Inception 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

Inception 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Randy Miller III August 8, 2020

Almost three years after the standard 4K edition, Warner Bros. has released a new Collector's Edition 4K Steelbook of Christopher Nolan's Inception exclusive to Best Buy, both in-store and online. All on-disc content is identical to that earlier release, which includes the film in 4K, and two separate Blu-ray discs containing the film and bonus features.

For a synopsis of the film, please refer to Martin Liebman's review of the standard 4K edition. Please note that my movie rating reflects my own opinion of Inception.

Inception 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For information about the 4K's 2160p transfer, please refer to our review of the standard 4K edition.

Inception 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For information about the DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix,please refer to our review of the standard 4K edition.

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

• Exclusive Steelbook Packaging - This three-disc set arrives in a Steelbook case with a glossy finish that attracts fingerprints and smudges. The cover artwork is very stylish and based on an earlier poster design that depicts the dynamic gravity-bending fight sequence in the film. Its back cover, on the other hand, shows a more traditional group shot that focuses more on background elements than the main characters. Naturally, the stunning inside spread splits the difference, offering a nice view of the "folding cityscape" as seen during one of its most memorable dream sequences. (It's almost a shame that all three discs cover it up completely.)

  My only two complaints are that the paper card hogs space on the front cover and leaves the logo squished towards the center, as well as its glossy finish -- I much prefer a matte finish, not just for the look but for its higher degree of durability. Zavvi's out-of-print 4K Steelbook edition used identical design elements but featured a debossed logo and better finish; this doesn't feel quite as premium in direct comparison.

As mentioned earlier, all on-disc extras are identical to those found on the standard 4K edition.

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

Christopher Nolan's Inception is a visually ambitious film that you might either regard as the mind-bending pinnacle of its director's style...or a muddled and overindulgent production that no one really understands. (I'm somewhere in the middle but am certainly glad it exists.) Regardless, it's been around for a full decade now and viewers have had more than enough time to make up their minds about it. It's also been released on home video several times including a well-regarded 4K edition back in 2017. All have featured the same Blu-ray disc of bonus features and Best Buy's 4K Collector's Edition Steelbook follows suit; the packaging is a nice bonus for format collectors but, while the individual images are very striking, its overall design layout feels somewhat random and I'm not the biggest fan of its glossy finish. It's still a very nice package for collectors or those who haven't bought it on 4K yet.