Brian Chooses His Top 10 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs of 2017 & More!

Last year I undertook the pioneer task of only listing my Top 10 4K Ultra HD Blu-rays here.  It was a brand spanking new format then and I was among the first.  Since then Sir Brandon Peters has caught up to me on the format and we currently split the bulk of the 4K UHD reviews here on the site. Therefore, I’m hopeful we’ll see some 4K titles on his 2017 list.  So once again this year I want to focus on 4K Ultra HD Blu-rays solely.  Sadly that means Universal’s Nocturnal Animals Blu-ray release wont be making my list here.  And if you’re a Harry Potter fan, Brandon Peters has you covered here on the site with all those 4K reviews.  We also have a new kid on the block this year with Dolby Vision, but I’m not one of those fanboys who will tell you it’s the Holy Grail and only highlight 4K titles with it.  Hell no!  Last but not least you can tell me until you’re “blu” in the face how incredible Transformers: The Last Knight is on the format.  I don’t care.  That movie is garbage and you will NOT see that on my list.  Haven’t I suffered enough here?  Now where were we…

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Since I published my Top 10 list of 4K titles around this time last year Brandon and I have amassed quite a collection of 4K disc reviews since then.  The complete 9-page archive is viewable by clicking the image below.

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In addition earlier this year we started our very own 4K Ultra HD Facebook Page too that showcases all our 4K news/press releases, every single UHD review we publish and the latest/greatest deals on your favorite 4K titles to add to your home media collection.  Make sure to Like Us today so you never miss a 4K beat.  It’s a great place to make new friends.  I’ve personally made a lot of good connections this past year via the Page.  Y’all know who you are.  Enjoy!

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Now like I do every year before I begin I want to make one last, FINAL disclaimer.  The below titles are not gospel and nor do they represent the views of the critical masses.  These are 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray titles, which were released in the calendar year 2017 and are in my personal home media collection.  For one reason or another they are very special to me whether it be a combination of the story and audio/video presentations or even the inclusion of supplemental features (the latter is very rare with current 4K UHD Blu-ray releases).  Whatever the case may be rest assured I do go into detail below as to why I selected each.  Once again though I warn you story for me is paramount.  You won’t see me giving any props to a 4K presentation simply because the audio or video is phenomenal, hence why no Last Knight or Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk.  However, the latter is phenomenal looking though in all its 60fps glory.  It’s just too bad the story is not up to par.  If you feel you disagree with any of the following selections/rankings (and I’m sure many of you will), please feel free to leave me a shout out in the comments below.  Much appreciated.

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Before I start counting down to my Number One selection I wanted to have a little fun with things here.  After all, life’s too short not to have F-U-N whenever possible.  So instead of having an Honorable Mention selection I decided to create FIVE brand spanking new categories here.  I call them Most “Iconic,” Bat Sh1t Crazy, Best “Limited Edition” Retailer Exclusive, Hot Stuff and one Last Minute Addition.  Let’s work our way backwards through the five categories down below.

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KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE

I have to be honest with y’all.  I did not plan nor expect to include this 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray title in my 2017 list here.  However, having just reviewed it over the past week and been profoundly impacted by its reference audio and video presentations I figured I’d be doing the world injustice if I at least did not give it a proverbial nod here.  I can understand the why’s regarding some fans of the original Kingsman not digging this sequel journey as much, but truth be told again I had a blast revisiting things here in 4K.  The characters, over-the-top action sequences and FUN factor outweigh it all for me.  It doesn’t hurt the fact either that the video is razor sharp, punchy and bright while the booming soundtrack and rousing score completely immerses you throughout the feature’s extended runtime.  Many thanks to the folks at Fox for this worthy, last minute addition to my “Best Of” 2017 list here.  Enjoy!

Check out our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review of Kingsman: The Golden Circle here.

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WONDER WOMAN

 

Alright so Wonder Woman isn’t the most impressive 4K Ultra HD presentation the format had to offer this year.  Big deal!  That doesn’t mean this wasn’t one of my most anticipated 4K titles of the year.  I own the 4K version you see up above, the exclusive Best Buy 4K steelbook set, the fan favorite 3D Blu-ray Combo Pack and even the Amazon Exclusive release complete with a 12″ DC Collectibles figure.  There were a lot of other retailer exclusives not to mention many different international editions too, but at the end of the day what I cared most about was bringing home my Wonder Woman, Gal Gadot, on the best home media format possible.  “No Man’s Land” is still one of my most go-to scenes of the year anytime I put the flick on.  Speaking of Gal, I hear a lot of people say her name differently/incorrectly so I thought it would be fun to teach you all how to officially pronounce it.  Hence the embedded video down below.  You’re welcome!

Check out our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review of Wonder Woman here, 3D Blu-ray here and Amazon Exclusive here.

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STRANGER THINGS – SEASON 1

This Duffer Brothers’ show took the Netflix world by storm when it was released to binge watching audiences everywhere last year.  Like it or not this series is a homage to the 80’s (music and all) and basically in a nutshell my childhood.  I won’t bore you with all the details over what it’s all about.  If you haven’t already, that’s for you to discover.  What my goal today is to bring awareness to this exclusive Target retail packaging, which is now available bundled with 4K discs.  What’s unique about this release is the fact that the enclosed 4 discs (2 4K, 2 Blu-ray) come housed in a retro VHS style packaging complete with a poster, worn cover look and a green price tag displaying the rental price. Like I said this one is straight out of my childhood and I don’t even care that it lacks HDR (but the Dolby Digital track is a weird one).  This one is all about the finest visual presentation you can possibly own of Season 1 and of course that retro packaging.  Get it while you can as this one is only available at Target and you can bet it’s only a limited edition, which means when it’s gone it’s gone.  Capiche?

