Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Lock Up 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman August 19, 2019

Despite manifest (joking) signs to the contrary, it turns out that Lock Up is not in fact a prequel to Escape Plan, despite the fact that both films star Sylvester Stallone and perhaps obviously prominently feature prison environments. That kind of funny connection aside, this might arguably be seen as just the latest offering from Lionsgate where (as I’ve also joked repeatedly) they stumble across 1080p Blu-ray remainders in their warehouse and decide to package them with 4K UHD versions of some at times “vintage” properties. However, the fact that the 1080p Blu-ray in this package sports a pre-menu of sorts, a StudioCanal logo and also seems to have a different main menu than the now long ago original 1080p Lionsgate release (which I don't have in my personal collection to check) may put the lie to that “humor”.

As mentioned above, Lock Up came out relatively early in the Blu-ray format in 2010, and for those wanting a plot recap I refer you to Dustin Somner's Lock Up Blu-ray review of that version.

Lock Up 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080p Blu-ray. Though I don't have the original Lionsgate Blu-ray release to check, my hunch is this 1080p presentation is sourced off the same master as the 4K UHD disc and therefore may not resemble the original Blu-ray release in all aspects. My score above for the 1080p Blu-ray presentation reflects my opinion of the 1080p presentation offered in this package; Dustin scored the video of the original Lionsgate release at 4.0.

Lock Up is presented on 4K UHD courtesy of Lionsgate Films, though, as mentioned above, this presentation also features a StudioCanal logo. Dustin Somner gave pretty high marks for video quality in his Lock Up Blu-ray review of the original Blu-ray release, but just from a cursory look at the screenshots accompanying Dustin's review, it looks to me that this release trumps that one in both its 1080p and 2160p presentations in terms of densities, clarity and fine detail. There's some rather interesting highlights and palette tweaks that Dolby Vision adds to the 4K viewing experience, some of it seemingly illogical. For example, the early sequence with Frank playing football with the neighborhood kids looks a bit cooler overall in the 4K presentation, and yet the incredibly bright reds on, for example, one kid's pants or another kid's parka pop unbelievably vividly. Reds and oranges throughout this 4K presentation are very nicely suffused (the cherry red Mustang that plays into the plot is one very notable example). Some of the prison sequences attain a slight green grading now that isn't as evident in the 1080p presentation. Shadow detail is also improved in the many dark scenes, though some passing moments still lack really abundant levels of fine detail. There are some interesting, if brief, pops of color in what is often a kind of wintry, tamped down palette, including a short but effective orange tinted flashback Frank experiences when he's in isolation. Grain is somewhat variable here, as it has tended to be in some Lionsgate 4K offerings. Most of the time, it resolves very naturally, even in some pretty dark sequences, But things can get fairly gritty looking at times, especially in some of the interior jail scenes. For just the first of several examples, keep your eyes peeled on the jail walls at circa 6:25, and there's a noticeably chunkier looking grain field than in some other parts of the film.

Lock Up 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Perhaps surprisingly, Dustin gave pretty low marks to the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track on the old Lionsgate release, but I have to say I found the surround track on this disc to be well rendered and often quite immersive, which perhaps means that this release underwent some audio remastering along with its video component. The cacophony of the prison is well splayed through the surround channels, but important dialogue is routinely prioritized smartly. There is discrete channelization throughout the presentation, offering a realistic accounting of the prison environment.

Lock Up 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Both the 1080p Blu-ray disc and the 4K UHD disc contain the same supplements. While these are all ostensibly 1080p, they're clearly upscaled from older archival video (you'll note that Dustin's review lists what I'm assuming are some of these same supplements as having been in 480p on the original Lionsgate Blu-ray release):

• Making Of (HD; 6:35)


• Featurette: Sylvester Stallone (HD; 3:11)


• Behind the Scenes (HD; 8:13)


• Interview with Sylvester Stallone (HD; 5:04)


• Interview with Donald Sutherland (HD; 00:21)


• Interview with Sonny Landham (HD; 00:42)


• Interview with John Amos (HD; 00:17)


• Interview with Darlanne Fluegel (HD; 00:42)


• Original Trailer (HD; 2:24)

Lock Up 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

For whatever reason Lock Up hasn't attained quite the stature of some other Stallone entries, but it's a consistently entertaining and often exciting story, even if it's also resolutely predictable almost all of the time. This is a film that virtually wallows in a kind of pent up anger that accrues over the course of almost Job-like injustices suffered by Frank, and the fact that Donald Sutherland plays the martinet warden like a character from Grand Guignol only heightens the anxiety. This 4K UHD presentation is largely enjoyable, offering a beautifully suffused palette and some noticeable uptick in fine detail and shadow definition. Grain is somewhat variable looking, seemingly not tied to environment or darkness. Recommended.