Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

Inception 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 12, 2018

Warner Brothers has released the mind-bending Christopher Nolan film 'Inception' to the UHD format alongside many of the filmmaker's other works. This disc is available individually and as part of a box set that also contains 'Batman Begins,' 'The Dark Knight,' 'The Dark Knight Rises,' 'The Prestige,' 'Interstellar,' and 'Dunkirk.' The native 4K presentation boasts HDR color enhancement. No new core audio mix or supplemental additions have been included.

Official synopsis: Acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan directs an international cast in this sci-fi actioner that travels around the globe and into the world of dreams. Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is the best there is at extraction: stealing valuable secrets inside the subconscious during the mind’s vulnerable dream state. His skill have made him a coveted player in industrial espionage but also has made him a fugitive and cost him dearly. Now he may get a second chance if he can do the impossible: inception, planting an idea rather than stealing one. If they succeed, Cobb and his team could pull off the perfect crime. But no planning or expertise can prepare them for a dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy only Cobb could have seen coming.

Inception plays with a relentless pacing. Even at nearly 2.5 hours in length, it's always in motion: the camera, the characters, ideas. It's that latter one, though, that truly defines the movie's structure. The film introduces an endless string of ideas, whether original to the moment or building on ever evolving concepts introduced earlier in the picture. Characters are always working through a puzzle, often verbally, awake or asleep or...who knows what their condition may be. Christopher Nolan is not one to shy away from richly interwoven narratives, complex characters, and nontraditional film structure. Just ask those who loved or hated Dunkirk, which, despite its effectively scattershot structure, is comparative to Inception a simple film to grasp. Inception demands its viewers engage with it on multiple levels, to invest into it, not monetarily but mentally, to give it the time it needs to absorb into the conscience and subconscious. It requires multiple viewings to appreciate, never mind partially or fully understand. It begins quickly with little settled insight or sense of linear progression. In a word, it's unique. In another, it's bold. Nolan's film is a masterpiece on several levels: structurally, narratively, and considering its perfectly performed and imaginatively photographed qualities, critical in capturing its numerous dreamlike effects and narrative arcs but also reinforcing essential ideas. Visuals are as seamless as they are complex. It's a highly rewarding film.

For a full film review, please click here.

Inception 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.

Inception doesn't look mind-bogglingly fantastic on UHD. Good to even great, yes, but it doesn't approach format pinnacle. Part of that -- maybe even much of that -- stems from Nolan's reserved touch; the movie wasn't made to be a visual dazzler, at least not from a purely photographic process perspective. Generally speaking, the presentation is sure and strong, very naturally and effortlessly filmic. There are 4K resolution and HDR color highlights within the movie, yes, but there's also a feeling of inherent softness to the source, flatter details than usual, and some overly warm flesh tones. Whether they individually or in totality render the image "disappointing" is to the eye of the beholder.

Facial textures don't often reveal the sort of innate, intimate complexity the format's finest have on offer. Environments often appear rather flat, whether well appointed interiors, snowy exteriors, or urban textures. Clothes, firearms, and other objects, like everything else, tend to prove very revealing in places but smoother, less organic in others. Softer photography is regularly obvious. Even focal subjects are sometimes apt to lack full-face sharpness; a scene featuring Cillian Murphy (and later Tom Berenger) at the 75-minute mark is one of the most obvious examples. Still, even in that scene, the UHD presents the image with a modest uptick in sharpness where the camera focuses, though it's not necessarily obvious when watching the movie in 4K prior to conducting various scene comparisons with the Blu-ray. In fact, there are not that many scenes in which it's plainly obvious one is watching the film on UHD rather than a top-tier Blu-ray. It certainly looks very good with some tangible increases in sharpness beyond the 1080p format's capabilities, and undoubtedly fairly close to the way Nolan intended for it to be seen, but this is not a movie that was made to take full advantage of its film resolution and present its subjects with the sort of intimate detail that the "best" of the UHD world have to offer. It's very filmic and very enjoyable, but chances are some fans are going to be disappointed with the relative lack of textural dazzle.

Much the same can be said of the film's 10-bit HDR-enhanced color palette. Changes are subtle. Beyond the modest red push to flesh tones, the image does brighten highlights with increased vitality. Whites are certainly more brilliant and clean; dress shirts under dark jackets are a particular highlight, as is the lengthy snow sequence. There's a mild boot in general intensity; some fiery explosions pop with more vigor, but the movie isn't abundantly colorful, at least not with shot-commanding boldness to clothes or environments. Nolan largely deemphasizes color, playing it down rather than making it a focal point. Again, it's an example of the UHD seemingly reflecting Nolan's reserved touch. Black levels are strong throughout. Overall, the UHD generally looks nice. The increase to detail is welcome but not significant, and the touch-up to the palette brings a more sure-handed approach to colors, but neither are particularly dazzling. Inception looks very good on UHD. It doesn't look wow in the traditional sense, but its filmic qualities and apparent adherence to filmmaker vision make it a winner.

Inception 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As with all of the other Christopher Nolan films on UHD, Inception has not received an upgrade to Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, instead sticking with the previously (or concurrently, as the case may be with Dunkirk) issued DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. It remains a wonderful listen -- dynamic, intense, large, seamless -- but fans may be understandably put off but the lack of a new mix. For a full review of the 5.1 track, as great today as it was back in 2010, please click here.

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

Inception's 3-disc UHD bundle contains two Blu-ray discs, one housing the feature film in 1080p (with on extra) and a second disc's worth of bonus content. The UHD contains no extras. For convenience, a list of what's included is presented below. A digital copy code is included with purchase.

• Extraction Mode (Disc One)
• Dreams: Cinema of the Subconscious
• Inception: The Cool Job
• Project Somnacin: Confidential Files
• 5.1 Inception Soundtrack
• Conceptual Art Gallery
• Promotional Art Archive
• Trailers
• TV Spots

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

Inception's UHD disc offers improvements to the Blu-ray that are more subtle than they are dynamic. Video is an upgrade over the Blu-ray to be sure, but it's not the sort of tight, significant leap one would expect, particularly of a movie shot-on-film and as visually rich and diverse as this. On the flip side, it appears fairly faithful to its source. Audio hasn't been upgraded, either, and no new extras are included. This is certainly the version to buy for those who have yet to own the film on disc, but those already enjoying the stellar Blu-ray would be wise to wait to grab this one on a good sale.