The Incredibles 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.5

The Incredibles 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

This UHD is not up to Parr.

Disney has, for the first time, dipped into the catalogue for a UHD release. The digitally animated PIXAR film 'The Incredibles' has that distinction, unsurprising given the pending release of the sequel. The UHD disc is disappointing. HDR color improves the image, but there's little added textural definition. The Atmos soundtrack is inferior to the lossless DTS track, which carries over from the original Blu-ray. No new supplements are included, but this three-disc set retains all of the content from the original two-Blu-ray disc set.

The Incredibles 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc. Watch for 4K screenshots at a later date.

The Incredibles powers onto UHD with a fairly uninspired 2160p/HDR-enhanced presentation. It's certainly an upgrade from the Blu-ray, but it's a modest upgrade. Texturally speaking, there's not a lot of difference between the UHD and the Blu-ray. Some essential textures appear slightly more refined, such as Mr. Incredible's mesh-y top worn in the early segments, while skin textures and the familiar red superhero costumes find a slight increase in clarity and sharpness. Environments, too, enjoy a slightly higher peak of clarity, but just casually looking rather than pixel-peeping and one would be hard-pressed to really notice a difference in terms of raw detail and clarity. On the other hand, the UHD's HDR-10 color enhancement makes a decent bit of difference. Comparisons in a few early movie scenes don't yield much of a increase in color depth, but once the action shifts to the Incredible/Elastigirl wedding, the increase in saturation becomes more obvious. In that scene, her red hair appears much more deeply pronounced and a more vibrant shade of red. Overall color density is generally much improved, particularly other shades of red (The Incredibles costumes) while whites are moire intense, blacks a little deeper and more refined, and the palette generally enjoying a boost in vitality and nuanced yield. There is some aliasing apparent along some sharp, straight edges throughout but other source or encode flaws are very few and far between. Digital animation doesn't have the best track record of scoring significantly more robust on UHD, particularly in terms of textural improvements, and this is no exception. The boost to color is welcome but there's otherwise little reason to upgrade from a perfectly good Blu-ray.

The Incredibles 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Incredibles earns a Dolby Atmos soundtrack for its UHD debut, and it's more than a little underwhelming. First, it's not as pronounced and intense as one might expect. Disney's muting remains an issue, though perhaps not quite so much as in previous releases, though it still requires a bit of upward volume knob adjustment to find a good listening level. Bass is never quite as intense as one might expect from a movie of this nature. A blasting rocket in chapter 21, for example, offers a tangible bass line, but it's nowhere near as potent as it should be, and comparing the scene with the included DTS-HD MA track, and the Atmos' lessened intensity becomes even more obvious. Overheads don't engage with any substantial, distinct elements, either. Take a scene in chapter six when part of a building collapses under the stress of an intensely burning fire. While the surrounds pick up some details, there's no top-end sensation to really drive the moment home. There are some good moments in the track, such whirling blades chasing Dash through the jungle in chapter 23 with some enjoyable stage zip, but the DTS track is again the winner for sheer elemental intensity, which includes a large explosion partway through the chase. The track does present various atmospherics well, musical clarity and spacing are fine, and dialogue is always intelligible and well prioritized, but there's just not much life, verve, or depth to the track. It's a disappointment; choose the DTS track instead.

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

The Incredibles' UHD disc contains no supplemental content, but the pair of bundled Blu-ray discs carry over everything from the 2011 release. Below is a breakdown of what's included. For full supplemental reviews, please click here. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code is included with purchase.

Disc One:

• Audio Commentary: Director Brad Bird and Producer John Walker.
• Audio Commentary: Supervising Animators Tony Fucile, Steven Hunter, and Alan Barillaro and Animators Gini Santos, David DeVan, Jureha Yokoo, Dave Mullins, John Kahrs, Robert Russ, Angus MacLane, Travis Hathaway, Doug Frankel, and Peter Sohn.
• Short Film: Boundin' with optional Director Bud Luckey commentary.
• Short Film: Jack-Jack Attack
• Jack Jack Attack: With commentary by Director Brad Bird, Story Supervisor Mark Andrews, Character Designer Teddy Newton, and Animator Bret Parker.
• The Incredibles Revisited

• Paths to PIXAR: Story Artists
• Studio Stories: Gary's Birthday
• Ending with a Bang: Making the End Credits
• The New Nomanisan: A Top Secret Redevelopment Plan
• Deleted Scenes
• Incredibles Teaser
• Classic Content
• Making of The Incredibles
• Story
• Character Design
• E Volution
• Building Humans
• Building Extras
• Set Design
• Sound
• Music
• Lighting
• Tools
• Mr. Incredible and Pals
• Mr. Incredible and Pals Commentary by Mr. Incredible and Frozone
• NSA Files (Audio +21 Stills)
• Who Is Bud Luckey?
• Vowellett -- An Essay by Sarah Vowell
• Art Gallery
• Easter Eggs

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

The Incredibles: fun movie, iffy UHD release. Digital animation on the UHD format has rarely taken a major leap forward from a well-produced Blu-ray, and this is no exception. HDR color grading certainly brings more visual zest to the proceedings, but textural refinements are minor at best. The Atmos soundtrack is very flat and disappointing, despite a regular deluge of surround activity. No new extras are included. Wait for a good sale (if one ever comes along).