District 9 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

District 9 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Sony has released Director Neill Blomkamp's stunning 2009 Sci-Fi film 'District 9' to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/HDR video and Dolby Atmos audio. Additionally, Sony has included a few new special features on the UHD disc. Read on for coverage of the new content.

District 9 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.

District 9's 2160p/HDR UHD video presentation upgrades over the previously released Blu-ray, even considering the film's nontraditional video structure and style. The film is constructed with a blend of "guerrilla" style handheld footage on the ground and somewhat more traditional character shots with news footage and surveillance video intermixed throughout. It's meant to frequently capture a video documentary aesthetic rather than a traditional motion picture texture. Within this structure one might believe that the resolution bump wouldn't improve on things, but that's not the case. Even as the picture quality is deliberately far from perfect -- source artifacts abound in many shots, scenes, and sequences -- the 2160p presentation does enhance what's here. IMDB reports that the film was shot (primarily) at 4K but finished at 2K, the latter unsurprising considering the monumental level of digital workflow involved in the finished product. Still, even as an upscaled UHD the picture finds plenty of ways to impress beyond a general, and appreciable, uptick in overall clarity. Clothing gains some tactile improvements, as do furnishings, books, scientific equipment, and the like seen in labs and offices while the worn down Prawn shacks and encampments, filled with litter and decaying structural odds and ends, showcase high yield definition, allowing the audience to better absorb the conditions in which they live. Human skin displays with fine intricacy and more readily visible intimacy. Several of the most stable scenes in the movie absolutely shine. Many intimate character close-ups are immaculate, rising well above the rest of the content, which is still, by-and-large, excellent. The visual effects don't hold up quite as well under the improved resolution and greater clarity. That said, it is easier to explore the gooey intricacies that make up the alien bodies, as well as the tattered clothes they wear.

As with so many HDR-enabled UHDs, one of the most prominent color standouts comes by way of improved white levels, presenting with brighter output, superior clarity, and more lifelike luminance and brilliance. It's immediately obvious on the opening titles over black. Overall, tones enjoy improved depth, whether more traditional colors in labs or offices or the bleak urban hues and earthy browns that are so dominant around the camp. Color output is critical in describing the Prawn bodies, the bursts of intense red blood, the black liquid and the major and subtle transformation cues visible as Wickus makes his change. Flesh tones are more richly realized and stable. Like the resolution, the source is not favorable to a traditional splash of intensive color saturation, but viewers should find enough additional to contrast, improved color gamut range, and white and black improvements on both ends of the spectrum to make this a worthwhile endeavor.

District 9 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

District 9's new Dolby Armies soundtrack expands and improves upon Sony's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack which is now more than a decade old. The Atmos track offers expansions to both spacing and detail. Sometimes, it's little things. Around the nine-minute mark intercom pronouncements seem to emanate from a more tangible overhead layer. Sometimes, it's more prominent sounds. Rattle inside vehicles in the 11-minute mark more fully places the listener inside, with greater rumble and spacial awareness. Sometimes, it's the pitch action where gunfire thumps with high yield power and seamless full stage penetration. The top end is frequently engaged, not always discretely but obviously aiding in creating a fuller, richer, more lifelike sound field that critically pulls the listener into the story. Music is aggressive but maintains clarity. It's exceptionally well spaced, seamlessly pushing through every inch available to it. Low end support is prominent. The scene in chapter six when Wikus' transformed hand is revealed and he's hauled away from the hospital to a government facility being one example but listeners will find this to be true for the duration. Dialogue is clear, center focused, and well prioritized. This is a terrific audio experience from Sony and, now, a necessary add to enjoy the movie experience to its fullest.

District 9 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

District 9's UHD disc includes three new supplements. The bundled Blu-ray is nearly identical to Sony's 2009 disc and includes all of the critical carryover supplements. The menu has been slightly redesigned to drop the BD-Live marker, the previews tab is gone, and the Comic-Con Extravaganza supplement has been added. See below for a list of what's included and for full coverage of those extras, please click here. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code is included with purchase. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

UHD:

• NEW! Comic-Con Extravaganza (1080p, 17:18): Peter Jackson introduces the film's premiere, and both Neill Blomkamp and Sharlto Copley. They discuss audience reaction and address the press, covering the future of filmmaking and the craft's evolution. It then shifts to Jackson, Copley, and Blomkamp discussing the filmmaking process, the "pseudo-documentary" approach, the story and themes, budget, and more. They also field audience questions.
• NEW! Teaser Trailer (1080p, 1:46).
• NEW! Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 2:23).

• Audio Commentary
• Joburg From Above: Satellite and Schematics of the World of District 9
• Deleted Scenes
• The Alien Agenda: A Filmmaker's Log
• Metamorphosis: The Transformation of Wikus
• Innovation: The Acting and Improvisation of District 9
• Conception and Design: Creating the World of District 9
• Alien Generation: The Visual Effects of District 9
• Comic-Con Extravaganza

District 9 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

District 9 isn't a movie that immediately screams out a need for the UHD treatment, but Sony's done it again, bringing out the best in a source that is structurally far more limited than most of its peers. The heightened clarity brings greater awareness to important practical and digital details alike while the fuller, more accurate HDR colors add nuance, range, and superior highlights to the proceedings. Add a couple of new extras in addition to all of the returning features on the bundled Blu-ray and this is a must-own upgrade for fans. Highly recommended, and packaging collectors should be sure to pick up the concurrently released SteelBook.