Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Sony has released the 2016 video game-based and digitally animated film 'Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV' to the UHD format. The studio initially released the film to the 1080p Blu-ray format in October 2016. This UHD presentation includes new 2160p/HDR video. No new audio or supplemental content has been included. See below for a review of the new video quality.

Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.

The HDR color output makes for a rich addition to the movie's presentation. Overall color depth and vitality are predictably, and appreciably, superior here. Look at the opening title card. There's a richness to the UHD -- a fine tuned vibrancy and tonal intricacy -- that's absent on the Blu-ray, which appears dreary and flat in comparison, both at this particular juncture and, indeed, through pretty much the entire film at any point of comparison. The opening battle offers a blend of dull earthen colors and grays and blacks intermixed with some brilliant blue blasts of magic and, a few minutes later, some intense fiery reds and oranges. Color vividness and vitality are superior, and quite boldly so, evident not just on those intense primaries but throughout the film with its many examples of dark colored armor, gray stone urban constructs, and the like. White balance is vastly improved, too, yielding superior luminance and output intensity not just on pure white but lighter grays, too. Black levels are excellent, not simply considering pure shadow definition and depth but also extending to clothes and other dark black and near black elements, which are plentiful in the film. All such examples stand apart for depth and superiority.

Texturally the image is also superior to the Blu-ray. The increased resolution brings out a fairly substantial boost to clarity. Fine object definition is greatly improved here with the Blu-ray comparatively fuzzy and unfocused (though still looking great in isolation beyond UHD comparisons). Fine facial and clothing details are the most obvious sources of improvement but there's no missing the superior clarity at every turn, within any environment and considering both near frame elements and objects far from the camera. The UHD dazzles with its innate ability to bring out the finest textural nuances within the source animation, which can include facial stubble, hair on heads, resplendent garb, military uniforms, urban accents, finely appointed palaces, and so much more. The movie is a treasure trove for digital production elements that the UHD is well capable of bringing to their fullest life. With the adds to color depth and brilliance this is a particularly strong upgrade from Blu-ray and a beautiful image as a standalone work. Some aliasing inherent to the source animation remains (look at doors at the 13:23 mark for one of many, admittedly mostly light, examples) but this is the only real source of trouble the image encounters. It's otherwise a terrific example of UHD/HDR picture workmanship and engineering.

Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Rather than remix for the Dolby Atmos or DTS:X configurations, Sony has simply repurposed the Blu-ray's excellent DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. For a full review, please click here.

Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

No supplements appear on the UHD disc. The bundled Blu-ray, which is identical to Sony's 2016 issue, includes the extras outlined below. For full supplemental reviews, please click here. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code is included with purchase. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

• A Way with Words: Epic and Intimate Vocals
• To Capture the Kingsglaive: The Process
• Fit for the Kingsglaive: Building the World
• Emotive Music: Scoring The Kingsglaive
• Previews

Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV is a technical marvel paired with a rather lackluster movie -- at least in delivery -- around it. It has some highlight moments of action and intrigue, but there's too much density to be satisfied within the confines of a two-hour film. Sony's UHD delivers vastly improved picture even compared to the excellent 2016 Blu-ray: it's sharper, more clear, and more richly colorful, and by a good margin at that. Audio and supplementary content remain unchanged. Recommended for fans of the film and the franchise.