Unbreakable 4K Blu-ray delivers stunning video and great audio in this excellent Blu-ray release
A man emerges from a horrific train crash as the sole survivor and without a single scratch on him. He meets a mysterious stranger who believes comic book heroes walk the earth.
For more about Unbreakable 4K and the Unbreakable 4K Blu-ray release, see Unbreakable 4K Blu-ray Review published by Martin Liebman on September 29, 2021 where this Blu-ray release scored 4.0 out of 5.
Disney has released Director M. Night Shyamalan's 2000 film 'Unbreakable' to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/HDR video and
DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless audio. The included Blu-ray disc has also been remastered. No new supplemental content has been included.
An old axiom of physics states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. What
if the same held true biologically, as some sort of unexplainable phenomena guided the
population, creating one man to offset another? That's the theme examined
in Unbreakable, starring Bruce Willis as David Dunn, a security officer at the local Philadelphia
college,
and Samuel L. Jackson as Elijah Price, owner of a high-scale comic book shop and art
gallery. These two men find themselves on opposite ends of the spectrum, Elijah a successful
store
owner, yet fragile and frail due to a congenital condition with a fancy sounding medical appellation
I failed to take note of, and David a man on the verge of divorce, a
former
football star whose never been sick or injured in his life. When Elijah hears news of David's
miraculous survival of a fatal train crash, a crash killing every passenger save for David, Elijah
approaches him, hoping to finally find his antithesis, the strong man who counters his own
defects,
a man who unlike Elijah never gets hurt, a person to protect and guard the rest of us. If David is
indeed this man, and Elijah suspects he is, David will have to first convince himself retracing old
steps and taking new ones to prove his worth, showcase his talents, and become a hero in the
truest sense of the word.
The included screenshots are sourced from the remastered 1080p Blu-ray disc included in this set.
First things first, and that is to note that the Blu-ray disc included with Unbreakable has been remastered; Disney has not simply dropped
the
old disc into the UHD package and called it a day. Beyond a subtle shift in aspect ratio from 2.35:1 to 2.40:1, the picture, clearly sourced from the
same master utilized for the UHD disc, offers more balanced color timing -- delivering superior skin tones, for starters, but also less garish tones in
general, finding a soothing warmth and accuracy. Overall clarity and filmic finesse are increased as well. The change are not dramatic, but the little
improvements here and there add to a much more satisfying experience overall. Therefore, fans still enjoying Blu-ray only would be wise to upgrade,
even if this release is highlighted by the UHD disc.
The 2160p/HDR UHD presentation is satisfyingly solid all-around. While it's certainly better than either the original 2008 or new 2021
remastered
Blu-ray, the improvements, particularly between this and the remastered 1080p disc, are subtle but, like the difference between the two Blu-ray
discs, they
do add up to the point that the upgrade is a worthwhile one. This is not a "show stopper" or a "reference quality" presentation by any means, but it's
pleasantly filmic and sharp. Grain management is excellent; Disney's disc retains a pleasing, organic grain structure that emphasizes the film roots
and
accentuates the natural details on display. The 2160p resolution allows for a well defined assortment of details, even as the film is fairly dark and
warm
overall. Facial features are more intimate and intricate compared to the Blu-ray (take a look at a close-up depicting Mr. Glass at the 29:39 timestamp
and David
Dunn at the 37:40 mark for a couple of
high point examples of this disc's ability to reveal exceptional facial clarity), offering a bit of a sharpness uptick and improved sense of clarity to
the
fine-point details, though certainly this is not a radically transformative image; the UHD simply squeezes out more of the natural film resolution and
object
sharpness. The picture has a mild softness about it, at times, but the core picture is commendably sharp to the filmic source and Shyamalan's and
Cinematographer Eduardo Serra's intentional stylization.
The HDR color grading adds the usual array of improvements compared to the Blu-ray, including improvements to color depth, density, detail, and
accuracy. Blue skies (16:20), purple attire and gray comic shop walls (26:45), and other highlight color examples are rendered more faithfully and
fully, certainly boasting boosted contrast to offer a fuller, livelier picture. The picture appears more evenly balanced, and even as it's a dark film with
warm tones and color timing interspersed and dominant even in well-lit scenes, the picture feels more lively and authentic here. Skin tones are
excellent, again with some scattered (and seemingly inherent to the source) softer and pasty examples intermixed, but when the image is on, which
is most of the time, it's a delight. Whites are crisp and accurate, beyond the remastered Blu-ray (opening text and titles, the card Glass leaves on
Dunn's windshield), and black levels are superior for depth and accuracy. The picture is free of any serious print wear or encode/authoring issues.
This is a fine UHD release from Disney.
For whatever reason, Disney has opted not go the Dolby Atmos (or DTS:X) route for its UHD release of Unbreakable, instead offering a DTS-HD
Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack which replaces the original release's LPCM 5.1 track (the DTS track is on the UHD and the remastered Blu-ray).
The presentation does not sound like a radical departure from the LPCM track, and even in the absence of added channels it's a full and healthy
presentation. There is none of the semi typical Disney tampering at work here, no obviously reduced volume or muted bass. That is not to say the
movie is a sonic powerhouse in either of those areas -- it is not -- but it's well accurate and stable. Location fill is very pleasing in packed football
stadium corridors as heard in several scenes. Light rain, blowing wind, and a few distant thunder cracks around the 87-minute mark are a highlight of
excellent environmental fill. Musical engagement is clear, wide, and folded into the surrounds with well balanced positioning, and the low end offers a
stabilizing depth. There is a terrific feel of submerged depth in chapter 23 during an underwater fight. The scene might could stand a little more low end
intensity, but the feeling of surround engagement and the depth that's there is fine. Dialogue is clear and center positioned. It is also well prioritized
throughout.
Disney's UHD disc contains no extras but the remastered Blu-ray disc includes all of the extras from the 2008 disc and adds nothing more; this is the
only area where there has not been some change made to the presentation. See below for a list of what's included and please click here for more details. A digital copy code is included with purchase.
Unbreakable holds up as a truly amazing cinema experience and Disney's new UHD makes for an excellent way to watch it. The new
2160p/HDR video presentation delights, the 5.1 lossless soundtrack more than holds its own, and the included extras, even only ported over from the
2008 disc, are fine. Highly recommended, and collectors should take note of the available SteelBook packaging variant.
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Disney will bring to Blu-ray M. Night Shyamalan's thriller Unbreakable (2000), starring Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Robin Wright, Spencer Treat Clark, and Charlayne Woodard. The release will be available for purchase on September 21.
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