Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

Hitman: Agent 47 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Another first-wave Fox UHD release hits the target.

The future is here! 20th Century Fox has released the first wave of UHD Blu-ray (4K/3840x2160p resolution) discs. We've posted a companion article detailing the UHD upgrade experience here. Watch for more reviews for these 20th Century Fox UHD Blu-rays in the coming days and, of course, Blu-ray.com will be covering every UHD release in the future.

"Buy UHD, or else" says the man with a gun.

Hitman: Agent 47 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Like Fantastic 4, IMDB reports that Hitman was captured at 2.8K and 3.4K and finished on a 2K Digital Intermediate, and also like Fantastic 4 there's no evidence that the UHD release has been sourced from other than that 2K DI. And yet again like Fantastic 4, the transition to UHD presents the movie with more a refinement of its textures and colors and less a revelation, though even the subtle, incremental boost proves thoroughly satisfying while the movie's more forgiving lighting and moments of bold color pops offer a more exciting UHD experience.

That said, Hitman does offer a predominance of whites, blues, and grays, but its splashes of color -- notably red -- make for some exciting moments and opportunity for excellent comparative analysis with the 1080p Blu-ray against the HDR (High Dynamic Range)-enabled UHD disc. Less dynamic but still interesting are the glossy aqua/teal/turquoise tiles that line the walls of a subway station partway through the movie. Punch and pop aren't so dramatic as to really capture the audience's attention, but the refinement in saturation and depth beyond the 1080p Blu-ray is noticeable. But the biggest difference comes by way of the red Audi seen later in the film. The car's showroom shine and bright red coloring stand out on Blu-ray, but the UHD is a whole other ballgame. Saturation differences are obvious. The paint's refinement and color definition might be a bit less punchy but it's also much more organic and pleasing to the eye, less showy and more naturally spellbinding. On the Blu-ray, it's almost cartoonish. That's not even to mention the improvement in definition and shadow detail around the black grille and tires.

Details are also refined. Nothing stands apart as head-and shoulders better than the Blu-ray, but the UHD disc brings a new level intimacy to personal details and definition to medium and distance shots. Certainly, the close-ups are striking. Rupert Friend's shaved head and the barcode emblazoned across the back of it are perfect examples of the absolute level of tangible, tactile, lifelike detailing the transfer has on offer. Zachary Quinto never has quite the same level of fine photographic intimacy, but standard, mostly static shots reveal every bit of facial stubble that's so sharp and well defined that one could conceivably count them. Clothing details find a brand new level of fine fabric sophistication and pinpoint definition that's evident on Blu-ray, but in a more superficial capacity whereas the UHD really allows eyeballs to get down to the tiniest little material lines and seams. Likewise, other materials, like leathery seats, find more refinement than they do in 1080p.

Other highlights include a healthier white balance, noticeable in a scene around the 9:00 mark that features a white chair and a white wall contrasted against a dark digital desktop and a gray suit. Shadow detailing is refined throughout, and black levels hold firm at a neutrally dark level where neither crush nor unwanted paleness creep in. Light source noise is visible in bursts throughout, particularly in some lower light settings. However, no noticeable examples of banding, aliasing, ringing, or macroblocking appear. The final numerical score is once again a little touch and go. 4.0 seems a little too low and 4.5 a little too high. Final score is a 4.0, but this is a very strong presentation, particularly considering it is, by all accounts, upscaled from its 2K digital intermediate.

Hitman: Agent 47 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Hitman: Agent 47 4K doesn't offer any new Atmos or DTS:X soundtrack options. Please see Jeffrey Kauffman's review of the DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack here.

Hitman: Agent 47 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Hitman: Agent 47 4K contains no supplements exclusive to the UHD disc. All extras are available on the included 1080p disc. For a full review, please click here.

Hitman: Agent 47 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hitman: Agent 47 isn't a particularly great movie -- it's slow, populated with largely uninteresting characters, and propelled by generically executed action -- but its UHD release gives fans a nice, but not substantial, lift in picture quality from the 1080p Blu-ray. Unfortunately, audio hasn't received a similar boost from 7.1 lossless to either Dolby Atmos or DTS:X. Fans of the film will want to pick this one up, probably on sale. There are better movies available on UHD out of the gate, and most will probably gravitate elsewhere for their first doses of 2160p goodness.