Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.5

Reservoir Dogs 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman November 15, 2022

Reservoir Dogs came out on 1080 Blu-ray so long ago that the first release from Lionsgate Films was actually branded as the 15th Anniversary Edition, and it perhaps also has a kind of database notoriety of some kind by being in the first 100 titles aggregated here by this very site (the 1080 disc shows a release date of 2007 and is the 62nd disc entered into the database here). As is their wont, Lionsgate later re-released the disc several times, including as part of the Tarantino XX: 8-Film Collection, and now they're back to the well again, though at least this time they've taken the commendable route of remastering both the 1080 and 2160 presentations. (Our first review of the 1080 disc is so early in this site's history that it doesn't even offer screenshots.) The general consensus is that the first 1080 release was not up to par, and fans of the film will probably be chomping at the bit to see if Lionsgate has upped the ante with this release.

Typically I point readers to previously written reviews of releases that have had prior 1080 discs put out, but in this case the review on the site is so early in the site's history that there are no screenshots (as mentioned above), and while certainly not a rarity, the (unknown to me) reviewer's technical assessments are pretty mightily challenged by several member reviews. I think virtually everyone interested in this title will have at least some inkling of what's in store plot wise, but I will simply state that Quentin Tarantino hasn't been especially shy (is he ever?) about discussing various films that inspired this one, including everything from The Killers to Django (the latter film obviously inspired another Tarantino effort, at least vis a vis its title). To that list (which I haven't even offered a complete version of here) I'd add the recently reviewed Symphony for a Massacre, at least in terms of a story which deconstructs the whole idea of there not being any honor among thieves.

I'd also mention that Tarantino's well known fondness for "meta" elements is on display literally from the get go with this first feature of his, and some of the discussions between the criminal element in this film most certainly presage later, "Whopper-esque", dialogue in such films as Pulp Fiction. Tarantino's also well known love and curation of Hollywood history not only suffuses this film but is literally on screen in the form of Lawrence Tierney, who is still a visceral, feral presence in what might euphemistically be termed middle age.

Reservoir Dogs 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 disc included in this package. Because this is just the latest release I've covered where a new 1080 version is being offered with the 4K UHD disc, and as of the writing of this review no standalone 1080 disc of this version is being offered, I'll discuss both formats simultaneously in my comments below. Also because there's no separate 1080 release I'm including 20 screenshots with this review rather than our standard five for 4K UHD reviews.

Reservoir Dogs is presented on 1080 Blu-ray and in 4K UHD (2160) courtesy of Lionsgate Films in 2.35:1. The first Blu-ray was actually encoded via MPEG-2 at relatively paltry bitrates and I finally viewed it when Lionsgate sent the Tarantino XX set to me years ago. I frankly would have given the transfer a substantially lower score than the site's review does, but cutting to the chase, this new release is a real stunner in both formats included. I have long been on record as sometimes not finding the increased 2160 resolution and added dynamic range as being especially helpful in grain resolution for shot on film properties, but for anyone saying "it has to look that way", I'd simply point them to the 4K UHD version of Reservoir Dogs for a very appealing looking argument to the contrary. While both the 1080 and 2160 versions offer really beautifully "tight" resolution for the most part, I was especially buoyed by the appearance of grain on the 4K UHD disc, since I have what's almost a Pavlovian fear response to things at this point (Lionsgate releases seem especially prone to really chunky, almost dirty, looking grain on some of their 4K UHD releases that were shot on film). But both a beautifully saturated and vibrant palette and typically excellent fine detail levels also grace both presentations. Dolby Vision and/or HDR give some special punch (no pun intended) to some of the grisly reds and purples of things like wounds and bruises, but if there are a couple of small deficits in the 4K presentation, I'd personally say they fall in the color grading and levels of shadow detail. The 4K UHD version looks a bit warmer to me than the 1080 version, with slightly flushed flesh tones at times. Also, it may be that the almost bottomless pit of blacks that Tarantino famously wanted to exploit can still lead to some very minor crush at times in the 4K version. I've kind of made fun of the almost intentionally random 4K UHD releases Lionsgate has been putting out, and some of those releases have definitely not been up to par in my estimation, but Reservoir Dogs has received some beautiful attention with this release and I can't imagine fans not wanting to replace their old Blu-rays if in fact they even still have them.

Reservoir Dogs 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Both discs feature Dolby TrueHD 5.1 tracks, which preserve some often fun and at least occasionally surprisingly subtle surround effects. While the "showier" aspects of the track in more violent scenes bristle with excellent energy, I was actually struck at times more by more nuanced shifting of ambient environmental effects in some of the theatrical tracking shots Tarantino uses (as in some of the "pop culture" conversation scenes around the table). The often pointed source cues also fill the side and rear channels invitingly and some of the funkier cues have really expressive midrange and low end. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English and Spanish subtitles are available.

Vis a vis nothing in particular other than the way menus are designed, I don't think Lionsgate has done itself any favors on the audio menus of some its recent 4K UHD releases, where they only offer a generic "Dolby" listing and logo along with the appropriate number of channels, which really doesn't help to differentiate between a Dolby TrueHD track and a Dolby Digital track, as on these discs.

Reservoir Dogs 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The 4K UHD disc only offers "Bookmarks" as it sole ostensible supplement. The 1080 disc in this package has the following bonus items:

• Deleted Scenes (SD; 12:43)


• Playing It Fast and Loose (HD; 15:43) is a fun retrospective featuring a number of talking heads like author Sharon Waxman who are rather weirdly kind of randomly introduced fairly late in the proceedings.


• Profiling the Reservoir Dogs (HD; 7:06) offers brief introductions (with perhaps comical psychobabble analyses) to the main "colorful" characters.

Additionally, a digital copy is included and packaging features a slipcover.

Reservoir Dogs 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Reservoir Dogs is, as one of the talking heads in the retrospective featurette included on the 1080 disc mentions, a film made by a video clerk who really wanted to see something he hadn't seen before. In terms of seeing something you haven't seen before, at least in terms of home video releases of Reservoir Dogs, I have to say this very appealing new release offers this film in generally gorgeous transfers in both formats. Highly recommended.