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Christopher Nolan 4K Collection (4K UHD Review & Unboxing)

Christopher Nolan 4K Collection ReviewComparable to what should seem like the enjoyment of seeing a slew of gifts under the tree on Christmas morning why is the 4K enthusiast community in such an uproar over the Christopher Nolan 4K Collection?  We’ll tackle that question down below, but right now let’s take a moment to pause in thought about this monumental release.  Not only did it take a lot of work to get the three different studios to agree releasing them all in one boxset, but ladies and gentlemen this 7 films in 4K from one of the greatest directors of our time, Christopher Nolan.  Sure we’re missing several titles within it, but beggars can’t be choosers.  Even if they just released The Dark Knight only on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray,  I would have been like a pig rolling around in mud.  However, they didn’t stop just there.  This historic 4K boxset released by Warner Bros. includes The Prestige, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, Interstellar and Dunkirk.  Let’s take a closer look at this set down below and I promise to try and answer that question I posed in the beginning of this paragraph the best I can.

Here’s the deal ladies and gentlemen.  This set does not contain the Digital HD redemption codes for each of the films.  I repeat.  This 7-film 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray boxset does NOT contain any Digital HD redemption codes for any of the movies.  That sucks!  I know.  However, let’s review real quick why that is.  Remember me saying up above that this boxset consisted of flicks from three different studios?  Well that’s an act of God alone to get that level of cooperation to release something of this kind of historic magnitude.  Unfortunately, we’re not so lucky with the digital distribution rights regarding Disney, Paramount and Warner Bros.  I hate when this is said to me and I feel even worse having to say it, but it is what it is.  If the Digital HD codes are that important to you, then I’m afraid the individual releases are what you MUST buy then.  Too bad Warner Bros. couldn’t have just thrown you some bones and include codes for their films, but no.  The uproar in the 4K enthusiast community doesn’t stop here though with this boxset.

The second criticism you’ll hear most 4K enthusiasts complain about here is what I’ll call “Case-Gate.”  You’ll notice in my unboxing pictures below that housed inside this cardboard shell here are three individual multiple spindle cases.  That means all those slipcover lovers are out.  I’m not quite sure what the adoration of a cardboard slipcover is, but man oh man do many 4k enthusiasts love them.  Some people are so insane to the point where they won’t even buy a 4K release if it doesn’t have a slipcover.  Others who receive product online without them spend a day and an insane amount of gas driving to stores everywhere to find one with a slipcover.  I don’t know about all you, but give me a sturdy clamshell case any day of the week.  So like I was saying you get three multi-spindle 7-disc Amaray cases here, one for the 7 movies in 4K UHD, one for the 7 movies in 1080p and one for the 7 special features discs.   That makes it a total of 21 discs here.  That’s a lot!  However, once again if you want slip covers or individual cover art, you MUST buy the separate individual 4K releases.  Yep, sorry about that.  I did hear one good thing about this “collection-style” packaging.  The 4K discs here are safer on their own spindle than in the individual cases where they’re simply stacked with the other Blu-ray Discs inside the case.

Sadly it doesn’t stop there either.  Many in the 4K community also report that much of the packaging, specifically the cases, are damaged.  I’m living proof of that (see below in the unboxing pictures).  Others have voice reasonable complaints that their sets were either missing discs or had duplicates of films in there.  Thankfully that wasn’t the case for me.  However, I will say this though.  I would kind of expect a historic boxset release like this to have some kind of booklet inside.  There’s nothing inside here, not even a three page leaflet to welcome you, etc.  It’s bare bones only here, but it’s also cheaper than buying each 4K release individually too.  So there is that.

