Mission: Impossible II 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Mission: Impossible II 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Paramount has released the John Woo/Tom Cruise Action film 'Mission: Impossible II' to the UHD format. The disc replaces an aging Blu-ray which first released in 2007 with an MPEG-2 video encode and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. While this UHD adds no new extras, it does feature new 4K/Dolby Vision video and a new Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack.

Mission: Impossible II 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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

Mission: Impossible II's UHD follows up on a fantastic release of the original film with another 2160p/Dolby Vision presentation that's a thing of beauty. Much like the first film's UHD, there are some softer focus shots here and there, such as a few tight shots in a plane's cabin in the early minutes, but they're interspersed amongst some impressively rendered close-ups. The same holds for the rock climbing opening titles sequence as well. The 1:19:15 timestamp serves as another good example of a very processed-looking shot surrounded by much more pleasing, highly filmic elements. But this is a gorgeous image overall. Grain (a joy) is beautifully rendered, very even and complimentary, and organic. Textures are striking. John Woo enjoys his stylish close-ups and camera pans and slow-motion shots and the UHD certainly does each one of them justice, limited always only by the camera focus and demand of any given (particularly complex) operatic action shot. There are some amazingly deep pores to be enjoyed when Hunt receives his mission early in the film. The camera slowly pans around his eyes, most of which are covered by high tech sunglasses, but the opportunity to view pores and strands of hair at this level of clarity is amazing. But the image works just as well, if not better, within the confines of more general shots where skin textures, clothes, and environments enjoy a little more breathing room. Sharpness abounds, intimacy is commonplace, clarity is wonderful: this is a peak-end UHD, texturally, and while it isn't as big a leap from Blu-ray to UHD as was the first film, it's only because the original Blu-ray wasn't quite as dull. This is still a substantial improvement.

The Dolby Vision color palette is terrific, too. The level of refinement, natural intensity, increase in white brilliance, and add to black depth are all first-class. The image finds heightened color clarity and punch, never betraying the film's core color construction but only adding a level of realism to the presentation. Skin tones are refined, black levels are full and firm with practically no crush in even the most challenging shots. Blue skies, intense Chimera greens, bright flames, even barren, gray-dominant concrete walls seen prominently near the film's climax are finely honed. There's no room to complain about the colors, and there's really no room to complain about this image. Imperfections are minor and infrequent and are pretty much limited to those aforementioned softer shots, which are softer at the source. This is a wonderful UHD top to bottom.

Mission: Impossible II 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

No Atmos? No problem. Mission: Impossible II's UHD may not contain the desirable extra-back and overhead channel adds, but the included Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack is no slouch. In fact, it's one of the most purely intense and entertaining on the market, even this deep into the format's lifespan. Instrumental elements are fantastic. Guitar riffs enjoy striking intensity and potent low end engagement, and music throughout the entire film plays with hard-edged excellence, finding and maintaining a wonderful balance between ferocious intensity and precision clarity, not to mention full-stage engagement. Gunfire rips with incredibly sharp and explosive depth and zips from every speaker with seamless point-of-origin, traversal, and point-of-impact sensations. An action scene midway through the film in chapter 10 is a sonic delight, one of many in the film, and representative of everything this track does well. Combining shattering glass, gunfire, and music, the scene is sonically alive, with very impressive stage presence, high end saturation, and perfect fidelity. It doesn't get much better, and with the sheer wall of sound and absolute immersion, it's honestly hard to tell that there aren't more channels involved, anyway. That's not excuse away the lack of an Atmos, or even 7.1, configuration, but even the most demanding audiophile will find this one to be a superb listen. Rounded out by well positioned and immersive atmospherics and perfectly clear, positioned, and prioritized dialogue, and this is an A-grade track through-and-through.

Mission: Impossible II 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Mission: Impossible II's UHD disc contains no supplements beyond regurgitating the John Woo commentary, but the bundled Blu-ray, identical to that released back in 2007 (disc artwork is different), brings over all of the previously released content. For convenience, below is a list of what's included on that disc. For full supplemental reviews, please click here. A UV/iTunes digital copy code is included with purchase.

• Audio Commentary: Director John Woo
• Behind the Mission
• Mission Incredible
• Impossible Shots
• Music Video: "I Disappear" by Metallica
• Alterante Title Sequence
• Excellence in Film
• Generation: Cruise

Mission: Impossible II 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Mission: Impossible II may not capture the spirit of the original show, or even the first film, for that matter. It's more a John Woo film with Ethan Hunt in it and less a Mission: Impossible film directed by John Woo. It's still great popcorn-munching fun, and Paramount's UHD offers the best way ever to view it at home. The 2160p/Dolby Vision video is beautiful, the 5.1 lossless track is first-rate (though the absence of an Atmos track is disappointing), and while no new extras are included, the carryover supplements are fine (even if a couple of them repeat from the first film's disc). Highly recommended.