Raiders of the Lost Ark 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		0.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		4.0

Raiders of the Lost Ark 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Paramount has released Director Steven Spielberg's seminal 1981 Adventure film 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/Dolby Vision video and Dolby Atmos audio. No new supplements are included. At the time of publication, this release is only available in a four-film, five-disc boxed set with the other films in the franchise (as of 2021).

Raiders of the Lost Ark 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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

Paramount whips Raiders of the Lost Ark into 4K shape with a terrific 2160p/Dolby Vision graded UHD presentation. This is one of the more radical alterations between UHD and Blu-ray one will find. Comparisons reveal quite the leap for both film-like texture and sharpness as well as color spectrum differentiation. The increase in stability, clarity, and sharpness are often striking and stunning. The UHD is much more assuredly filmic, grainy without feeling overwhelmingly so. The picture is tack-sharp (certainly there are a few inherently softer or slightly out of focus shots here and there) and far more so than the Blu-ray, which in practically any given point of comparison has a flat, smooth, lifeless appearance. Look at the sunny outdoor marketplace scenes around the 38-minute mark. The newfound life and vitality almost defy description. Sharpness amplifications abound, whether old decrepit building facades, dirt terrain, baskets, and other local flavors. This leap in sharpness carries through the whole film, from the opening idol snatching sequence all the way to the climactic scenes with the opened Ark. The film feels absolutely brand new at this resolution, and colors are likewise great beneficiaries.

Paramount's Dolby Vision grading takes the palette to another level. Colors are radically fuller and denser, more on-point and perfect. Whites are brilliant and blacks are perfectly deep and dense. Flesh tones are heathier with more life and depth to them. The cave interior in the opening sequence is darker and more atmospheric. Shadow details are quite a bit tighter, giving the location a more intensely eerie appearance. Color density is greatly improved even along gray and earthy accents inside. The gold statue is newly alive with tremendous brilliance that is comparatively flat and yellow on the Blu-ray. Warm woods around the university appear radically denser and deeper (along with Indy's fedora) while the earthy whites and color splashes around the aforementioned marketplace enjoy a significant boost to contrast and intensity. The sandy desert locales likewise have been tightened to a significant degree. Dolby Vision radically strengthens the film's palette without betraying its natural state. It's a beautiful leap upward from the Blu-ray. Add the complete absence of print wear and encode issues and this is a picture perfect, best case scenario presentation of a legendary film.

Raiders of the Lost Ark 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Paramount gets the ball rolling – quite literally – with the Indiana Jones 4K releases with an excellent Dolby Atmos soundtrack for Raiders of the Lost Ark. The new overhead channels demonstrate their worth almost immediately during the escape sequence when Indy has the idol and the boulder chases after him. It rolls along the top end before audibly falling down to the floor and pursuing the archaeologist through the rest of the cave. It's a terrific use of the overhead channels that amplifies the audio and adds to the top end where it makes sense, in this case bringing one of the series' most iconic moments to life as never heard before. In the moments before, as Indy approaches the idol in the final few feet, a single arrow whooshes out from the side and the barrage to follow seems to extend from the sides and zip through to the center with remarkable, immersive precision. Granted, the combined elements of music and action here never quite feel so full bodied and perfectly blended as they might should be. In fact, there are times when the entire thing feels a little underwhelming, lacking real aggressive push at reference volume. But for the most part it's full bodied and fluid, particularly considering John Williams score which is almost always robustly defined and engaging across a balanced berth through the listening area, dominant along front but wrapping around in more intense examples. Action elements are never wanting for additional space. Gunfire erupts from all over during several key scenes, thunder cracks and rolls as the Ark chamber is opened midway through the film (not to mention the symphony of slithering snakes along the floor), and ghastly spirits float and screech to excellent spatial effect in the film's final minutes, as do rushing flames. Ambient din is well realized as well, whether around crowded marketplaces or through packed dig sites. Dialogue is clear and center focused. Though the odd shortcoming is in evidence the track on the whole approaches perfection.

Raiders of the Lost Ark 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Raiders of the Lost Ark's UHD disc only includes a trio of trailers (the same included on the Blu-ray discs released in 2012), but the four-film set in which this release is included does house a bonus Blu-ray special features bonus disc. Please click here for a listing of what's included on that disc. As it ships in that boxed set, a digital copy voucher is included with purchase.

• Teaser Trailer (1080p, 1:03).
• Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 2:33).
• Re-Issue Trailer (1080p, 1:45).

Raiders of the Lost Ark 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Paramount's new Indiana Jones UHD discs delight. Raiders of the Lost Ark looks amazing, sounds great, and the film is legendary. The four-film set in which this disc is found earns my highest recommendation.