Pacific Rim: Uprising – 4K UHD Blu-ray Review

Posted on June 19, 2018 by Brendan Surpless

Film Title: Pacific Rim: Uprising
Release Date: 2018
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 111 minutes
Region Coding: Region A
Studio: Universal Studios
Audio Format: Dolby Atmos
High Dynamic Range: HDR (HDR10) & Dolby Vision
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Formats Available: 4K UHD Blu-ray
Versions Available: 4K Blu-ray / 4K Blu-ray & Blu-ray 3D
Director: Steven S. DeKnight
Cast: John Boyega, Scott Eastwood, Cailee Spaeny, Burn Gorman, Charlie Day, Tian Jing, Adria Arjona

The Movie

“Pacific Rim: Uprising” is the second entry in the “Pacific Rim“ series, but is not directed by Guillermo Del Toro (he produced the film) this time around (he turned down the project to go direct “The Shape of Water“, which would go on to win Best Picture – pretty good move, in my opinion).

The year is 2035, and it has been roughly 10 years since the “Battle of the Breach.” Former Jeager pilot Jake Pentecost (John Boyega, son of Stacker Pentecost – from the 1st film) makes his living stealing and sealing abandoned Jaeger parts in the Los Angeles area. He soon finds himself in hot water and he and a 15-year-old Jeager enthusiast Amara Namari (Cailee Spaeny) are arrested by the Pan-Pacific Defense Corp. Jake is given an ultimatum by his adoptive sister PPDC Secretary General Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi) – jail or return to the PPDC as an instructor to new pilots with Amara in tow. He obviously chooses the latter.

Upon arrival at the base in China, Jake meets fellow co-pilot Nate Lambert (Scott Eastwood). It’s soon learned that, by Mako, that the PPDC Jaeger program is threatened by Shao Corporation, and their mass deployment of Jaeger type drones. Before she can give her final assessment of the Jaeger drone program, Mako is killed by a rogue Jaeger, the once thought to be obsolete “Obsidian Fury.” Nate and Jake immediately believe Mako was not accidentally killed, and the two are determined to investigate further into this. What results is a film that, while not as ground-breaking and thrilling as the first, still holds its own due to a few impressive battle sequences.

Movie Rating: 4 (out of 5)

Video Quality

“Pacific Rim: Uprising” comes to 4K UHD Blu-ray in the 2.40:1 aspect ratio, in full 2160p 4K with both HDR (HDR10) and Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range formats. According to the technical specifications on IMDb, the film was shot digitally using the Arri Alex XT Plus Camera at 2.8K and 3.4K resolution, and mastered in 2K. That being said this is an up-conversion to 4K, despite having higher quality source material.

Comparing this transfer to the included Blu-ray, the biggest area of improvement (not that the Blu-ray looked poor by any standards,) is in the finite detail. With this being an effects heavy film, detail is of the utmost importance. Whether it be a close up of a simple hair on a beard, or the wider shots of the huge terrains used throughout, detail impresses throughout the entire transfer. The larger Jaeger and Kaiju never falter in image quality, with only a few moments making the creature look a bit ‘off’ (in terms of CGI).

HDR-wise, this is a demo disc simply put. Skin tones are accurate, as are flesh tones. Black levels remain deep, dark and accurate. Brighter colors, like that of red blood, yellow sunshine, blues of Kaiju, whites of Siberia, on and on. HDR here just makes this a heck of a lot more visually fun to look at.

All in all, this is a demo worthy disc, just like the prior film (look for that review very soon – possibly within the week).

Video Quality Rating: 5 (out of 5)

Audio Quality

Audio quality on the 4K UHD Blu-ray is Dolby Atmos. Akin to that of some of my prior 4K UHD Blu-ray reviews, I’m going to focus on one particular sequence.

As one might expect, the final battle sequence is something to behold here. Just like the final encounter in the first “Pacific Rim“, the last fight is one of the best demos to date. If you simple move your head completely around during this, you will notice how well placed every little effect is. Everything is thrown at us, whether it be simple dialogue in the front, or crashing of a Jaeger in the surrounds. The film’s score also compliments this scene well, adding in a sense of urgency and heightened action. Truly great demo material here.

Simple others thing, like that of dialogue, is always well-produced with no instance of drop out. Surrounds, outside of the above aforementioned moment, are well placed never overwhelming the listener, but agreeing with what is occurring in the film. LFE is deep and immersive, particularly whenever these giant monsters walk. The boom of their footsteps create quite the low-end, with a solid ‘oomph’ to the mix.

All in all, just like the first film, another demo worthy mix.

Audio Quality Rating: 5 (out of 5)

Bonus Materials

A Digital Copy of the film via Movies Anywhere is included, which is compatible with iTunes, Vudu, Amazon Prime Video and more. You redeem this with a code on paper insert in the various forms of packaging.

Bonus Materials are actually on the 4K UHD Blu-ray Disc and the included Blu-ray. They are comprised of the following:

Audio Commentary with Director Steven S. DeKnight
Deleted Scenes (HD) – Roughly 7 minutes of deleted scenes are shown with optional commentary by the Director.
Hall of Heroes (HD) – A rather quick 3 minute introduction to the Jaeger’s in the film by John Boyega.
Bridge to Uprising (HD) – Another quick 4 minute interview with the cast and crew on the connection of the first film and the sequel.
The Underworld of Uprising (HD) – A 4 minute look into the characters’ origins.
Becoming Cadets (HD) – A 6 minute look into the film’s secondary characters.
Unexpected Villain (HD) – A 6 minute look into the film’s villain.
Next Level Jaegers (HD) – A 5 minute look into the new Jaeger’s feature in the film.
I Am Scrapper (HD) – A 3 minute look into the new Jaeger known as “Scrapper.”
Going Mega (HD) – A 3 minute look into the Kaiju in the film.
Secrets of Shao (HD) – Another short 3 minute look into one of the film’s key characters.
Mako Returns (HD) – A 2 minute look into the return of Mako.

It’s worth thanking Universal Studios for being kind enough to put the bonus materials actually on the 4K UHD Blu-ray Disc. Not enough studios do this, leaving you having to pop the included Blu-ray Disc in usually to experience the bonus materials. So good job on that!

Bonus Materials Rating: 3 (out of 5)

Closing Thoughts

“Pacific Rim: Uprising“, while not as excellent as the original, is able to stand on its own due to a few downright impressive monster battles. Universal’s 4K UHD is another winner with demo worthy video and audio presentations, and a few solid bonus features. This is well recommended for fans of the film, as well as those looking for their new demo title to show off their home theater.

In terms of 4K UHD Blu-ray release, this gets:
5 (out of 5) for video quality
5 (out of 5) for audio quality
3 (out of 5) for bonus materials