Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Gladiator 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Paramount has released the multiple Oscar-winning film 'Gladiator' to the UHD format with a 2160/Dolby Vision presentation and a new DTS:X Master Audio soundtrack. The release was previously controversial on Blu-ray, first releasing with a subpar transfer which was replaced in less than a year with a vastly superior re-issue. This release offers no new supplements but does carry over the extensive selection extra content from the previous release.

Gladiator 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc. Watch for 4K screenshots at a later date.

Gladiator's UHD release is, generally, a splendid one. It's filmic, highly detailed, and nicely colored throughout the film's bleak opening act and brighter sun-drenched second and third. At its best, the image is stellar. No matter the lighting condition, armor, clothes, skin, and terrain are revealed with awe-inspiring complexity. Grain is retained throughout with a healthy, complimentary veneer. Textural efficiency is generally very high. It's not just the basics that impress but also the small scuffs and signs of wear and use and grime on armor and shields (additionally, polished armor and weapons prior to battles shine). Stonework, sand, and leathery armor, too, are intimately revealing and very sharp. That said, the bump in sharpness, clarity, and detail compared to the Blu-ray is not drastic. This UHD is likely sourced from the same master used for the remastered Blu-ray released back in 2010, particularly considering that various (and generally insignificant, but more readily apparent on the UHD than the Blu-ray) splotches, pops, and speckles appear more or less in the same places. The UHD certainly improves on the image in every way, but textural nuances and overall image clarity and definition alike are not leaps-and-bounds improved over the Blu-ray.

Where the UHD does drastically, and positively, distinguish itself from the Blu-ray is in its color presentation. The 12-bit Dolby Vision color enhancement brightens the image, makes it more vibrant and alive, but doesn't sacrifice any given scene's mood or atmosphere. The opening act is still drab and dreary, gray- and blue-dominant but here with much improved color depth and detail. Flames are more punchy, for instance, as archers light their arrows. Flickering candlelight is more intense. The brighter coloring helps improve clarity and visibility, accentuating textures and adding a natural dynamic to the image that the Blu-ray cannot achieve. The add in intensity and accuracy are most obvious, however, later in the film in the more naturally lit scenes when earthen browns and tans appear more true and deep, while regal clothing is significantly more vibrant. Compare a shot at the 1:43:55 mark. The red dress and its golden accents enjoy significantly more depth and brilliance, while Commodus' black-dominant wardrobe manages to be both more brightly lit and revealing deeper, more natural blacks at the same time. Skin tones appear much more brilliant and lifelike as well.

Image shortcomings are few and far between. The aforementioned print wear is clearly visible but generally minimal in intrusiveness. A scene at the 1:11:25 mark (theatrical, as are all the time stamps in this review) is fuzzy and lacking resolution, but the same issue is present on the Blu-ray. The picture sometimes lacks a sense of depth, but overall this is a very positive image, highly detailed and boldly but complimentarily colored, the latter the real driving force in the improvement over the remastered Blu-ray.

Gladiator 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Gladiator's new DTS:X Master Audio soundtrack delivers a high yield listen. The opening action scene is a sonic extravaganza. Arrows and other projectiles soar with amazing stage traversal and plenty of top end movement; the swooshing, the chaos, the din of battle absolutely takes full advantage of every bit of real estate the DTS:X track affords it. Explosions pack a significant wallop, debris scatters with full-on presence, and listeners are never wanting for additional movement and spacing in battle. Of course the listener will hear only the sounds that the engineers wish them to hear, with some elements heightened and some lowered, rather than the film simply present with a true sense of scale and even authenticity to the battle, but the bottom line is that there is absolutely no shortage of wonderful sonic bliss to be enjoyed. Some of the stylized flashbacks offer an intensive lift to the entire stage, as it spreads out for width, depth, and height alike. Gladiatorial battles are equally intense, with crowd din -- applause, chants, cheers, and jeers -- substantially filling though occasionally a little more front heavy in a handful of shots. A tiger's deep growl, high pitched sword-on-shield clanks, and the other sounds of arena battle lack the sort of absolute fidelity one night expect but such moments never want for greater power or presence. Atmospheric effects are smartly positioned and engage the listener as critical support details that are prominent as necessary and melt into the background as any given scene demands. Dialogue delivery, clarity, positioning, and prioritization are excellent.

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

Gladiator carries over all of the Blu-ray's special features on the pair of included 1080p discs. Included on the UHD are two cuts of the film: Theatrical (2:34:59) and Extended (2:50:56). The UHD does carry over the commentary with Ridley Scott, Pietro Scalia, and John Mathieson (Theatrical) and Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe (Extended), which are also available on Blu-ray disc one. Finally, a UV/iTunes digital copy code is included with purchase. For convenience, below is a list of what's included on the dedicated special features Blu-ray disc two (note that each supplement substantially branches out). For full supplemental reviews, please click here.

• Visions from Elysium: Topic Portal
• Strength and Honor: Creating the World of Gladiator
• Image and Design
• Abandoned Sequences & Deleted Scenes
• The Aurellian Archives

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

Gladiator is an excellent film that has aged very well since its theatrical release and its Blu-ray debut many years ago. Paramount's UHD release is of a high quality, featuring a 2160p resolution that modestly boosts the film elements over the excellent Blu-ray, but it's the Dolby Vision color that truly allows the image to soar. The new DTS:X Master Audio soundtrack is by-and-large fantastic, and this three-disc set carries over all of the previously released Blu-ray's extra content. Highly recommended.