The Greatest Showman 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

The Greatest Showman 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Is the musical back — again? After the overwhelming success of La La Land, a lot of people were looking toward The Greatest Showman to continue the trend, especially since La La Land’s lyricists Benj Pasek and Justin Paul were on board as songwriters. If lightning didn’t exactly strike twice with The Greatest Showman, it’s still a ravishingly beautiful film to see and listen to, and its 4K UHD presentation is top notch.

The Greatest Showman 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080p Blu-ray.

The Greatest Showman is presented on 4K UHD courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment with a 2160p transfer in 2.40:1. I go over the provenance of the shoot and DI in our The Greatest Showman Blu-ray review, but the bottom line is this is another rather spectacular looking 4K presentation from Fox. There are numerous examples of detail levels looking at least incrementally more precise here, including "little" things like the freckles on young Barnum's face, or some of the textures of the at times opulent costumes. Shadow detail is at least marginally improved in several of the dark interior scenes, as when the kids investigate an abandoned house. There are a number of interesting palette tweaks courtesy of HDR, with the adult Barnum's toapcoat assuming a somewhat more crimson tone, and (interestingly) Jenny Lind's hair actually looking slightly less orange and more toward the auburn side of things in the 4K presentation. The grading of certain sequences, like the dreamlike scenes next to the sea, have a resplendent amber hue that tends to look more generally yellow in the 1080p version. Some of the CGI tends to look even softer in this presentation than in the 1080p version, though that actually worked for me personally, as it added to the whole slightly unreal feeling of this "showbiz" saga.

The Greatest Showman 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Greatest Showman on 4K takes the already superb DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track from the 1080p Blu-ray version and ups the ante with a Dolby Atmos track. Overhead placement of effects is probably most noticeable in some of the museum scenes, as well as the huge fire sequence toward the end of the film, but the entire track bristles with surround activity, and the Atmos track delivers some really forceful energy on the low end as well. Fidelity is excellent across the board, supporting the contemporary sounding score and dialogue elements flawlessly. There's arguably not a huge difference between the Atmos track and "standard" 7.1 track on the 1080p Blu-ray, but what is added here, while subtle at times, is noticeable and extremely enjoyable.

The Greatest Showman 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Fox has ported over only three of the supplements from the 1080p Blu-ray, basically all the "audio" related features: the audio commentary, the Music Machine and the Sing-Along. For complete details, as well as a listing of all of the supplements included on the 1080p Blu-ray disc also included in this package, please consult our The Greatest Showman Blu- ray review.

The Greatest Showman 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Regular readers of my reviews know I have a soft spot for musicals, and with that in mind, I largely enjoyed The Greatest Showman even if some elements didn't totally work for me. One way or the other, this film is a nonstop array of movement, spectacle and thumping music, and its 4K UHD presentation is excellent. Recommended.