DragonHeart 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

DragonHeart 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Stephen Larson March 4, 2023

Eleven years ago, our current Reviewer Emeritus Michael Reuben reviewed Universal's BD-50 of DragonHeart (1996). For Michael's critique of the movie and his impressions of that disc, please refer to his original review.

Draco and Bowen gaze at the stars.

DragonHeart 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Shout! Factory's 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo has arrived on a HEVC-encoded BD-100 and AVC-encoded BD-50. The former contains Dolby Vision (HDR 10-compatible). My copy did not come with a slipcover. As part of this 4K restoration, Shout!'s transfers are sourced from a scan of the original camera negative. The picture appears in its original theatrical exhibition ratio of about 2.39:1. Note: the screen captures presented here are in 1080p.

The old VC-1-encoded transfer that Michael covered had DNR applied to oversharpen an image that lost lots of detail. The recently minted 4K transfer that Shout! worked with adds many fine details (thanks to a fresh scan and the added resolution). It also eliminates many of the source flaws present on the SD DVD, 2007 HD DVD and the BDs. There are only occasional tiny white specks/dots that crop up every now and then in the frame. The most marks appear in the scene where Einon (David Thewlis) stands atop his castle. (But you can't really pick out the artifacts in Screenshot #22 because they pop up and leave quickly.) For shots of the cavalries riding, the biggest difference I noticed is the 3-D depth that the 2160p resolution offers. Greens and yellows often look gorgeous. Film grain is present throughout. I could easily spot it on, for example, the faces of Bowen (Dennis Quaid) and Aislinn (Julie Christie). The lettering on the main and closing titles has a bright yellow/amber that's ultra-sharp.

Before evaluating the visual attributes for the transfers on these two discs, it's important to consider the film stock used and shooting conditions that cinematographer David Eggby worked under with director Rob Cohen. In an interview with Ron Magid of American Cinematographer for a June 1996 feature on DragonHeart, Cohen recalled Eggby encouraging him to shoot Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993) on Fuji negative and then print on Kodak stock so skin tones on the Caucasian actors boasted a warmer tone. (Eggby noted that printing on Fuji stock would make the skin tones a bit too blue.) Cohen and Eggby seemed to follow a similar process with DragonHeart, at least in part. While they didn't shoot on Fujifilm, the Eastman Color Film (Eggby used Kodak 5298 and 5293) also produced warm tones. For example, see Screenshot #s 11 and 12 as well as other compositions framing Bowen. For other characters seen on this transfer, however, facial tones appear pinkish. See especially Einon in frame grab #3, Gilbert (Pete Postlethwaite) in #7, and the forehead of Felton (Jason Isaacs) in #6. The faces looking flushed could be a byproduct of the emotional states the actors projected for their characters.

DragonHeart was perhaps the first feature with CG elements to be shot in an anamorphic format. Cohen told Magid that he required the Vista Vision background plates be exposed for the deepest depth possible to ensure that the 18-feet high, 42-feet long Draco (voiced by Sean Connery) could be in sharp focus for the full length it's on screen. Cohen explained this to Magid: "Since we could somewhat adjust the depth of field in CG, sharpen­ing or softening Draco's focus to create a greater reality between Dennis [Quaid] and the dragon, I urged David [Eggby] to produce the deepest-focus, richest and most highly re­solved negative he could get." Eggby described to Magid that once he reduced the large VistaVision negative to 35mm anamorphic, "the images were as clear as anything." The HDR on the 4K and, to a lesser extent, the Blu-ray yields images of the dragon in vivid clarity (see screen capture #s 1, 16, 20, 23, and 25).

While filming in the big castle of Spis, Eggby said he applied various re­flectors with lights inside to up-light the walls and absorb the tex­ture. It was Cohen's intention for the castle to boast a golden appearance so Eggby and his lighting crew added a golden light in the background. On the UHD and Blu- ray, you'll notice this during the last reel. Also, check out how Eggby lights Brok (Brian Thompson) in #8. (This is one of the highlights on the transfers.) In a similar vein, Cohen advised Eggby to create a moonlight effect where the moon transformed into a golden yel­low light when Bowen is paying his respects at King Arthur's resting place. Eggby utilized a special lamp known as a Hydrargyrum medium-arc iodide (HMI) along with big tungsten lights with layers of yellow gelatin to produce a golden amber look. You can see this in the background of Screenshot #24.

Note: there was a 1080p transfer of DragonHeart put out last year by German label Turbine Medien as a "Special Edition". I don't own it but the transfer reportedly reuses Universal's older HD master. Turbine supposedly has tried to "improve" upon it with cosmetic refurbishments and faux grain.

My video score for the two presentations is 4.25/5.00. Twelve scene selections accompany the 103-minute feature on both discs.

