Monty Python's The Meaning of Life 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Monty Python's The Meaning of Life 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Universal has released the classic 1983 film 'Monty Python's The Meaning of Life' to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/HDR video and DTS:X audio. No new extras are included. The legacy supplements are included on both the UHD disc and the bundled Blu-ray, which is identical to the dated 2013 VC-1 disc.

Monty Python's The Meaning of Life 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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

This is a significant upgrade from the processed VC-1 Blu-ray. Rather than the tepid picture Kenneth Brown reviewed in 2013, this 2022 presentation plays in stark contrast as a healthy and handsomely filmic UHD presentation. The 2160 resolution offers superb detail. Clarity is rich and textural elegance is assured throughout. The picture reveals superior facial details, a far cry from the flatness from the previous issue. This is an organic, filmic, and faithful picture that uses the film and UHD resolution to the fullest. It's naturally sharp with only some sporadic softer focus shots and edges here and there. Viewers will be astounded at the increase in clarity and textural dynamics. Faces are super sharp and intimately revealing, as are clothes and location details, all well above the dated and processed look on the Blu-ray. The picture's grain structure is beautiful: organic, consistent, never too heavy, not too light. This looks like a movie shot on film should look. There has also been a significant amount of clean-up work done to remove scratches and pops as well, though a few do remain.

The HDR color grading offers a substantial refinement of the color palette. The usual suspects are in play: improved white brilliance and accuracy, deeper and more lifelike blacks, and very healthy skin tones. The general palette has a more lifelike realism about it, with deeper shades all around yet more precise color accuracy to offer superior primaries and abundantly rich secondaries. Look at the hospital room scene at the 21-minute mark; the lightly creamy green walls and the darker green scrubs enjoy major improvements to overall color stability and accuracy. Universal has done a great job with this one; fans are going to be thrilled and there is no question that the video improvements alone are worth the price of upgrading.

Monty Python's The Meaning of Life 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The new DTS:X soundtrack does not radically rework the audio experience. It's full and faithful but don't expect some dynamic new presentation with amplified overhead content and newly discrete elements. Rather, this is the core audio experience from the previous disc with a mild sense of added fullness but certainly nothing that redefines the audio essentials. Spacing remains good with fluid front end width and some nice usage of the surround channels to better immerse the listener in music and various sound effects. For example, there is some solid surround work and notes of overhead content as the building rumbles around in the six-minute mark, but the net effect is not suddenly reworked just because of added channels. Much the same holds throughout: basic clarity is very good within the somewhat more limited parameters of the original sound design while the added channels do a little bit of work to make things just a bit more engaging and immersive. Overall elemental clarity holds for music and effects. Dialogue is clear and center positioned for the duration.

Monty Python's The Meaning of Life 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Rather than offer any new extras, Universal has simply ported over the 2013 extras which are housed on both the UHD and Blu-ray discs. See below for a list of what's included and please click here for full coverage. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code is included with purchase. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

• The Meaning of Monty Python: 30th Anniversary Reunion
• 2003 Prologue by Eric Idle
• The Snipped Bits: Included are Martin Luther, An Expert, The Cheese Lady, Randy in the Jungle, The Hendys, Mr. Creosote Arrives at the Restaurant, and Gaston Takes Us for a Good Walk.
• The School of Life: Included are The Meaning of Making 'The Meaning of Life,' Education Tips, Un Film de John Cleese, and Remastering a Masterpiece.
• Show Biz: Included are Song and Dance, Songs Unsung, and Selling 'The Meaning of Life.'
• Fish: Included are Virtual Reunion and What Fish Think.
• Soundtrack for the Lonely
• Audio Commentary: Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam.
• Sing-Along

Monty Python's The Meaning of Life 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Universal has a done a great job bringing Monty Python's The Meaning of Life to the UHD format. The new 2160p/HDR video presentation is obviously the highlight: it looks fantastic and is a major upgrade from the dated original Blu-ray. The new audio track is less the major upgrade and is more a subtle refinement of the old 5.1 track. No new extras are added, but at least they're available on the UHD disc. Recommended.