Little Fockers 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Little Fockers 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

The third film in the franchise, 'Little Fockers' follows is predecessors and arrives on 4K UHD disc courtesy of Universal. All of the primary members of the all-star cast return for this outing, including Ben Stiller, Teri Polo, Robert De Niro, Blythe Danner, Dustin Hoffman, Barbara Streisand, and Owen Wilson. It also sees Jessica Alba ('Fantastic Four'), Laura Dern ('Jurassic Park'), Harvey Keitel ('Bad Lieutenant'), and Kevin Hart ('The Man From Toronto') joining the cringy and awkward comedy shenanigans. This release sees all important legacy on-disc supplemental material being brought forward to this release, and the film sports a solid 2160p presentation and a lively new Dolby Atmos audio track. A foil-enhanced slipcover, a Blu-ray disc, and a Digital Code redeemable via Movies Anywhere are also included.

Little Fockers 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Little Fockers's HEVC-encoded 2160p image looks quite good, and is a rather definite improvement over the previous Blu-ray presentation. Colors are well saturated with the palette receiving a rather warm push. As such, while primaries look great, and the ball pit scene is an impressive riot of color, they don't present with the same pop as those found in films with a more natural color scheme. Fine detail levels are strong throughout, with viewers able to appreciate every strand of Streisand's curly mane, every blade of grass and the grounds of Kevin's estate, and every bit of gravel and rock around the pit in Greg's backyard. The same is true for the decorations of Kevin's tent and the brickwork, photos, and other elements of Jack's secret room. Skin tones are healthy and consistent with the film's palette, with fine lines, wrinkles, and imperfections on full display. Whites can be quite brilliant, and blacks are deep and inky, though they can at times absorb environmental details such as during the street scenes when De Niro follows Stiller when he's enroute to the hotel, and when he again lurks outside the Focker home which is under construction as Greg shares a unique night with Andi. The softness and the ringing that was problematic on the 2011 Blu-ray is not to be found. Fans of the franchise should be quite pleased with the results achieved here.

Screenshots are sourced from the 4K UHD disc and downscaled to 1080 and are in SDR.

Little Fockers 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Little Fockers's Dolby Atmos audio track is a solid step up from the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 that was found on the 2011 Blu-ray release. My colleague Kenneth Brown, while directionally pleased with that track, expressed concerns regarding that track's balance with dialogue sometimes being smothered by the score, and less-than-impressive surround involvement. Happily those issues are largely resolved here. Stephen Trask's score is well-rendered and is periodically allowed to dominate the stage, with precise instrumentation and solid bass support. Immersion is not consistent, but it is relatively frequent, with surrounds not only supporting the film's score, but also placing the viewer in the middle of various crowded scenes such as the event that Greg attends with Andi Garcia, the indoor playground, and ambient nature sounds such as birdsong and insects at Kevin's estate. Dialogue is consistently front and center focused, and is clear and intelligible throughout. Mundane sound effects such as falling bodies, construction equipment, and the like are realistic and receive appropriate bass support to be convincing. Directionality is spot-on and allows for characters and objects to be tracked through the stage. It's a much appreciated upgrade.

Little Fockers 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

All meaningful extras are brought forward with the BD-Live and My Scenes Bookmarking being excluded for obvious reasons. No new content has been created for this release. For an accounting of the legacy on-disc supplemental material, please follow this link.

Little Fockers 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Fans of the franchise should know what to expect in Little Fockers. Characters are put in awkward and cringy situations filled with equally awkward and cringy dialogue, Stiller's Greg continuously needs to prove himself to De Niro's Jack, and Wilson's Kevin shows up to once again provide a fabulously wealthy alternative love interest for Polo's Pam. Despite the title implying the the children will be the focus this time around, Stiller and De Niro again dominate the screentime here, which is unfortunate. Other returning cast members like Hoffman and Streisand are relegated to just a few scenes. Newcomers could have been used to inject new life, but Hart's presence is seriously limited and Alba's Andi Garcia is sorely underdeveloped and exists only as a set-up for conflict between Greg and Jack. While both do well with what they're allowed to do, Hart and Alba are sadly given short shrift here. Still, the main draw here are the obvious and much-needed improvements to the films' presentation. The Dolby Atmos track brings some sonic zest and clarity, and the 4K presentation is very pleasing. Those who haven't seen the other films in the franchise should start with Meet the Parents 4K, but for fans who have been picking up these films as Universal has been releasing the upgrades, Little Fockers 4K comes recommended.