Pride & Prejudice 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

Pride & Prejudice 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

In time for its 20th Anniversary, 'Pride and Prejudice 4K' arrives on 4K UHD disc courtesy of Universal. Based on the timeless novel written by Jane Austen, the film stars Keira Knightly ('The Woman in Cabin 10'), Matthew Macfayden ('Succession'), Rosamund Pike ('Die Another Day'), and Donald Sutherland ('Don't Look Now'). All important legacy on-disc supplemental features have bee brought forward to this release, however, no new features have been added. A slipcover, a Blu-ray disc, and a Digital Code redeemable via Movies Anywhere are also included.

Pride & Prejudice 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Originally shot on film, this 4K upscale with Dolby Vision looks positively sumptuous on 4K UHD. While the previous Blu-ray was warmly received upon its initial review in 2010, this new 2160p presentation bests it in every regard, appearing wonderfully filmic and looking terrific in motion. Colors more deeply and richly saturated, whether they be the lush greens of the natural world, the rainbow of colors of women's dresses, and the vibrant, but not egregiously so, red of Mr. Wickham's military uniform. Whites dazzle, and blacks are typically deep and inky. Shadows, in all of their various gradations, allow for investigation and reveal their contents to varyingly appropriate degrees. Due to the numerous candlelit and sunlit scenes, there is a honeyed warmth to virtually every scene. Fine detail is consistently high, with lacey details of dresses, embroidery, and other clothing elements possessing a realistic tactile quality. Age and wear around the interior of the Bennet home and buildings are evident, helping to provide a deeper understanding of their economic situation. Environmentally, the same holds true, with exterior brickwork, mortar, woods, and wood grain all being discernible. Fine film grain is present and resolves naturally and without significant issue, though some very mild noise is visible on rare occasion, but one must be actively seeking it out to spot it. Skin tones are universally healthy and realistic. Depth and dimensionality are quite pleasing. Fans should be thrilled.

Pride & Prejudice 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

In keeping with the times, Pride and Prejudice 4K has been given a winning Dolby Atmos track, though upgrades here are less obvious or dramatic than they are with the video presentation. While perhaps not showcase material based upon its subject matter and what, therefore, is expected of it, it still excels in all that is asked of it. Moments of immersion are numerous. Some are subtle, such as birdsong surrounding viewers in exterior scenes, busy bustling passersby, wagons, and the like in street scenes, and barnyard sounds around the Bennet's home. Rainy and thunderous moments are more impressive. But the most sonically energetic are those when period music is pushed to the forefront in the social events to which the Bennets are frequently invited. Here, instrumentation is precise, with strings sounding elegant, and enthusiastic clapping provides sharp, percussive accentuation. Keys sound full and lush when allowed to dominate, with their sound quality also providing a sense of scale of the room in which they're played. Dialogue is clean and clear, and is typically front and center. Directionality is accurate, allowing viewers to track horses, wagons, carriages, and other objects fluidly through the sound field. It's a more than appropriate companion for the film.

Pride & Prejudice 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

All of the legacy features from the 2010 Blu-ray are carried over here, save for the "BD-Live" elements. Nothing new has been added. For an accounting of the legacy features, please follow this link.

Pride & Prejudice 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Utterly captivating from beginning to end, 2005's Pride and Prejudice is a wonderfully romantic film. The film is unhurried, and Keira Knightley and the rest of her screen family turn in engaging performances that fill the tale with heart and emotion, making it extremely easy to identify with them, feeling the weight of their struggles, and eventually, the heights of their triumphs. Macfayden, for his part, is spot-on as well, but by virtue of the era and the source material he's simply not allowed to have a performance that's as widely ranging and Knightley's Elizabeth. Production values are high, with amazing costuming, and richly interesting locations, both manmade and natural, to keep the viewer's eyes busy in every scene. While new on-disc supplemental features would have been appreciated, the visual upgrade to the film is more than reason enough for fans of the film to secure a copy, and Pride and Prejudice 4K comes highly recommended.