The Bourne Identity 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		2.0

The Bourne Identity 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Note: Scores for movie quality, 1080p video, and supplements match those of the review from the original Blu-ray release, penned by a different author. Updated scores pertaining to new content for this release are reflected for the new 2160p transfer and DTS:X sound.

Universal has released 'The Bourne Identity' and the other previous 'Bourne' films to 4K UHD Blu-ray in conjunction with new movie's release. How does the popular franchise-stater fare on the fancy new format? Read on, or just look at the telling "4K Video" score above and move on to the next release.

The Bourne Identity 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

It doesn't require a careful comparison to The Bourne Identity's 1080p Blu-ray counterpart (included here on disc two and simply a repress of the original disc, VC-1 encode and all; that goes for all of the four legacy Bourne films jumping to the UHD format) to notice that something's off about the movie's UHD transfer. It's insanely dreary, dull, and flat. Grain is thinned out, details are pasty, edge enhancement is obvious in places...it's hardly what anyone would reasonably expect of an A-list movie, shot on film, and released to the UHD format from a major studio, particularly when it's banking on a tie-in to a new movie's's release. Really, it's just ugly. But doing due diligence (after plenty of head-scratching but, thankfully, no retching) and comparing this UHD to the original Blu-ray does show just how radically different it looks, so much so it's almost like watching an entirely different movie. Usually, at the most basic, HDR coloring subtly enhances the palette, allowing for improved saturation and nuance. Here, the movie is practically wiped of color. It's heavily pushed towards a tired gray, with all but the most basic color washed right out. There's no vibrancy of any sort, no pop or punch. Detailing might be improved by a smidgen with the boost in resolution. Clothes look -- arguably -- a hair more refined and organic, a tad more complex on the surface, but that's about it. Faces, environments, nothing, really, appears appreciably more natural or nuanced. It's clear that Universal hasn't done anything but slap an old, dated transfer onto the UHD disc and randomly dialed up some change in contrast and called it a day. Shame.

The Bourne Identity 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The DTS:X soundtrack is at least a good listen, imperfect by any definition but nicely supportive and very active through all available channels. Though it lacks the very fine precision and nuance of the best tracks, there's no denying the track's aggression and raw power. The opening rainfall and thunderstorm are certainly not timid, the rain driving and blowing wind pushing through with such ferocity and sense of direction one can almost feel the stinging diagonal, wind-driven drops on the skin. Thunder cracks and rolls through the stage with excellent depth and detail. Overheads are nicely integrated, not dominant by any stretch but finely woven into the aural texture of the scene to enhance the sense of a real-life storm. During this sequence, music builds steadily and aggressively, always playing a little underneath the action but offering, like everything else, full-stage saturation while maintaining an honest balance. Clarity in all of these elements, and indeed throughout the movie, is a little lacking in terms of high-level sophistication; the aggression mostly covers up what is a slight touch of crudeness, but there's no denying the track's awesome abilities at its most fundamental level. Things maintain that level of presentation for the duration. An explosion hits hard later in the movie, and shotgun blasts are potent with a room-filling reverberation. The shots feels intimate and near, not quite so loud as to rattle the eardrums but penetrating the stage with impressive depth and oomph. Light atmospheric effects, whether creaks on a boat, din at the docks, or light details around city and country environments are finely woven into the track. Dialogue is clear, well prioritized, and comfortably positioned in the front-center area of the soundstage.

The Bourne Identity 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The UHD disc contains a carryover audio commentary with Director Doug Liman. All other bonus features (and the commentary, again) are included on the 1080p Blu-ray disc bundled with this release. For a review of that content, please click here. For convenience, below is a bulleted list of what's included. An iTunes/UV digital copy code is included with purchase.

• The Ludlum Identity
• The Ludlum Supremacy
• The Ludlum Ultimatum
• Alternate Opening and Alternate Ending
• Deleted Scenes
• Extended Farmhouse Scene
• The Birth of The Bourne Identity
• The Bourne Mastermind: Robert Ludlum
• Access Granted: An Interview with Co-Writer Tony Gilroy
• From Identity to Supremacy: Jason & Marie
• The Bourne Diagnosis
• Cloak and Dagger: Covert Ops
• Inside a Fight Sequence
• Moby "Extreme Ways" Music Video
• Audio Commentary

The Bourne Identity 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Send a message and skip it. Nothing more to say. Universal has some fantastic movies that will most assuredly release to UHD at some point in the future -- Spartacus, Jurassic Park, Back to the Future, and heck, I'd love to see Tremors -- and one can only hope the studio does its due diligence next time.