7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
In a not-too-distant future, North America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcast throughout Panem. The 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss' young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives.
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth BanksAdventure | 100% |
Action | 81% |
Fantasy | 72% |
Sci-Fi | 56% |
Teen | 30% |
Thriller | 2% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English, English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
UV digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Lionsgate is revisiting one of their most successful franchises, bringing out all four Hunger Games films on 4K UHD. Do these upgrades hit the bullseye? Read on.
Note: The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc. Watch for 4K screenshots at a later date.
The Hunger Games is presented on 4K UHD with a 2160p HDR enhanced transfer in 2.40:1. The film was finished at a 2K DI, and as
I discussed
in our original The Hunger Games Blu-ray review, both the
prevalence of "shaky cam" techniques as well as some significant color grading tend to keep detail levels tamped down at times. There is certainly an
appreciable uptick in fine detail throughout this new 4K UHD presentation, but the biggest difference I noticed probably came courtesy of HDR. There is a
whole new range of rather subtle tones in both the cool slate grays and ice cold blues as well as the misty greens of the forest sequences now. While
these may not add a lot in terms of actual detail or fine detail, they give the film a noticeably more nuanced palette. Close-ups can often provide
spectacular levels of fine detail, though, with elements like facial pores or even flyaway hairs really distinct and precise looking. Just a hint of image
instability can creep in on lateral pans over dense foliage, but it's a minimal issue. As with the original 1080p presentation, contrast is also slightly
variable, but the added benefit of HDR helps to ameliorate some issues, especially in some of the darker sequences. This was shot on good old fashioned
35mm film, and commendably there's none of the slightly noisy looking grain that has accompanied some other 4K UHD releases.
The Hunger Games' already spectacular sounding DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 mix on Blu-ray gets an upgrade to Dolby Atmos (with a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 core) on this new 4K UHD release. I'll refer you to our original The Hunger Games Blu-ray review for some specific comments I offered at the time of the original Blu-ray release, but I'll add that the surround activity is even more pronounced and distinct now, with Atmos' "object placement" really almost palpable at times, especially in sequences in the control room or the supposedly sylvan confines of the forest. The film's score also sounded more spacious to my ears on this new Atmos track. This is really a showcase audio presentation that should delight and perhaps even amaze ardent audiophiles.
There's both good news and bad news with regard to the supplements on this disc as well as the other 4K UHD Hunger Games releases. Many if not most of Lionsgate's other 4K UHD releases have been largely lacking bonus features on the actual 4K UHD discs, with any supplements coming courtesy of the also included 1080p Blu-ray discs. These releases all feature at least some supplements on the 4K UHD discs, which is a good thing, but in the case of The Hunger Games in particular, the second 1080p Blu-ray disc that was included in the original Blu-ray release and which in fact contained most of the supplemental material is not included here. I refer you to our original The Hunger Games Blu-ray review for a complete list of supplements included on that original release. All of the content on Disc One is still available on the included 1080p Blu-ray disc in this package. The 4K UHD disc ports over the following supplements (see the original review for details) as well as including a new commentary:
The Hunger Games has proven itself to be one of the most popular of the so-called YA franchises, and this new 4K UHD release boasts nice looking video and spectacular sounding audio. The only downside is not all of the supplements of the original Blu-ray release have made it through the "games" to appear here. Recommended.
2012
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