Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Full Metal Jacket 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Life sucks, get a helmet.

NOTE: This review's screenshots were captured from the included Blu-ray, which is identical to the 2007 release.

Following in the footsteps of 2001 and The Shining, Stanley Kubrick's Vietnam Anti-War masterpiece Full Metal Jacket is the latest of the celebrated director's films to hit 4K. Simply put, it's yet another top-tier catalog effort that breathes new life into this visceral, polarizing production and, though almost everything else about Warner Bros.' disc is identical to their 13 year-old Blu-ray, its sparkling new 2160p transfer makes it worth the price of admission alone.

Full Metal Jacket 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Warner Bros. already did an exceptional job with 2001 and The Shining's 4K restorations, so it's no surprise that their third effort shows a similar amount of care. This is, quite simply, a terrific presentation of a film that's rarely pretty, whether due to its subject matter or shooting locations. As such, it almost mirrors both "halves" of the movie itself since Full Metal Jacket's new 2160p transfer varies substantially in overall appearance. Early scenes do not immediately stand out as visual stunners; after all, there's only so much you can do with mint-colored barracks bathed in overhead fluorescent light. Still, it represents an obvious step up from the respectable Blu-ray presentation, if only due to a tighter overall appearance that routinely feels more film-like and stable. Things improve dramatically whenever the boys venture outdoors, as the naturally-lit environments pop with detail and show an improved level of depth and overall texture...which of course, applies to almost the entire second half of the film.

It's here that the film's HDR enhancement begins to take control, lending a more refined and controlled palette to some of the film's most famous scenes: the unearthly blue of nighttime in the barracks, scenes shot around the bustling city of Da Nang, and of course the fiery hellscape Joker and company traverse during the film's final stretch. It works in tandem with the tighter image detail to create a more realistic appearance overall, aided by the hand-held footage and expertly-framed compositions. In my younger days I preferred Full Metal Jacket's first half but more recent viewings, combined with the obvious visual strengths of this 4K transfer, have pushed me slightly over to the other side. All told, it's technically every bit as good as 2001 and The Shining's 4K presentations from the perspective of authenticity, even if the rough subject matter doesn't make it a disc you'll feel good about showing off.

From start to finish, Full Metal Jacket runs at a respectably high bit rate and displays no evidence of compression artifacts, banding, or excessive noise reduction. Simply put, this is yet another rock-solid effort from Warner Bros. that will hopefully lead to even more 4K celebrations of Kubrick's back catalog. Barry Lyndon, anyone?

A reminder about aspect ratios: Similar to The Shining's 4K release, Full Metal Jacket is presented in 1.78:1 like its Blu-ray counterpart. The film was theatrically matted for 1.85:1 but presented in 1.33:1 open matte on many earlier home video releases, which followed the late director's preferred policy of no black bars as his films were routinely shot "safe" for 4x3. In keeping with those wishes, Full Metal Jacket's 1.78:1 presentation seems like a fair compromise that the director would have likely approved; after all, 1.78:1 is the new television standard (for now, at least).

Full Metal Jacket 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Like many other WB catalog re-releases, the DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio is essentially a re-encoding of an earlier track; in this case, a 5.1 LPCM mix from the 2007 Blu-ray. (Warner Bros. was perpetually behind the curve for high-definition audio in those days, as that disc actually replaced an even earlier Blu-ray with lossy Dolby Digital 5.1.) As such, the same sentiments in that linked review still apply here: it's a decent remix of the original one-channel track.

Speaking of which...one welcome addition to this 4K release is the film's original mono audio mix (a rarity among Warner releases), which has not been heard since the DVD days. Unfortunately this track is limited to a rather paltry 192Kbps, which puts it well below "lossless" levels, but it still sounds quite pleasing and purists are sure to appreciate it. Although I'll admit to being used to the surround mix by now, there are times during Full Metal Jacket when the mono dialogue sounds slightly more full and front-and-center than its lossless 5.1 counterpart, especially during the "news interview" scenes well into the film's second half. I am not sure if this mono track differs from the much older DVD version due to the recent 4K remaster, but even with such severe compression it's a satisfying effort.

Multiple foreign dubs, as well as more than a dozen subtitle tracks -- including English (SDH) -- are also offered.

Full Metal Jacket 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Full Metal Jacket arrives on 4K in a two-disc keepcase with new artwork, a matching slipcover, and a Digital Copy redemption code. The recycled bonus features can be found on the Blu-ray disc only.

• Audio Commentary with Adam Baldwin, Vincent D'Onfrio, R. Lee Ermey, and critic/screenwriter Jay Cocks

• Full Metal Jacket - Between Good and Evil (30:49)

• Theatrical Trailer (1:28)

Full Metal Jacket 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Full Metal Jacket is one of Stanley Kubrick's most brutally effective films and perhaps one of the best ever made concerning the Vietnam War. Whether you prefer one "half" over the other, this is an intense viewing experience with unforgettable scenes and performances. Warner Bros. released the film on Blu-ray three times, with the two most recent editions offering the same A/V presentation and bonus features. While this 4K/Blu-ray combo pack includes one of those recycled discs rather than a newly mastered one, the 2160p transfer itself is a terrific effort that breathes new life into the film's visceral atmosphere with improved detail and tasteful use of HDR enhancement. It also restores the original mono as an optional audio track, albeit in compressed Dolby Digital format. It's still a very fine effort that die-hard fans should enjoy, although the lack of a new Blu-ray will repel those who haven't upgraded to 4K yet.