8.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.1 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
They were perfect strangers, set to pull off the perfect crime. When a heist goes horribly wrong, the surviving criminals begin to suspect that one of them is a police informant.
Starring: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Steve BuscemiCrime | 100% |
Thriller | 83% |
Dark humor | 78% |
Mystery | 29% |
Heist | 27% |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0 (192 kbps)
English, English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
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.
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.
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.
The 4K UHD disc only offers "Bookmarks" as it sole ostensible supplement. The 1080 disc in this package has the following bonus items:
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.
1992
1992
15th Anniversary
1992
15th Anniversary Edition
1992
15th Anniversary
1992
Mondo X Steelbook Series 013
1992
15th Anniversary Edition
1992
2000
1994
1998
1997
2012
Uncut Version
2000
2005
Whole Lotta Sole
2011
2006
2-Disc Special Edition
2008
2006
2008
Limited Edition
1993
2005
2012
2012
Grindhouse Presents Death Proof | Extended and Unrated
2007
2011
2013
2003