The LEGO Batman Movie 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

The LEGO Batman Movie 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Bricks with Sharper Edges

The LEGO Batman Movie is the third release from the reconstituted Warner Animation Group and the second to receive a 4K UHD (and it's a much worthier candidate for such distinction than the execrable Storks). Derived from a 2K digital source, LEGO Batman's 4K rendition isn't a huge step up from the standard Blu-ray, but the benefit of HDR does yield enough improvement to make the disc a worthwhile addition to the small but growing library available to 4K collectors.

The LEGO Batman Movie 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

(Note: Screenshots accompanying this review have been captured from the standard Blu-ray. Additional captures from that disc can be found here and here.)

According to the best information I have been able to obtain, The LEGO Batman Movie was a 2K creation, and its appearance on Warner's 2160p, HEVC/H.265-encoded UHD tends to bear that out. Fine detail, in both closeups and extended vistas, does not noticeably improve with 4K treatment. There are improvements over the standard Blu-ray, and a good example is noted by one of the participants in the group commentary, who encourages viewers to study the Boy Wonder's gold cape, which sparkles more brightly and gains finer variations in texture with the benefits of HDR encoding. Similar improvements can be observed throughout: on Batman's cowl, which displays an almost tactile sense of realism as it shifts and reflects the digitally generated "light"; on the manifold surfaces of the mechanized Batcave, as first Batman and then Robin pass through its various crowded chambers and storage areas; in the streets of Gotham City as the Batmobile (and other vehicles) race to their destinations; and even in the stark interiors of Arkham Asylum with its grimly uniform walls. Colors are more intense and differentiated. The green of Joker's hair contrasts even more sharply with the purple of his standard uniform; the blue sweater and red pants that Dick Grayson is wearing when he first meets Batman pop more intensely from the frame (just as Dick is attempting to "pop" himself from the crowd of orphans); and the new Commissioner Gordon (a/k/a Barbara, a/k/a Batgirl) has red hair that is even redder. When Dick and Batman raid the Fortress of Solitude, the constrast between the structure's icy blue and the arctic illumination (from Aurora Borealis?) is noticeably more pronounced.

The cumulative effect of these and many other fine-tunings in contrast and color intensities is to impart greater depth and immediacy to the proceedings and to provide superior clarity for the multiple layers of action in LEGO Batman's busiest scenes. The added sense of depth doesn't quite achieve the full impact of the film's 3D presentation, but it comes remarkably close—with the added benefit of the superior Atmos soundtrack that the 3D disc omits.

[System calibrated using a Klein K10-A Colorimeter with a custom profile created with a Colorimetry Research CR250 Spectraradiometer, powered by SpectraCal CalMAN 2016 5.7, using the Samsung Reference 2016 UHD HDR Blu-ray test disc authored by Florian Friedrich from AV Top in Munich, Germany. Calibration performed by Kevin Miller of ISFTV.]

The LEGO Batman Movie 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

LEGO Batman's 4K disc contains the same choice between Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio tracks as the standard Blu-ray. As noted in that disc's Blu-ray review, the Atmos track is superior, though not a standout among Atmos tracks I've heard to date. As with the standard Blu-ray, the UHD defaults to DTS-HD MA, which means that if you insert the disc and press play, you'll get lossless DTS. Be sure to select Atmos from the menu. (I have asked Warner the reason for including the redundant DTS lossless track but have not received an answer.)

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

The UHD disc contains the same group commentary previously reviewed here. The included standard Blu-ray contains the commentary and the rest of the extras previously reviewed.

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

Animation may not be the likeliest genre for 4K "demo" discs that will convert skeptics, but Warner seems committed to producing them. It has already announced a UHD for its upcoming direct-to-video Batman and Harley Quinn, which is the thirtieth film in its DC Universe Animated Original Movies. If the studio is genuinely committed to presenting animation in 4K, it should consider upping the budget for these films to render them at a higher resolution, which would provide a better source for UHD and a more impressive final product. In the meantime, we have LEGO Batman, which is recommended for 4K collectors and fanatics, but those currently sitting on the sidelines will be just as happy with the standard Blu-ray.