Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		0.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

The Nice Guys 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Better late than never.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III February 4, 2025

NOTE: This review was originally published on 2/3 but changes have been made to the "Audio Quality" section.

Nine full years after its Blu-ray debut (which fell about six months after the industry's first wave of 4K titles), Shane Black's action-comedy The Nice Guys finally makes the jump courtesy of Warner Bros., who offers this as part of their ongoing MOD (pressed) line of UHD catalog upgrades. Co-writer/director Black has made a career out of "odd couple" buddy films like Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout, and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (all linked in Michael Reuben's Blu-ray review); The Nice Guys follows suit and features Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling as enforcer Jackson Healy and PI Holland March, who reluctantly team up to find missing teen Amelia (Margaret Qualley) in 1977 Los Angeles.

There's a lot of cussin'.

For a full synopsis and appreciation of The Nice Guys, please read Michael Reuben's review linked above. I'm in total agreement with his assessment of this period piece and its pleasingly goofy vibe; even if the film takes a little longer than expected to really kick in, the momentum remains steady and it holds up well to multiple viewings. The casting is a particular highlight and a handful of supporting characters, including Justice Department official Judith Kuttner (Kim Basinger) and especially Holland's daughter Holly (Angourie Rice), steal the occasional scene in their own unique ways. While it's certainly not for all tastes, those who love most of Black's work will find plenty to enjoy here.

Warner Bros.' belated 4K disc offers appreciated upgrades to the Blu-ray's already-solid video and simply repurposes the Blu-ray's original DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix as well as a pair of short extras. That said, the outstanding UK-based boutique label Second Sight Films has already announced their own 4K Limited Edition due for release later this year, which will likely feature deluxe packaging as well as a slate of new and exclusive bonus features.

The Nice Guys 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

NOTE: These screenshots are sourced from the 4K disc but have been downsampled to 1080p/SDR and should thus not be considered an accurate representation of the film's appearance on UHD.

Warner Bros.' belated UHD presentation of The Nice Guys presumably uses an identical master to their own 2016 Blu-ray edition, which was sourced from a 2K digital intermediate and scored high marks from reviewer Michael Reuben for its rich colors, deep blacks, fine detail, density, and contrast, not to mention a serviceable bit rate that didn't reveal any noticeable compression artifacts. Even without having that disc for direct comparison (and acknowledging the nine-year gap between these two releases), I can safely say that this UHD should either meet or comfortably exceed the Blu-ray from every major angle. 2K upscales obviously can't reveal more genuine fine detail and that's the case here, yet the improved color representation and tighter contrast (thanks to its HDR10 / Dolby Vision capability) certainly yield visual boosts in their own right, such as brighter whites and better-handled mid-range shadows. The format's higher amount of real estate and more efficient HEVC codec also mean a higher bit rate, which in this case routinely doubles and even triples that of the Blu-ray even though the studio regretfully didn't spring for a full-strength 100GB disc. Essentially, the end result is a tighter and more eye-catching upgrade of that already-great transfer, one that doesn't always rise head-and-shoulders above the earlier release but still stands as the best one currently available... for now.

The Nice Guys 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Despite the 4K packaging's insistent "Dolby Atmos" claim, the only available option is DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio, which a reliable source informs me is in fact the original intended mix for this film. As interesting as a brand-new Atmos track might have been, apparently no such mix exists (or has ever existed) for The Nice Guys... but either way, since we only get one track I'm glad it's what was originally intended. Speaking of which, I'll of course again direct you to Michael Reuben's glowing review of WB's 2016 Blu-ray edition for all the still-relevant sonic details.

Optional subtitles, including English SDH, are offered during the main feature and extras listed below.

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

This one-disc MOD (pressed) release ships in a keepcase with no slipcover or Digital Copy, both of which the Blu-ray had. One thing it does carry over is the small assortment of bonus features; they're much too short but still enjoyable enough and covered in more detail in Michael Reuben's Blu-ray review. Even so, this is just one more reason why I'm very eager to check out Second Sight's forthcoming 4K Limited Edition, linked above and below.

• Always Bet on Black (5:27)

• Worst. Detectives. Ever. Making The Nice Guys (6:16)

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

Shane Black's action-comedy The Nice Guys should've received a 4K release along with the Blu-ray back in 2016, but starving fans of this entertaining and somewhat underrated film will be eager to snap up this belated upgrade anyway. The visual benefits are appreciated though maybe a bit less substantial than expected, and of course the near $30 price tag doesn't help either. I'm personally looking forward to Second Sight's forthcoming 4K Limited Edition import and will be covering it later this year, as it will likely feature similar A/V merits but presumably a nice slate of extras and deluxe packaging to boot. Even so, if you're a big fan of The Nice Guys this is a low-risk upgrade that's easy to get.