The Signature Collection / 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital HD

The Lion King 4K Blu-ray, Video Quality 4K

1080p

There are few examples of classic animation on the 4K UHD format at the moment -- some Charlie Brown releases are it -- andis unquestionably the most prominent such release yet. With that stature and the dearth of similar releases undoubtedly comes wide-ranging and wildly varied expectations among the UHD user base, with some perhaps expecting a radically enhanced, somehow sharper or more brilliant, presentation, particularly with so many live films hailing from the same decade in whichreleased besting their previous Blu-ray counterparts by leaps and bounds. That's not the case here, nor will it likely ever be the case, at least within the constraints of modern technology (which would then begin to bring into question source integrity and replication of the original content, which is an entirely different debate).'s previous Blu-ray releases include, primarily, a wide release 2D presentation , a 3D transfer , and a Signature Collection Blu-ray which recycled the previously issued 1080p video transfer. All have rightly been praised for their visual excellence, a few tangential issues notwithstanding. Now, along comes the UHD, released a little over a year after that aforementioned Signature "Circle of Life" edition, with a 2160p video presentation, upscaled from a 2K digital intermediate , and featuring HDR10 color grading. The former does not radically alter the movie's core structural detailing but the latter does offer a shift in the color palette in a way that some may find rewarding and others disappointing, again depending on expectations for the film and the format.In the broadest sense,looks marvelous on UHD. Its bright, bold colors and crystal-clear definition yield a highly impressive visual delight. But texturally, the image is not drastically different compared to the Blu-ray. There's suddenly not more information added to the animation, nor is what is already there more well defined on the macro level. Detailing is largely a parallel move rather than an upward one, revealing perhaps slightly more clarity on complex backgrounds like terrain or trees but never really boosting character definition or overall image sharpness in any meaningful way. The majority of viewers will be hard-pressed to spot improvements in definition, at least on normal home theater size screens; those viewing on much larger projection displays may be the most likely to benefit from any incremental improvements. On the other hand, the HDR colors are what really offset, and elevate, the UHD from the Blu-ray. The image is more solidified with HDR, with firmer, finer colors and more accurate gradations. Animal colors and markings are the most obvious and immediately evident beneficiaries, enjoying a boost in density, boldness, and saturation. The movie is rendered a little "darker" but not dimmer. Bright blue skies, for example, present with a more intensely saturated color that is less purely bright but more naturally grounded. The same goes for green leaves and even earthy terrain and rock formations.Some of the most beneficial qualities of the HDR coloring aren't just superficial but actually help the movie's tonal narrative presentation too. A scene featuring a young Simba and his father Mufasa staring up into the night sky, father telling his son about the ancestors watching over them, enjoys a greater emotional impact with the dark blue night sky a more inviting, deeper shade that is more complimentary to the scene, toned down but deepened at the same time, allowing greater focus on the characters and, more importantly, the ideas Mufasa is sharing with his son and what they mean in the moment and later in the film as well. The same can be said of a scene later in the film when, again in lower light, an older Simba sees and hears his father's spirit in the night sky. Another scene that enjoys greater emotional impact is when Simba finds Mufasa's body after the stampede. The more intensely defined haze and subdued background better support the scene's impact, again keeping focus on the characters and the emotional response by deepening the colors and drawing attention away from, on the Blu-ray, a fairly garish backdrop to a more stable one, the intensely hazy environment more perfectly foreshadowing Simba's uncertain future, both in the immediate aftermath of his father's death and through the years to come.