World War Z 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

World War Z 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Shout! Factory has released the popular 2013 film 'World War Z,' Directed by Marc Forster and starring Brad Pitt, to the UHD format. New UHD specifications include 2160p/Dolby Vision video. The included Blu-ray has also been remastered. All three cuts include DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless audio. Shout! presents the film on both UHD and remastered Blu-ray in the "Theatrical Cut" (1:55:58) while a second Blu-ray disc presents the film in an "Extended, Unrated Cut" (2:03:04). There is also a blend of new and returning supplements, the latter of which carry over from Paramount's 2013 Blu-ray release.

World War Z 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from the included remastered 1080p Blu-ray disc.

This set contains remastered Blu-ray (Theatrical cut) and UHD (also theatrical cut) presentations. First, a few words on the Blu-ray. The remastered Blu-ray is not far and away distinct from the Paramount issue or from the extended cut presentation. In terms of detail, the Blu-ray looks like a wash; there's not much gain for overall clarity, definition, and the like. Viewers would be hard-pressed to note more than cursory gains to sharpness, if often even that. Brightness is increased on the remastered disc. That is the big observation here. The image looks fine, but the boost to brightness does rob the picture of some of its natural atmosphere and the tonal darkness that is key to its visual tempo. It's not bad, but it is different. Then there are some shots where the brightness actually seems diminished, and the Blu-ray looks better. Look at a shot of human remains and ash at the 39:34 mark (42:24 on the extended cut) and note the deeper blacks on the remastered Blu-ray. The remastered Blu-ray plays fine in motion but be aware that the biggest visual difference appears to be the change in brightness factor.

The UHD presentation holds its own as a rather good-looking image overall. Clarity and sharpness are improved, not greatly, but enough to notice clearer definition to facial close-ups, for example, where pores and scruffy hairs are notably sharper and more efficiently presented. The image looks healthy and cinematic, even from a digital shoot and upscaled from a 2K digital intermediate. The resolution boost adds enough crispness and clarity to matter, but not boost the film substantially over the Blu-ray. Still, even the moderate gains make enough of a difference to make this the best version of the film. The Dolby Vision grading presents a good boost to the overall palette. It's not as bright and washed out as the Blu-ray, offering more stable colors, richer depth and color elegance, and more stable ends: black level depth is very good -- improved over the Blu-ray (look back at that aforementioned shot at the 39:34 mark) and white levels are boosted, too (look at the lettering on the screen when the family arrives on the aircraft carrier to start the second act). Additionally, skin tones are more stable and lifelike. The image is free of distracting noise and there are no encode problems, either. This is not the best looking UHD on the market, but it is a very good one. Even if it's only marginally improved over the Blu-ray, the end result is a very pleasing cinema-quality image that sees the film play at what is probably right at its overall best case scenario.

World War Z 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For all three cuts, Shout! Factory has provided a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. This is a technical downgrade from the 10-year-old Blu-ray from Paramount, which included a 7.1 lossless soundtrack. Despite the loss of channels, the track maintains a very high quality. It's deep, spacious, and rich. While it lacks the absolute immersive nuance that a 7.1 track provides, the 5.1 presentation offers no obvious seams or gaps in coverage. The presentation is richly and effortlessly spacious. It's big, bold, and booming as necessary but it is also nuanced and very well detailed at the same time. Musical score is healthy and nicely defined. Action effects are hearty, bass-y, and nicely balanced for power and purpose. The low-end hits hard but never feels overdone. Chaotic action pushes through every channel with incredible power and accuracy. Dialogue is clear and centered for the duration. it is well prioritized even in frenetic zombie action scenes. Certainly, more channels would have meant more fun, and the downgrade is curious and disappointing, but this is at least 5.1 audio at just about its pinnacle.

World War Z 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Shout! Factory brings World War Z to the UHD format with a good number of extras, including all of the carryover extras from the Paramount release while adding a number of supplements that where not on that disc. There are numerous releases of this film, so I am uncertain if some or any of the "new" extras also appeared elsewhere, but they are not part of the initial release from Paramount. As such, anything that was not on the original Paramount release is marked as "new" and reviewed. Carryover content is listed, and reviews can be found by clicking here. Certainly, it is clear that the "new" material is not newly made. This release does not ship with a digital copy, and it appears that there is no slipcover, either.

Blu-ray (Theatrical Cut):

• NEW! Re-Inventing Zombies (1080p, 5:35): Doing something different in the Zombie genre while still honoring the genre's history. It explores zombie look, movement, sounds, and more.
• NEW! Becoming a Zombie (1080p, 10:40): Again, exploring zombie look but with the emphasis here on practical makeup.
• NEW! The Score of World War Z (1080p, 6:17): Inside the making of the film's score, courtesy of Composer Marco Beltrami.
• NEW! How to Survive the Apocalypse (1080p): A five-part feature.
  
  
  • Intro (1:44): Introducing a doctor whose specialty is mobile medicine with an eye towards treatment in the apocalypse.
  • Bug-Out (1:56): The importance of evacuation to a secure location during the apocalypse, of course in a high end "bugout" vehicle.
  • Head for the Hills (1:58): A survival training instructor discusses why it's better to be in the mountains rather than the city during a crisis.
  • Stock Up (1:47): The importance of prepping before an emergency.
  • Take Shelter (2:14): Building an underground survival shelter.
• Origins
• Looking to Science
• WWZ: Production
  
  
  • Outbreak
  • The Journey Begins
  • Behind the Wall
  • Camouflage
• NEW! TV Spots (1080p, 3:19 total runtime): Seven TV spots.
• NEW! Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 2:29).

• NEW! Zombie Town Hall (1080p, 1:08:40): This roundtable discussion featuring the "Knights of the Living Dead" including Steven Schlozman M.D., Max Brooks, and George A. Romero. These titans of the Zombie genre discuss anything and everything "zombie." What a treat for genre fans! From the Denver Film Festival, November 7, 2012.

World War Z 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

World War Z lacks both the dramatic splendor and splattering gore of The Walking Dead. It's also absent the biting social commentary of Romero's classic films, but what it doesn't fail to feature is a robust story, fast-paced action, and insanely detailed special effects. This is huge, entertaining moviemaking done very well by a director with a vision and a keen sense of how to entertain both his core audience and outsiders dabbling in what is a fairly safe but highly intense and oftentimes exhilarating Zombie film. World War Z is built to please, and please it does as one of 2013's most agreeably exciting films. Shout! Factory's UHD bundle release will certainly divide fans who will likely, and probably rightly, bemoan a few key points here, like the absence of 7.1 (or Atmos) audio and the lack of the extended cut being presented in 4K/Dolby Vision. However, the UHD looks very nice in its own right and the 5.1 track is excellent as it is. Shout! has even included some extras that were not on the original Paramount Blu-ray (while also bringing back everything from that release) so on the whole fans should find this release to be well worth the upgrade cost, even if it's clear that there was ample room to make things even more attractive for potential buyers.