Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Big Lebowski 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 14, 2018

Universal has released Joel and Ethan Coen's classic film 'The Big Lebowski' to the UHD format. The 2160p/HDR presentation is a marked improvement over the previous Blu-ray and one of the better presentations on the format. The UHD disc additionally features a new DTS:X Master Audio soundtrack. No new extras are included, but the bundled Blu-ray is identical to that previously released in 2011 and carries over all of its supplemental materials.

“Dude” (Jeff Bridges) is the self-appointed title of one Jeffrey Lebowski, by all accounts one of the laziest people in the entire world. A connoisseur of White Russians, a good J, and the sport of bowling, the unemployed Lebwoski scrapes by on life on the high, mooching where he can but generally living happily within his modest state of existence, which he shares with his bowling teammates, the oddball Donny (Steve Buscemi) and the unhinged Vietnam veteran Walter (John Goodman). One evening, Dude returns home to a couple of thugs who have invaded his space. His head is repeatedly flushed in the toilet and he’s asked about money he (or his wife) apparently owes to someone named Jackie Treehorn, a prominent pornographer in the Los Angeles area. Dude of course knows nothing, and it turns out the thugs have the wrong Lebwoski; they’re looking for a millionaire with a trophy wife, not a loser who lives out his life with a drink in his hand. To add insult to injury, one of the men urinates on Dude’s rug. “It really tied the room together,” he says, and seeks compensation (i.e. a new rug) for his loss from the thugs’ true target, the millionaire Lebowski (David Huddleston), a disabled Korean War veteran and a self-centered man who is high on his own success and demeaning of those who are not on, or working to approach, his level. When the “Big” Lebowski’s wife is kidnapped, the Dude is called in to facilitate an exchange of money for her life. The plan goes awry, leaving Dude in the middle of a growing war over $1,000,000 in which he wants no part. "Careful man, there's a beverage here!"

For a full film review, please see Jeffrey Kauffman's writing here (the movie score above reflects my own).

The Big Lebowski 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc. Watch for 4K screenshots at a later date.

For its UHD debut, there's absolutely no reason to mark The Big Lebwoski's 4K/HDR transfer a zero. In fact, it's a stellar image and a significant upgrade over the previously released VC-1 encoded Blu-ray. The image appears a little dull and flat in the opening moments over the desert outskirts of Los Angeles, but once action shifts to the supermarket, the color explosion, stabilized detailing, and filmic veneer begin to take shape, and with screen-commanding authority. The HDR color presentation in that scene reveals an intense, well saturated barrage of colors against white and off-white colors, under harsh grocery store lighting at that, in the opening minutes. Scenes inside the bowling alley reveal a more finely saturated and intensely bold accent coloring, a quality that carries over to Jesus' colorful apparel. The end scene features a superior presentation of the ash-scattering ceremony. The add in color saturation and density and vibrancy of the red coffee can and the blue sky above the characters presents a startling transformation from the Blu-ray that, combined with the significant add in detailing, makes it a 4K/HDR reference-worthy scene. Black level depth is greatly improved throughout the film, particularly in exterior shots outside the bowling alley or when Walter takes a crowbar to a red sports car at night. Flesh tones are more even and accurate as well.

The UHD's benefits do not end with its beautiful color presentation. The movie was shot on film, and the native 4K resolution is presented with care and accuracy. Grain is constant, light, and complimentary, supporting a wonderfully organic filmic veneer. Textural bounties abound, from the innate clarity of faces to the lines and complexities around the bowling alley, such as the wood floor and the seating and scorekeeping areas. Dude's car, which becomes increasingly more dilapidated as the film progresses, showcases all the wear and rust with remarkable precision. The 4K image presents the grime, mildew, wear, and tear around Lebowski's home, and particularly in his bathroom, with startling, and sometimes nasty, detail. The picture is absolutely a revelation over the Blu-ray in color, detail, clarity, and filmic texturing and cannot even approach the finesse and precision the UHD has on offer. This is one of the most pronounced upgrades on the format yet and one of the finer UHD releases, period. But that's just, like, my opinion, man.

The Big Lebowski 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The new DTS:X Master Audio soundtrack delivers rich, full music with seamless spacing and enjoyable width. Clarity is fine through selections of score and vintage tunes alike (from The Eagles to Kenny Rogers and The First Edition). The sound design is not particularly active to any significant degree. Bowling alley atmospherics gently draw the listener into the location, with more prominent sounds of rolling balls and crashing pins sonically detailed and deep when closer to the action. Smashing glass, a few gunshots, and a handful of additional support elements enjoy crispness and proper stage positioning but never stand out as beyond ordinary. Some of the dream sequences take advantage of the added overhead channels for a little supportive fill, as does the scene introducing Maude; top-layer engagement is limited to minor fill effects and support beyond. Dialogue, which is the primary sonic propellant throughout the movie, enjoys perfectly defined clarity, positioning, and prioritization throughout the film.

The Big Lebowski 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Universal's UHD release of The Big Lebowski contains no extras on the new 4K disc, but the bundled Blu-ray, identical to that released in 2011, carries over all legacy Blu-ray content. For full coverage of the supplemental content, please click here. For convenience, below is a basic listing of what's included. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code is included with purchase and the release ships with a mildly embossed slipcover.

• Worthy Adversaries: What's My Line Trivia
• An Exclusive Introduction
• The Dude's Life
• The Dude Abides: The Big Lebowski Ten Years Later
• Making of The Big Lebowski
• The Lebowski Fest: An Achiever's Story
• Flying Carpets and Bowling Pin Dreams: The Dream Sequences of The Dude
• Interactive Map
• Jeff Bridges Photo Book
• Photo Gallery
• Learn More About the No Kid Hungry Campaign

The Big Lebowski 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Big Lebowski becomes progressively more weird as it moves along, but the film thrives on the story of a simple misunderstanding that lands a slacker and his hot-headed friend in the middle of a convoluted scheme involving a couple of rugs, a severed toe, a woman with baby fever, a briefcase filled with $1,000,000, and a more than a few White Russians. The movie is sharp, witty, quotable, and features some of the best performances from the 1990s, with Bridges and Goodman devouring the material like few actors could, or have in other films. It's great stuff that has finally earned the home presentation it deserves. With perfectly filmic and richly colored 4K/HDR visuals, a complimentary DTS:X Master Audio soundtrack, and a Blu-ray filled with all previously released extra content, one thing is clear: the film is not out of its element on UHD, and it's even modestly priced. Very highly recommended.