The Bourne Legacy 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Bourne Legacy 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 Ultimatum' and the other previous 'Bourne' films to 4K UHD Blu-ray in conjunction with new movie's release. How does the franchise's side movie fare on the fancy new format? Read on...

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

Another Bourne, another one photographed on film and reportedly finished at 2K. That said, Universal's 2160p/HDR-enhanced image is a winner and, of the four "legacy" Bourne movies making the jump to UHD, easily the best looking of the bunch. The HDR coloring brings with it a more refined palette. Aaron's red winter jacket is less vibrant but much more nuanced on the UHD format, clearly lacking the punch the Blu-ray features and taking on a more realistic tone that sacrifices vividness for integrity. The flux in contrast does lessen smaller color patches and can drastically alter the way the movie looks; lipstick and blue eyes, for instance, are subdued a great deal while a white-dominant science lab loses some of its color nuance on the UHD, favoring a more monochromatic light gray appearance. Which one "looks" better is subjective, but the difference in contrast is pretty startling either way. Fine detailing isn't a runaway improvement, but a minor boost in core structural details and finer point qualities alike is evident across the board. Black levels are fine and skin tones appear a little more full and flush on the UHD. In sum, the UHD's HDR color palette is much more reserved while detail sees a slight uptick. This one's close; subjectively speaking, it's easy to make the case for the Blu-ray being the superior of the two for what looks like, in this case, a more naturally punchy, but never gaudy, color scheme.

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

Universal has upgraded The Bourne Legacy from a well-received DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack to a DTS:X soundtrack, which in addition to the 7-channel spread adds a top layer effect to the mix. In a word, it's terrific. Whereas the other Bourne movies -- Supremacy and Ultimatum in particular -- went full-on aggressive but lacked just a smidgen of clarity, Legacy masters the balance between loud, booming, and ultra-detailed. Music is powerful and triumphant, unafraid to push as hard as it can while maintaining a distinct clarity throughout the film. Rear channel activity is near constant and just as aggressive as the front, but it still maintains a balance and richness even through all of the saturation, not to mention the prodigious bass in accompaniment. Environmental atmospherics are stunningly detailed and clear. Blistery winter winds and driving downpours and thunder push through and saturate the stage, respectively, both featuring a steady overhead layer. An alarm klaxon blares in the background at about the 45-minute mark, and gunfire from an HK USP compact handgun punches with plenty of depth and vigor. Heavy rifle shots early in the film, fired into a wilderness expanse, reverberate with incredible authenticity and flow through the stage. Dialogue delivery is grounded in the center, well prioritized, and lifelike. Simply, the track is a beast and a reference listen through-and-through.

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

The only extra included on the UHD disc is a carryover audio commentary track. 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.

• Deleted Scenes
• Re-Bourne
• Enter Aaron Cross
• Crossing Continents: Legacy on Location
• Man vs. Wolf
• Wolf Sequence Test
• Moving Targets: Aaron and Marta
• Capturing Chaos: The Motorbike Chase
• Audio Commentary

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

Universal's UHD/HDR release of The Bourne Legacy is the most consistent of the first four Bourne films, but it's also the one that's more of a toss-up as to which version is the best. The case can be made for either, with finer point detailing evident on the 2160p image but the UHD's HDR colors less vibrant. Both look amazing, and those who have yet to own the film are best served picking this up, seeing that it offers both versions. Fans who already own the fantastic Blu-ray are probably best served sticking with that.