The Natural 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

The Natural 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Sony has released Director Barry Levinson's classic 1984 film 'The Natural' to the UHD format. The package includes a new 2160p/HDR video transfer and a Dolby Atmos soundtrack. The bundled Blu-ray is identical that which Sony released in 2010. The UHD includes two cuts of the film: the Theatrical version that Sony released on Blu-ray and a Director's Cut that was previously released to DVD. Also newly included is the film's theatrical trailer.

The Natural 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.

Sony's 2160p/HDR-enhanced UHD release of The Natural is unmistakably gorgeous. It's finely filmic, holding firm to a generally light but crucial grain structure. One of the opening scenes takes audience back in time to Roy Hobbs' childhood, his father teaching him the craft of baseball. The UHD reveals incredibly impressive clarity to woods and grasses and period attire, the former of which Hobbs destroys with his fastball. The image's textural finesse is on display in many places. The Knights' home jerseys are a particular standout, revealing much more of the fabric complexities than the Blu-ray is capable of displaying. The audience will see every fray and appreciate the fabric density and the stitching holding on patches and lettering. The wear in the dugout, complex facial features, infield dirt, and outfield grass appear with much greater clarity and sharpness compared to the aging Blu-ray, which looks rather flat in comparison. Fine facial features are a standout in well-lit scenes, but much of the movie takes place in lower light where the increases in fine-point revelation are not as immediately obvious, though the increase in total screen clarity is. Viewers will note a few shots here and there that appear a little soft, such as some of those in the train around the eight-minute mark where the image does not appear to be entirely in focus.

The HDR color spectrum creates an image that is brighter and livelier on the whole without betraying Levinson's and Cinematographer Caleb Deschanel's aesthetics. The movie often plays dark and is reliant on light and dark as metaphors for Hobbs' character arc and the surrounding world in which he finds himself. The UHD finds the perfect balance, complimenting brighter scenes while holding shadow details to a higher standard than the Blu-ry can provide. The overlaid white text presents with much greater intensity and crispness. Flesh tones appear balanced, the Knights home jerseys are a standout of color evenness and accuracy, and the green grasses at the ballparks offer a rich, lush color. The Selby Hotel exterior at the 26:48 mark is perhaps the finest example of the greatest adds to color brightness -- the better saturation and contrast -- as well as the image's refined textural details; the old Blu-ray appear rather flat and pedestrian by comparison here and most everywhere else, for that matter. The Natural may not be the most visually arresting film on the UHD format, but Sony has done the image justice. This is another UHD that unquestionably proves the format's worth.

The Natural 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Despite allusions to the contrary, The Natural is not a film to offer a thunderous sort of soundtrack with intense effects. There are certainly a few key sound effects of note and some of the best music around courtesy of Composer Randy Newman's unforgettable score. The film's often meager, but well designed, sound needs are conveyed quite nicely via Sony's new Dolby Atmos soundtrack, which replaces the Blu-ray's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless presentation. The first significant sound is a train bell approaching from the left, traversing to the right, followed by the rumbly locomotive itself. There is no discrete overhead component in this shot, but there is a feel for the rattle and rumble as the hulking machine powers through the stage, which includes a fairly large and balanced surround component that pulls the listener directly onto the side of the tracks opposite Robert Redford. Light rumble inside the train a few minutes later, when Roy meets the Whammer, creates a full and detailed feel for the interior sounds. The weather that leads to Roy crafting Wonder Boy delivers full stage storm intensity, from roaring rain to the crackling thunder. Thunder rolls with a quality overhead layer and flow when Hobbs finally gets his first at-bat with the Knights in chapter five, and of course the film's climactic scene relies on a combination of stormy intensity and the film's signature musical cue, both of which play in harmony with the visuals to create one of cinema's most memorable moments. The track folds in some light atmospherics very nicely, including chatter at sparsely populated Knights games during the team's early losing streaks, more crowded intensity as the team begins to play well and draw more fans, and smaller details at clubs and restaurants that pull the listener into the locations. While the track doesn't often utilize the extra channels afforded to it via the Atmos configuration, the subtle feel for full immersion and finer detail is most welcome. Dialogue is clear and grounded in the center but can sometimes sound a little shallow; a beachside conversation in the 64-minute mark represents one of several such examples.

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

This UHD release of The Natural is notable not only for its 4K video and Atmos audio but also for the inclusion of the Director's Cut of the film (2:23:39) as well as the more familiar Theatrical Cut (2:17:46). The UHD disc includes the film's trailer and an introduction to the Director's Cut. The included Blu-ray is identical to that released in 2010 and includes the bulk of this package's bonus content. For full coverage of those supplements, please click here. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code is included with purchase. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

UHD:

• Director's Intro (2160p upscaled, 2:08): Of this cut, Levinson says it offers a "redoing [of] the entire first act, which is much closer to the original intention." This feature was created for the DVD that originally included this cut; it was not made available on the 2010 Blu-ray.
• Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 1:29).

• When Lightning Strikes: Creating The Natural
• Extra Innings
• Clubhouse Conversations
• A Natural Gunned Down: The Stalking of Eddie Waitkus
• Knights in Shining Armor: The Mythology of "The Natural"
• The Heart of The Natural:
• Previews: Additional Sony titles.

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

Like the best Baseball films (such as Field of Dreams), The Natural is not about the sport but rather the human spirit. It's a remarkable tale of talent, perseverance, and purpose. Sony's UHD is resplendent, offering not only rewarding 2160p/HDR video and Dolby Atmos audio but also a Director's cut of the film previously unavailable on Blu-ray. The Natural's UHD release earns my highest recommendation.