Pulp Fiction 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Pulp Fiction 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Paramount has released the long-anticipated UHD for the classic 1994 film 'Pulp Fiction,' directed by Quentin Tarantino and starring John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson. New specifications include 2160p/Dolby Vision video. The UHD disc carries over the legacy 5.1 lossless soundtrack as well as all of the legacy extras from the 2011 Blu-ray. A Blu-ray copy is included, but even though Paramount's press material promised a new transfer on the Blu-ray, what is included appears to be identical to the 2011 Lionsgate issue.

Pulp Fiction 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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

Paramount releases Pulp Fiction to the UHD format with a 2160p/Dolby Vision presentation. This hotly anticipated release will not be remembered as the most gorgeous UHD in existence, but what the picture does do is offer a healthy and naturally occurring image that offers a solid boost over the existing Blu-ray, which is included, though sans new transfer as initially advertised. The 2160p resolution offers a tangibly sharper picture compared to the old issue Blu-ray. Look at just about any close-up, especially showing Vincent and Jules. The boost to clarity of the black suit jackets is particularly striking; rather than just a glob of black with minimal detail, viewers will now be able to pick out the finest fabric details and flaws that give this attire tactile depth and realism. Faces are likewise presented with newfound complexity, showing pores and hairs with razor-precise clarity, achieving a healthier, more complex appearance that satisfies all essential requirements for a shot-on-film picture making the transition to the UHD format. Grain is present and very light: unobtrusive but flattering and filmic. The picture is also free of obvious encode flaws and print problems.

The Dolby Vision color grading offers a quality suite of critical improvements as well. The grading reveals a more vibrant picture overall, with amplified brightness while still maintaining effortless depth and stability. Whites are pushed harder to present with a more realistic intensity and clarity, while black levels are conversely deeper and more effective for black suits in good lighting and shadow details in low light interiors and exteriors like. The film is not abundantly brilliant and superfluously colorful, but tones throughout -- whether clothes, natural greens, the colors within the diner, even the warmly bathed low light shots in the bar where Marsellus meets with Butch -- look very prominent, healthy, and appealing. The grading may not be a standout in its own right, but when looking at the grading directly compared to the old Blu-ray, the improvements are substantial.

While this is not a UHD that is going to blow everyone away with a "wow" factor, it is a very stable and healthy image and one that offers a considerable net gain over the Blu-ray in every way.

Pulp Fiction 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Rather than re-encode for Dolby Atmos, Paramount has left well enough alone and simply ported over the Blu-ray's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. For a full audio review, please click here.

Pulp Fiction 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Paramount ships Pulp Fiction to the UHD format with only the legacy extras in tow. The UHD carries over three of the eleven from the Blu-ray, which is included. Below is a list of what is included. Please click here for full extras coverage.

UHD:

• Not the Usual Mindless Boring Getting to Know You Chit Chat
• Here are Some Facts on the Fiction
• Enhanced Trivia Track (English Only)

• Not the Usual Mindless Boring Getting to Know You Chit Chat
• Here are Some Facts on the Fiction
• Pulp Fiction: The Facts – Documentary
• Deleted Scenes
• Behind the Scenes Montages
• Production Design Featurette
• Siskel & Ebert At the Movies: The Tarantino Generation
• Independent Spirit Awards
• Cannes Film Festival – Palme D'Or Acceptance Speech
• Charlie Rose Show
• Marketing Gallery
• Still Gallery
• Enhanced Trivia Track

Pulp Fiction 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While this may not be a showstopper of a UHD, it looks very good and delivers a quality suite of needed improvements over the aged Blu-ray. The 2160p/Dolby Vision UHD presentation captures a firm, fine, and filmic look that amplifies the content without overexaggerating it. The carryover sound and supplements remain excellent, even if more than a decade old. Very highly recommended, and packaging enthusiasts should be on the lookout for the companion and concurrently released UHD SteelBook.