Finding Dory 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Finding Dory 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Disney has released the 2016 Pixar film 'Finding Dory' to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/HDR video and a Dolby Atmos soundtrack. No new extras are included but the bundled Blu-ray discs, which are identical to those which released in 2016, bring over a fairly prodigious assortment of extra goodies.

Finding Dory 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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

Finding Dory swims onto the UHD format with a fairly impressive 2160p/HDR UHD presentation. It's unsurprisingly much like Finding Nemo in terms of what the UHD has on offer, visually. The HDR color spectrum is the image's greatest asset. The first dazzling example of the HDR's excellence comes with the film's opening title card. The blue and white letters explode with a new level of color depth and intensity. The whites in particular dazzle but the finer contrast and greatly improved blue saturation is a beautiful compliment. The movie delivers a nearly endless stream of eye-popping colors. As with Nemo, it's things like multicolored fish and coral -- there's an abundance of fish and just as many color tones that the HDR spectrum only expands upon -- that enjoy the greatest feel for pop and depth. Some of the out-of-water locations find just as much improvement, even if some of the hues around the institute are a little less dazzling than anything seen in the spectacularly vibrant undersea world. Blues are unsurprisingly the highlight, considering the water and Dory but also an octopus attack in chapter eight, a reference scene for the intense blue luminance against the relatively dark background and the wonderfully precise blacks.

The resolution bump offers a bit less in terms of dramatic, dynamic visual excellence. The UHD is appreciably more clear if only slightly more robust beyond the HDR color spectrum. Still, viewers will note modest improvements to fish flesh, underwater environments, and above-water manmade locales. The differences might be a little more drastic on larger screens, but at a common size of around 65" or so there's not a lot to note beyond slight upticks in the usual factors, ranging from textural intimacy to overall image clarity. Still, the HDR color spectrum is alone enough to warrant an upgrade, and with no signs of any troublesome, never mind debilitating, encode flaws, this one's good to go.

Finding Dory 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The included Dolby Atmos soundtrack is pleasantly balanced. Surrounds engage with full, fluid usage. A school of rays swimming through in chapter four move by with tremendous feel for localization and movement that includes a tangible overhead component. Many of the film's more impactful sonic moments find agreeably energetic but stabilized surround and overhead integration. The track does require some volume fiddling from reference to help to counteract Disney's engineering, but the track is not wanting for engaging action and sound fluidity. The low end is pleasantly engaged as necessary, too. Music finds expert clarity. It's wide and dominant across the front but never shy about folding in surround speakers, either. Atmospherics are excellent in placement and precision. Dialogue is clear and precise from a well prioritized front-center locale.

Finding Dory 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Finding Dory's UHD disc contains no supplemental content, but the pair of bundled Blu-ray discs include plenty of supplements. See below for a list of what's included and please click here for full coverage. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code is included with purchase. This release ships with an embossed slipcover.

Blu-ray Disc One (Feature Film):

• Piper
• Marine Life Interviews
• The Octopus That Nearly Broke Pixar
• What Were We Talking About?
• Casual Carpool
• Animation & Acting
• Deep in the Kelp
• Creature Features
• Audio Commentary

• Behind the Scenes
• Skating & Sketching with Jason Deamer
• Dory's Theme
• Rough Day on the Reef
• Finding Nemo As Told by Emoji
• Fish Schticks
• Living Aquariums
• Deleted Scenes
• Trailers

Finding Dory 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Finding Dory's UHD release is very similar to Nemo's: a great HDR upgrade, a modest improvement to clarity, and a strong Dolby Atmos audio presentation. As with the Nemo package, supplements carry over from the previously released Blu-ray, though none of them appear on the UHD disc proper. Highly recommended.