Reign of the Supermen 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Reign of the Supermen 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

A Little More Reign

DC's commitment to the UHD format continues with Reign of the Superman, the fifth new film in the official DC Animated Universe to be issued in dual versions day and date. (Several older films in the series have been upgraded as well.) However, unlike previous 4K DCAU discs sent for review, the UHD of RotS suggests that the HDR colorists may finally be figuring out what they can (and can't) do with the series' minimalist animation. Maybe Constantine: City of Demons—a DC animated project separate from the regular DCAU—was a breakthrough. That film's 4K version applied a gentle touch of HDR to enhance contrast, so that darker spaces became more distinct and visible without altering the film's basic palette or appearance. The result was an understated but worthwhile upgrade in visual presentation. Something similar happens in the UHD of RotS, although here again the difference isn't night and day.

Reign of the Supermen 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

(Note: Screenshots accompanying this review have been captured from the standard Blu-ray. Additional 1080p captures from that disc can be found here.)

Warner's 2160p, HEVC/H.265-encoded UHD of Reign of the Superman won't knock anyone sideways with the intensity of its visuals, because, as always with the DC Animated Universe, there's only so much detail to reveal in this minimalist animation, and the 1080p Blu-ray does that just fine. But in contrast to the preceding four 4K entries in the DCAU, the upconverted image on RotS does provide subtle but notable visual enhancements. The chief difference is the expanded range of contrast provided by the HDR grading. Individual figures, especially distant ones, are separated more distinctly from their background (and from each other) in the 4K presentation, thereby adding a greater sense of depth to an animated style that frequently struggles to overcome its inherent flatness. A good example occurs when The Eradicator appears hovering in the sky over the Justice League Watchtower during its dedication. He's equally visible in both 1080p and 4K, but in the latter he seems more present and more clearly a watchful guardian observing the proceedings from a distance. The battle of the four would-be Supermen inside Lex Corp acquires a greater sense of texture and the combatants are more distinctly separated from the smoke and debris. The aerial confrontation with the army of Parademons is livelier and the individual opponents more distinct. Similar examples abound.

I stress again that these differences are subtle and understated, and they may not even be obvious without switching back and forth between the two versions. But direct comparison reveals unmistakable improvements. As for the color palette, it is largely unchanged between the UHD and standard Blu-ray. An occasional primary may be a touch brighter; dull shades may be more refined here and there; but overall there's no meaningful alteration.

As usual with the DCAU's UHDs, the minor banding that appears on the 1080p disc has largely vanished. But as with Constantine: City of Demons, it's refreshing to encounter a UHD of DC animation that has more to recommend it than an absence of banding.

Reign of the Supermen 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The UHD offers the same lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 track previously reviewed.

Reign of the Supermen 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The UHD disc has no extras. The included standard Blu-ray contains the extras listed here.

Reign of the Supermen 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I've already expressed my disappointment with RotS as a film, but its 4K rendition offers encouraging signs that DC and Warner may have finally caught on to the trick of making these UHDs worth considering. Since the companies' commitment to the format seems unshakeable, they might as well use it to add visual value, even if there's only so much that 4K/HDR treatment has to offer the DCAU. RotS may not provide demo material for UHD, and it's still not a good film, but if you're committed to collecting the series, the 4K is the better presentation.