Independence Day: Resurgence 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		2.0

Independence Day: Resurgence 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Independence Day: Resurgence was greeted by some long waiting fans as at least something of a disappointment, but will that letdown be tempered by a 4K UHD presentation? Read on.

Independence Day: Resurgence 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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

Independence Day: Resurgence is presented on 4K UHD with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 2.40:1. For my thoughts on the two other formats this film has been released on in high definition, I refer you to our Independence Day: Resurgence Blu-ray review and Independence Day: Resurgence 3D Blu-ray review. This UHD presentation offers both pluses and minuses, with a nice uptick in detail levels and especially gradations in some of the hues which are immediately apparent in the "fly by" of the universe as the film opens. There are nicely nuanced new tones in both the purples and blues that make this sequence achieve a greater depth. Some of the best uptick in detail comes courtesy of relatively picayune elements, like the flower Brakish Okun's caretaker brings in to cheer up his hospital room. The CGI is impressively detailed but at times achieves that slightly artificial look that several of us reviewing 4K UHD discs here have mentioned in other reviews. Blacks are a little milky at times, and contrast wavers slightly, giving a hazy, somewhat effulgent look to some scenes where light sources spill in from the sides. Depth of field in some of the exterior shots is superb, maintaining detail levels even for relatively small elements. Clarity and sharpness are often excellent, and HDR helps the film overcome some deficits in shadow definition in the many dark scenes, something that tended to make the 1080p presentation lack some detail at times. The biggest minus here is a weirdly gritty texture that was not apparent on the 1080p transfer(s). This is the same sort of quasi-noisy look that I've personally mentioned in other 4K UHD reviews, and while it's nowhere near at the levels seen in Wild 4K, it's still more than noticeable, especially when backgrounds are in lighter tones.

Independence Day: Resurgence 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

An already superb audio presentation on both the 2D and 3D 1080p Blu-ray discs is only improved courtesy of this 4K UHD disc's Dolby Atmos track. A whole wealth of neatly placed effects greets the listener now courtesy of the Atmos channels, with overhead pans and excellent immersion obvious from the get go during the "fly by" through the universe during the opening credits. Here, massive panning sounds and just the beginnings of some LFE rumble make the sonics very impressive. A number of great panning effects also accompany some of the battle scenes, especially when swarms of fighter jets are on the attack. Low end is extremely aggressive in several key set pieces when the aliens are on the move. Dialogue is clearly rendered and neatly directional a lot of the time. Fidelity remains superb and dynamic range is extremely wide on this problem free track.

Independence Day: Resurgence 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The 4K UHD disc ports over Roland Emmerich's commentary. The 1080p Blu-ray also included in this package has all of the supplements detailed in our Independence Day: Resurgence Blu-ray review.

Independence Day: Resurgence 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Was Independence Day: Resurgence worth the wait? The consensus seems to be "no," but the film still has at least a few diehard fans. Those folks who also have 4K UHD equipment may want to check out this version, for it offers improvements in detail and color gradations, though it's hobbled by the same oddly gritty looking presentation that has also cropped up on other 4K UHD discs. The Dolby Atmos sound is an additional selling point.