Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

G.I. Joe: Retaliation 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

With 'Snake Eyes' just around the corner, Paramount has released 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/Dolby Vision video. No new audio track has been included; Paramount simply repurposes the existing Dolby TrueHD 7.1 lossless soundtrack. No new extras are included. The UHD carries over the commentary track while bundled original Blu-ray release, included, offers a few more supplements. Paramount has also concurrently released first film in the series, 'G.I. Joe: The Rose of Cobra,' to the UHD format.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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

Much like the Rise of Cobra UHD, Paramount's work on Retaliation doesn't make a big splash on Blu-ray. The 2160p/Dolby Vision UHD presentation looks fine, but it's not a significant upgrade over the Blu-ray and arguably not enough of one to make the cost of the upgrade worthwhile.

Fine detail is boosted a tiny bit but overall sharpness isn't really all that different one format to the other. Look at an early shot showing Roadblock at the 3:29 mark. Comparative analysis shows little textural gain to pores, facial hair, or the military uniform and tactical gear. The big difference in this shot is a drastic increase in brightness on the UHD. Dolby Vision transforms the look of the scene, here giving the appearance that the character is standing in a floodlight whereas on the old Blu-ray he looks more grounded in a nighttime shot, warmly rather than harshly lit, the skin appearing a bit deeper and healthier, too. In this particular instance: advantage Blu-ray. Unfortunately that's the case throughout more often than not. Every nighttime scene looks overly bright, washed out, and garish at worst. The Blu-ray offers more tonal balance, better blended contrast, and superior blacks. Look at another nighttime exterior at the 13-minute mark. The Blu-ray actually offers the deeper blacks and the more intense colors. The UHD just looks like it had its brightness cranked up and the black levels lifted. Some daytime exteriors don't fare much better. Look at another Roadblock closeup at the 32:16 mark. The level of intimate detail and overall clarity are practically a wash between the two. The pores, facial hairs, and sweat beads are not really all that superior on the UHD. The color grading here pulls a mite ahead on the UHD for overall saturation, but the difference is minimal. A shot of a home exterior at the 48:32 mark is one of the best, albeit rare, examples of the Dolby Vision grading's excellence and clear superiority over SDR Blu-ray. The whites are greatly more intense on UHD, appearing comparatively drab and creamy on Blu-ray. The grass is a bolder, deeper green and the skies a more vibrant blue. The shot looks alive on UHD and lifeless on Blu-ray. But it's more the exception to the rule.

So, at best, the UHD is a lateral move and, at worst, to this reviewer's eyes and preferences, a step down in darker scenes where it just looks too bright, too washed out. In isolation it plays fine, more or less, but many viewers are going to note the overly aggressive brightness and raised blacks. With the relative lack of greatly enhanced detail, there's little reason to upgrade.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Rather than reconfigure the soundtrack for the Dolby Atmos or DTS:X encodes, Paramount has simply repurposed the existing Dolby TrueHD 7.1 lossless soundtrack. For convenience, the review from the original Blu-ray appears below:

'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' explodes onto Blu-ray with a tremendous Dolby TrueHD 7.1 lossless soundtrack. Paramount's latest sound presentation is one of the most dynamic and enjoyable available today. Right from the Paramount logo the track positively dazzles, revealing exceptional clarity within a full, wide soundstage. Surround support is immediate and natural, while bass is big but balanced. Those elements define the entire experience. Action scenes explode with a large array of elements, from cracking gunfire erupting all over the stage to heavy, thumping explosions that push the low end to its limits. Aircraft zip around the stage and heavy ground vehicles rumble all over. The sense of chaos completely surrounds the listener and every action scene in the film proves completely worthy of demonstration showroom floors. Yet the track doesn't just excel at its most exciting. Minimalist elements, small supporting sound pieces, and environmental touches help bring the track to life, again by making use of a very big stage and the track's pinpoint placement and clarity. Musical delivery is robust but smooth, sounding very big and satisfying with full seven-channel implementation and a quality bass element. Dialogue comes through evenly and clearly from the center. This is a fun, reference-quality track from the first second to the last.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The UHD disc includes one supplement, the Audio Commentary track with Director Jon M. Chu and Producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura. This track, and all of the other extras, are included on the bundled Blu-ray, which is identical to the 2013 release. For convenience a list of what's included appears below. Please click here for full coverage. A digital copy code is included with purchase. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

• Audio Commentary
• Deleted Scenes
• G.I. Joe: Declassified: Mission Briefing
• G.I. Joe: Declassified: Deployment
• G.I. Joe: Declassified: Two Ninjas
• G.I. Joe: Declassified: The Desert Attack
• G.I. Joe: Declassified: Cobra Strikes
• G.I. Joe: Declassified: The Lone Soldiers
• G.I. Joe: Declassified: The Monastery
• G.I. Joe: Declassified: Fort Sumter

G.I. Joe: Retaliation 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This one is pretty weak as far as UHD upgrades go. There are some moments when the Dolby Vision color grading proves vastly superior, some where it's more or less a match with the Blu-ray's SDR colors, and some -- mostly at night -- when it just looks too washed out, too bright. There's not much difference in terms of clarity and fine detail, either. With no new audio and no new extras, fans may as well just hang on to the Blu-ray.