The Guns of Navarone 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

The Guns of Navarone 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Sony brings the 1961 World War II Action film 'The Guns of Navarone' to the UHD format. This is the film's second UHD release, following on the heels of the 2021 issue. This new release is largely the same with the exception of added Dolby Vision color grading and SteelBook packaging. It retains the Dolby Atmos audio and supplemental features from the previous UHD release. The bundled Blu-ray, which is identical to the 2011 issue, includes all of the other legacy content.

The Guns of Navarone 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

In the review for the previous UHD release, I called that issue "delightful." As I watched the film again with the Dolby Vision color grading, the first word to spring to mind was "stunning." Sony has delivered a knockout masterpiece for the The Guns of Navarone on the UHD format, delivering another wonderfully filmic experience that appears to maintain the status quo in terms of the master used for the release, offering essentially the same textural experience in terms of grain management, clarity, and definition at the 2160p resolution. The image is a masterstroke of visual excellence that brings the film to life in a way that all but perfectly recreates the cinema experience for home. I believe that the review for this part of the image is best handled by my thoughts from the 2021 disc, which can be seen by clicking here. Also notice that that review contains a few words on an insert that Sony included with the last issue concerning the restoration. Sadly, that insert is not included with this new issue, but it is well worth perusing, anyway.

The major improvement here is the Dolby Vision color grading. While not an absolutely radical departure from the HDR grading, it does offer a more intense color palette, evidenced throughout the range. A bright daylight explosion out on the water at the 31:40 mark stands as some of the best color output in the film for bold intensity, especially given the orange fireball against the blue water and the lighter blue sky. It's a bit more vivid and punchy, fuller and more exciting without appearing to make any fundamental changes, just bringing out the best that the colors have to offer. Contrast that with the many darker shots in the film which enjoy rich blacks that might teeter a time or two towards crush, but there is no mistaking overall black level health and excellence on display. On the other end, whites are bold and bright. The yellow titles at film's start are wonderful, and various examples of clothing, natural greens, and other intense tones offer an accuracy that nudges past the previous HDR UHD. Skin tones are also wonderfully lifelike. This may not be an absolute must-buy for casual fans of the film, but those who are going to watch regularly, or simply want the absolute best picture quality possible, will enjoy the little more life that Sony has squeezed out of the image with this new Dolby Vision grading. This is certainly the finest presentation of the film available.

The Guns of Navarone 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Sony has simply re-issued the existing Dolby Atmos soundtrack from the previous UHD release. Please click here for full coverage.

The Guns of Navarone 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Sony brings The Guns of Navarone to the UHD format for the second time with the same extras from the previous UHD issue, including those on the UHD disc proper as well as those on the bundled Blu-ray, which is identical to the 2011 issue and carries over all of the Blu-ray legacy extras. See below for more on the new UHD extras and a list of the included legacy supplements. For full coverage of the extras from the 2021 UHD, please click here. For full coverage of the extras from the 2011 Blu-ray, please click here. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code is included with purchase.

This release ships in exclusive SteelBook packaging. The front panel depicts the guns protruding from the mountainside, pointed up towards a bright full moon on the top right with an airplane flying in front of it. Below are some wavey waters. It's a dark, but very attractive, panel. The rear panel is almost entirely a dark navy blue with a ship sailing in front of a full moon, center, in a smaller image that only fills the middle portion of the SteelBook. The spine is black with the film's title in white, center. A white UltraHD logo appears at the top and a white Columbia logo appears at the bottom. Inside, the digital copy code is tucked underneath the left-hand-side tabs. The two discs, one UHD and one Blu-ray, are situated on the right in staggered-stacked formation. The inner print is a two-panel spread that features nothing but a solid metallic light blue color.

UHD:

• Optional Roadshow Intermission Card
• Main Title Progression Reel
• Theatrical Trailer

• The Resistance Dossier
• Audio Commentary
• Audio Commentary
• Forging The Guns of Navarone: Notes from the Set
• An Ironic Epic of Heroism
• Memories of Navarone
• Epic Restoration
• A Heroic Score
• Great Guns
• No Visitors
• Honeymoon on Rhodes
• Two Girls on the Town
• Narration-Free Prologue
• Message from Carl Foreman
• Previews
• BD-Live.

The Guns of Navarone 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Now, for the second time, Sony has performed most impressive work for The Guns of Navarone on the UHD format. The picture quality is exceptional, even more so than the previous UHD issue thanks to the added Dolby Vision color grading. The audio is just as good, and all of the legacy content is carried over from both the previous Blu-ray and UHD issues. The SteelBook looks fantastic, too; it's one of my favorites from 2023. Very highly recommended!