Moon 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Moon 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Sony has released Director Duncan Jones' remarkable 2009 Sci-Fi film 'Moon' to the UHD format. The new presentation, with 2160p/HDR video and Dolby Atmos audio, replaces a well-received 2010 Blu-ray. The UHD disc includes several new special features while the bundled Blu-ray, which is identical to the 2010 disc, brings all of the legacy supplemental content.

Moon 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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

Moon was shot on film and reportedly finished at 2K. Sony's UHD presentation is every bit the expectedly stout and robust upgrade over the decade-old Blu-ray that UHD fans have come to expect from the format's most reliable studio. The old Blu-ray still holds up as a fairly good image but it's undeniably one that is dwarfed by the improvements and refinements the film enjoys under the new parameters. The HDR color spectrum allows for significantly more crisp and bright whites; the spacesuit is of particular note for its luminance and intensity, while the spartan and white/off-white interior surfaces around the lunar station present with added tonal intensity and punch that's missing on the comparatively flat and bland Blu-ray. The grayscale moon exteriors, the grimy rovers, and all the shades of bleak that permeate many of the exteriors offer a far greater feel for color nuance along that particular spectrum, which brings an added richness and vitality to the lunar plane, even considering the unrelenting characteristics of a barren, lifeless locale. It's an interesting visual spectrum that the movie creates and the HDR colors refine, transitioning from crisp whites to bleak grays with some spots of added color along the way, notably GERTY's emoji readout. The movie is very visual spartan, but even so HDR is a major boon for conveying the most authentic feel possible for the picture's set pieces while also enhancing mood and dramatic tone as well.

The increase in detail on GERTY is exceptional. The UHD brings out the rough, well-worn textures, sharpens the numerous coffee stains dripped and dried on it, and delivers a more authentic feel for the grimy, curled, and worn sticky notes affixed to it. The superior color rendition finds another highlight with the machine, offering more intense lights on the readout (and other displays around the station as well) while also giving the machine's chassis a more dependable, crisp, and believable tonal foundation compared to the Blu-ray's dull, sunken off-white color. The HDR color presentation further enhances skin textures inside the lunar quarters. Take a look at a close-up at the 10:45 mark when Sam is watching a message from his wife and daughter. The skin looks healthier but at the same time a bit pastier and lighter, almost dramatically reinforcing the scene's tonal spirit by creating a look of natural warmth yet cold distance in the character at the same time. The textural finesse and gains are evident here as well; pores and stubble and clothes appear with superior crispness and visible definition. The UHD presents a natural grain structure which is filmic and refined, more complimentary and crisp than the Blu-ray can provide. There are no source flaws or encode anomalies of note. This is a strong upgrade over a good (albeit aging) Blu-ray and one of the finer 2K upscale releases on the UHD marketplace.

Moon 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Moon's Dolby Atmos track presents a number of impressive effects around the station. Shutters close with weight. Alarms blare with seamless spacing and feel for distance and depth. Minor station ambient effects are well integrated, often making use of the location's spartan furnishings and spacious rooms to allow the audience to sonically experience the same location emptiness and the resultant isolation Sam endures. The track regularly, though reservedly, engages overhead channels that do not define any given moment but rather give any given moment an improved sonic posture and any given scene greater sonic presence. A vehicle crash at the 17:35 mark is the first large-scale, and perhaps most prominent, sound element in the film. The crashing metal, the falling debris, the blaring alarm, the feel for total stage immersion, including a steady overhead presence, is very sonically rewarding and complimentary to the scene. Musical delivery is steady and true, with strong clarity, stage engagement, and low end support. Dialogue presents with natural front-center position, clarity, and prioritization.

Moon 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Sony's UHD release of Moon contains a few new extras on the 4K disc while the bundled 1080p Blu-ray carries over the legacy extras. Below is a list of what's included, with new reviews where applicable. For coverage of the previously released content, please click here. This release ships with a Movies Anywhere digital copy code and a non-embossed slipcover.

UHD Disc:

• Duncan Jones Retrospective (1080p, 9:23): Journalist Joe Utichi speaks with Jones via Internet. They go back to the beginning and cover Jones' history of film fandom and move on to cover the film's inspirations, its uniqueness in the genre at the time of release, working with Sam Rockwell, plot details, and more.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p): Included are Scene 98 (0:29) and Scene 169 (0:55).
• Performance Elements (1080p, 4:49): An inside look -- or listen, as the case may be -- into how Rockwell performed a challenging dialogue scene.
• Fan Art Poster Gallery (2160p/HDR): Six fan-made poster images.

• Audio Commentary: Writer/Director Duncan Jones, Director of Photography Gary Shaw, Concept Designer Gavin Rothery, and Production Designer Tony Noble.
• Audio Commentary: Writer/Director Duncan Jones and Producer Stuart Fenegan.
• Short Film: Whistle by Duncan Jones.
• The Making of Moon
• Creating the Visual Effects
• Science Center Q&A with Director Duncan Jones
• Filmmaker's Q&A at the Sundance Film Festival
• Moon Theatrical Trailer
• Previews: Additional Sony titles.

Moon 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Moon is one of the great Science Fiction films of the 21st century and it has received a top-flight UHD release from Sony. With top-tier picture and sound and several new supplements this is a must-buy and one of the year's finest UHD releases that earns my highest recommendation.