DragonHeart 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Shout! has supplied a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround (4457 kbps, 24-bit) and a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo downmix (2065 kbps, 24-bit) on both the BD-100 and BD-50. Both of these DTS mixes were presented in theaters back in '96. When Universal/MCA Home Video issued a special DTS LaserDisc of DragonHeart, it touted the 360 degree environment that the then-groundbreaking DTS mix delivered in Jurassic Park (1993). From 1993- 96, more than 200 feature films employed a DTS soundtrack for their theatrical presentations. On the back of the LD jacket, Universal described the DTS Digital Surround for DragonHeart as the way it was originally intended to be heard. The 2012 BD had a DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix and the recording presented here unquestionably equals if not surpasses it. There's a fire-breathing roar heard while a flickering flame flashes on the screen for the main title. Any time Draco moves its long tail and wings, you can expect to hear some big whoosh sounds on the ceiling and overhead speakers. The bass response was thunderous on my Klipsch sub. The 5.1 track does a tremendous job of rendering the locative sounds relative to what's happening in the 2.39:1 frame. For instance, it provides precise direction for the movement of Bowen and his horse traveling through the forest. I had absolutely no issues hearing any of the dialogue. Composer Randy Edelman's memorable score makes equally good use of the fronts and surrounds. Much of Edelman's music is electronic-based but he so deftly weaves synths with strings, percussion, brass, and cymbals that it retains a timeless, classic film music sound.

The Turbine package includes two Dolby Atmos tracks on one disc (in English and German) and an English Auro-3D mix on the other disc. To play the latter, you'll need an 11.1 or 13.1 channel system.

The Shout! discs contain optional English SDH for the feature.

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

All of the extras originate from Universal's "Signature Collection" LD. Not all have been ported over from the LD and prior DVD editions, however. The Blu- ray's contents are resume-friendly.

DISC ONE: 4K UHD

• Audio Commentary with Director Rob Cohen - this feature-length track with Cohen is an excellent discussion of the film's production facets and historical time period that DragonHeart is set in. In English, not subtitled.

DISC TWO: Blu-ray

• Audio Commentary with Director Rob Cohen - same commentary track as on the BD-100.

• The Making of DragonHeart (46:35 in total, upconverted to 1080i) - Home video documentarian Laurent Bouzereau produced this multipart doc in '96. It's divided into segments on the popup menu: "The Genesis of the Project," "The Collaboration with Phil Tippett," "The Cast," "Production," "The Special Effects," "The Collaboration with ILM" "Music and Editing," and "In Closing." Shout! provides a "PLAY ALL" option. Interviewed are Cohen, producer Raffaella De Laurentiis, story writer/executive producer Patrick Read Johnson, screenwriter Charles Edward Pogue, visual effects designer Phil Tippett, Dina Meyer (Kara), David Thewlis (Einon), visual effects producer Judith Weaver, visual effects supervisor Scott Squires, Dennis Quaid (Bowen), and composer Randy Edelman. Cohen receives the most air time. He discusses several of the filmmaking phases in relation to DragonHeart. The most interesting part is when he recounts communicating with ILM's animators via satellite broadcast while taking a break from filming Daylight (1996) in Rome. The doc shows B-roll footage of DragonHeart's shoot and behind-the-scenes material of Cohen speaking with ILM's animation crew. Clips from DragonHeart are presented in letterboxed 2.35:1. The interviews are shown in full frame. All interviewees speak in English without subtitles. (The Making of... on the CE DVD has optional English SDH as well as French and Spanish subtitles.)

• Outtakes (2:36, upconverted to 1080i) - two additional scenes omitted from the final cut. They first appeared on the LD and are presented in 2.35:1 non-anamorphic widescreen. In English, not subtitled.

• (3:25, upconverted to 1080i) - two vintage Universal trailers: the first is a theatrical trailer (2:00) displayed in about 1.33:1; second a teaser trailer (1:25) shown in letterboxed 2.35:1.

Not included here which is on the R1 DVD is "The DragonHeart Archives." These comprise still images of production drawings, clay models and early concepts of Draco, storyboards and production snapshots, as well as original advertising concepts and campaigns for the film. The slide show, which the user can't pause or advance to the next still on the DVD, totals around 310 images. Apparently, the Turbine BD-50s contain these image galleries. The Turbine also retains the five TV spots that are on the SD discs. My R1 disc has twelve text screens of "Production Notes" and a foldout leaflet with info about the film.

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

DragonHeart is a terrific fantasy adventure and a fine achievement for ILM even if the CG Draco doesn't appear as impressively constructed or convincing as it did in 1996. This is a movie that sorely needed a 4K restoration. While this new transfer on the UHD and BD isn't perfect, it still looks really good. I am glad that it keeps the DTS HD MA 5.1 track, which sounds tremendous here. Many would likely love to have the Atmos from the Turbine on this release, too. I would love to hear the film's sound track in DTS-X. We'll have to wait to see if Turbine re-releases it with Shout!'s 4K transfer. A VERY SOLID RECOMMENDATION for this UHD premiere!