Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

With 'Snake Eyes' just around the corner, Paramount has released 'G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra' to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/Dolby Vision video. No new audio track has been included; Paramount simply repurposes the existing DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. No new extras are included, and in fact this set only carries over the commentary track; the original Blu-ray release included bonuses on a DVD disc which is not included here. Paramount has also concurrently released the sequel, sequel, to the UHD format.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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

Paramount brings G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra to the UHD format with a 2160p/Dolby Vision UHD presentation that is adequate but not exactly a leaps-and-bounds upgrade over the Blu-ray. Detail seems to receive little more than a cursory boost. The upgraded resolution is sourced from a 2K digital intermediate and is one of the least impressive upgrades, at least in terms of raw textural increase, that this reviewer has come across in a while. Close-ups don't reveal the sort of finely intimate boosts to skin and clothes so frequently found on UHDs, the kind of environmental clarity and overall sharpness gains that even the most modest UHD discs capture. Here, the differences are barely perceptible. A slight increase to textural finesse on a face here, a mild boost to an object there: nothing at all earth shattering or revelatory for the discerning eye. The key upgrade comes with the Dolby Vision color grading, but even then the biggest single factor seems to be a general image brightening. There is some fine tuning within the larger spectrum but beyond crisper whites, slightly deeper blacks, and that luminance boost there's not much more to say. Flesh tones appear a bit more healthy and lively but don't expect to find The Rise of Cobra suddenly transformed into a visual powerhouse: it's not at all a radical departure from the aged 2009 Blu-ray and it's certainly not a "looker" in its own right, either. Note that while the UHD is the superior image, it does receive the lower score because it's graded against both its upgrade against the Blu-ray (minimal) and against the larger UHD landscape in general (against which it ranks rather low on the scale). The movie looks fine, but it's on no way a dazzling display of cutting edge home video technology.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra 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 DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. For convenience, the review from the original Blu-ray appears below:

'G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra' explodes onto Blu-ray with a dazzling DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. As expected, the track delivers a full surround-sound extravaganza that makes excellent use of each speaker in the configuration, with special mention going to the hard work of the subwoofer in every action scene. The film's musical presentation is flawless, with crisp notes and a solid low end in every instance. Of course, 'G.I. Joe' isn't about music; it's about hard-hitting sound effects, gunfire, explosions, and prodigious amounts of bass, and that's exactly what this track delivers. Such sound effects are consistently scattered -- but still precisely placed -- all around the listening area, creating in each action scene a breathtaking sonic assault that places the listener next to every explosion and in the midst of every firefight. Gunfire in particular is prodigious; shots explode from every inch of the soundstage and the devastating results as bullets impact their targets engenders consistently punishing blows from the subwoofer. The finest shootout, at least from a purely sonic perspective, comes during a flashback scene that takes the audience to an Eastern Africa military engagement found in chapter nine. Foregoing the energy weapons that populate other action scenes for purely conventional gunfire, the scene delivers heavy machine gun fire spraying through the living room while more distant shots work in conjunction with the up-close running gun battle to create a seamless yet frighteningly realistic atmosphere. A missile launch in chapter 15 is perhaps the track's most powerful moment; it features a booming, all-encompassing explosion of power that pushes the subwoofer to its limits and is sure to bring a smile to home theater aficionados everywhere. Rounded out by generally clear dialogue reproduction that's only once or twice lost under sound effects, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra' represents another fantastic soundtrack from Paramount.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The UHD disc includes the legacy Stephen Sommers/Bob Ducsay commentary track. Nothing else is included. The old Blu-ray (bundled in here) included all of the extras beyond the commentary track on a DVD disc which is not included here. A digital copy code is included with purchase. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This is hardly what one would consider an "essential upgrade." The Dolby Vision color grading brings more tonal balance and brilliance to the film but it's not so dramatic as most other applications. Add an almost lateral textural appearance, the absence of the all of the DVD extras from the Blu-ray, and that this is not the world's best movie to begin with and this one is best recommended on a steep sale only.