Last but not least there’s “Audio-Gate.”  I can’t even begin to tell you how many have voiced complaints over these 4K releases containing no Atmos surround audio tracks.  Even after explaining to them these movies were not finished in Atmos and Nolan wants you to experience them as they were originally designed and not artificially injected people still proclaim a double dip is coming.  I don’t know about that, but I do know that Nolan himself personally oversaw the remastering of the DTS-HD Master Audio tracks here in regards to The Dark Knight Trilogy.  However, most folks say they sound only a smidge better than the original Blu-ray ones.  Rumor has it they were upgraded from 16-bit to 24.  What say you?  Do these 4K releases sound better to you?  “Sound” in down below.  I really believe Dunkirk should have had an Atmos track.  Nolan needs to get with the times, but I digress as these still sound great.

Alright now that we have all that housekeeping out of the way up above what do you say I walk you through the unboxing of this multi-disc set?  That’s a rhetorical question by the way.  That’s why we’re here so we’re doing the unboxing regardless of whether you like it or not.  Along the way I’ll also link each film title to the individual 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review.  So let’s get started here.

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So remember me making the comparison up above that this 4K boxset is like Christmas morning presents?  Well, I just couldn’t help myself in the below photo.  It is what it is.

Christopher Nolan 4K Collection Review

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Down below you’ll see the set still in its plastic wrapper as I show you the box’s spine, the 3 cases’ spines, underneath and the rear cover art, which you can see in greater detail down below at the end of this review.

Christopher Nolan 4K Collection Review

Christopher Nolan 4K Collection Review

Christopher Nolan 4K Collection Review

Christopher Nolan 4K Collection Review

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So as you can see below every case has the exact same cover art no matter the format.

Christopher Nolan 4K Collection Review

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Remember me saying up above that there were some complaints of broken cases?  Well as you can see below I’m the lucky recipient of one of those.  Sigh.

Christopher Nolan 4K Collection Review

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This next shot below of the rear of the 4K UHD case is very hard to make out, but the main takeaway I want you to clearly see here are the words 4K HDR VERSION WITH ORIGINAL THEATRICAL AUDIO MIX.  Therefore, since the theatrical releases of these films did not have a Dolby Atmos mix, neither do these 4K releases.

Christopher Nolan 4K Collection Review

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Here’s where we get into the good stuff.  I’m not going to bore you with all the Blu-ray Discs you have already seen already.  Instead let’s take a closer look at the artwork on each of the 4K Ultra HD discs and I’ll provide you with the links to their respective reviews here on the site.  Sound like a plan?  Let’s go then!  Full steam ahead…

Christopher Nolan 4K Set - Batman Begins

BATMAN BEGINS

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Christopher Nolan 4K Set - Dark Knight & Rises

THE DARK KNIGHT

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

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Christopher Nolan 4K Set - Prestige & Dunkirk

THE PRESTIGE

DUNKIRK

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Christopher Nolan 4K Set - Inception & Interstellar

INCEPTION

INTERSTELLAR

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So there you have it folks.  That brings me to the end of my coverage of this 4K boxset from the heavens.  Say what you want about it, but there’s no denying the 4K gold inside here.  Sad but so true, if you want slipcovers or Digital HD copies, then this I’m afraid is NOT the boxset for you.  It completely has no frills, but what it does contain is one hell of a good 4K time inside.  Thanks for reading and enjoy these 4K gems!  I know I will for many years to come!

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Christopher Nolan 4K Collection Cover

Christopher Nolan 4K Collection Cover - Rear

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Owner/Writer/Reviewer/Editor, Dreamer, Producer, Agent of Love, Film Lover, Writer of Screenplays and a Devoted Apostle to all things Ford Mustangs (the real ones with V8's!). Some of my favorite films include FIGHT CLUB, MOULIN ROUGE, THE DARK KNIGHT, STAR WARS alongside television shows such as SEINFELD, 24, SANFORD & SON and even the often loathed in the geek community BIG BANG THEORY. Outside of my three lives I live I also enjoy spending time with my girlfriend and our three girls (of the furry kind).

2 Responses to “Christopher Nolan 4K Collection (4K UHD Review & Unboxing)”


  1. Emilio Lafarga Giribets

    The Italian edition has a better packaging, with individual bluray cases holding the 3 discs for each film.

  2. Brian White

    Completely agree with you and have seen pics of it. The US release is crud.