precision, low end thump, and overhead support is utilized. The listener will feel like they're directly in the middle of the action as every sound is perfectly aligned with every shot. The additional rears and overheads add plenty of noticeable coverage and yield a much fuller, more seamless, more muscular, more precise engagement over the old Blu-ray's 5.1 listen. Dialogue is great, too, as is music, the former of which is grounded and clear and the latter of which is perfectly spaced and spread around the listener. Simply put, if this one doesn't get the blood pumping, then almost nothing will.

Battleship 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Battleship contains all of its supplemental content on the included 1080p Blu-ray disc: the all-access piece with the director, the featurettes, and the second screen experience are all here. It's the same Blu-ray as before, just dropped in the UHD case. No extras are included on the UHD disc. A UV/iTunes digital copy voucher is included with purchase. For full supplement listings and reviews, please click here.

Battleship 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Battleship can be a really fun movie when it's not trying to be something it doesn't need to be. Berg nails the action end of the film, which accounts for much of its runtime. But trying to pad and fluff the rest is, as they say, like putting lipstick on a pig. It's worth a watch, and Action junkies should find the process of sifting through the added trash adequate comeuppance for enjoying all the things the movie does right. Universal's UHD release of Battleship doesn't add any new extras, but the video and audio upgrades are spectacular. Recommended. The movie is a natural fit for 2160p video and particularly the DTS:X audio.