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mother!

My fiancee will kill me when she sees me praising this film in print.  Say what you want about mother!, but there’s no denying this Darren Aronofsky film is one bat sh1t crazy experience to be had (especially those last 30 insane minutes).  However, amongst all the insanity and even the lulls lurks one of the best Dolby Atmos surround tracks I ever heard.  I remember getting goosebumps in the theater thinking how amazing this was going to sound in the home front.  It has the most incredible sense of directionality I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing.  Best of all it’s now available for you all to experience too.  If nothing else, long time Jennifer Lawrence fans can finally get a legal glimpse at her um…  Ha ha.  Sometimes you just got to look for the positives in life.  #JustSayin’

Check out our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review of mother! here.

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THE TRANSFORMERS

So yeah I bash the Transformers films a lot and rightfully so.  In my opinion with the exception of the first and third films the rest are Bantha fodder.  There is so much potential in the rich lore, not to mention talent in Michael Bay, but try as they might they keep using the same team of writers and keep releasing the same poo poo.  I don’t care how awesome the Dolby Vision and surround audio of The Last Knight is.  The story is absolute crap and I will not for one second acknowledge the film on the 4K format as doing anything right.  However, the same can’t be said for the first Transformers film.  My love for it back in 2007 was responsible for my purchase of an HD DVD player while Paramount sorted themselves out.  Despite the bad dialogue it’s a religious experience for me.  I love the human story and the fact that there are so many iconic shots either captured via the action sequences (coupled with music too) or what I call “Bay Vision” within this first film that never truly resonated the same way throughout the successive four movies.  So in the below .gif image I just wanted to call your attention to one such shot of “Bay Vision” when all of us used to love Megan Fox and her um mechanic skills.  You all know the scene.

Check out our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review of The Transformers here.

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#10

WARM BODIES

Lionsgate released a slew of catalog titles on the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format this year.  Most of them were action related ranging from bottom feeders like Conan the Barbarian and Legend of Hercules to personal favorites of mine such as Kick-Ass and Warrior.  Perhaps the biggest surprise of them all was Warm Bodies.  I wasn’t warm about taking the time out of my busy life to review what I thought would be such a lackluster title, but what a surprise it was.  Out of all the Lionsgate catalog titles released this year on the 4K Ultra HD format Warm Bodies is my favorite.  I knew I already loved the simple, but heartwarming story going in.  However, it was the audio and video presentations that blew me away.  The way our protagonist’s narrative voice talks down from above in the Atmos height channels literally had me at hello.  I can’t recommend this one enough as one of Lionsgate’s finest 4K catalog releases this year.

Check out our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review of Warm Bodies here.

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#9

INFERNO

Sure Inferno may not be a Top Choice title when you think of how many great ones were released on the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format this year.  However, middle of the road storyline aside, I dare you to tell me things don’t look and sound like a million bucks here.  This one is culled straight from a 4K DI and if that is not enough the Dolby Atmos surround track is mind-blowing.  Take the drone scene for example.  If your system is calibrated properly and your height channels are positioned correctly, you’ll swear that drone onscreen is hovering around your viewing room.  That’s how realistic the sound placement is here.  If you want something to show off your 4K system and your guests have a sense of taste (that means that they would be offended if you showed them Transformers: The Last Knight), then this one is the scholarly choice.  Trust me!

Check out our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review of Inferno here.

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#8

SPIDEY!

SPIDER-MAN TRILOGY COLLECTION

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN COLLECTION

SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING 

     

It’s the year of Spider-Man on the 4K Ultra HD format.  That’s right!  From Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield to Tom Holland, Marvel’s newest MCU Spidey, every major Spider-Man movie with the exception of Sam Raimi’s 2.1 cut was released on 4K this year.   The catch with the first two is that you have to buy them in limited edition sets (Best Buy had a steelbook and all other retailers had individual digibooks) to compile all the Spidey films on 4K.  However, next year it looks like you’ll be able to not only buy each of the first 5 movies individually on 4K Ultra HD disc, but also the 2.1 cut too.  What a slap in the face that is to all of us that dropped money on these expensive limited edition sets already, huh?  Oh well.  It’s better than wasting your money on drugs and alcohol I always say.  So anyway our web swinger never looked better than he does on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray.  The first three Spidey movies come armed with all new Dolby Atmos surround tracks and of course the Garfield series look stunning since they’re culled directly from 4K DIs.  Say what you want about them, but people are in love with the HDR on those releases.  And of course it’s hard to find fault with anything in Homecoming considering it’s a new release from Sony.  If there’s anything we learned about Sony this year, they take their 4K Ultra HD disc releases very seriously.

Check out our 3D Blu-ray review of Spider-Man: Homecoming here.

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#7

LOGAN

I haven’t exactly been the biggest fan of all the X-Men films nor am I super familiar with the lore, but there’s is one thing I do know for certain.  That’s the fact that I have the utmost respect and adoration for Hugh Jackman’s embodiment of portraying the Wolverine the past twenty years.  He not only launched his Hollywood career off the fame, but unlike most celebrities he’s extremely grateful for the superhero role and has portrayed the mutant every single chance possible.  That’s like an NFL quarterback playing for the same team for two decades.  They just don’t make many Hugh Jackman’s or Tom Brady’s nowadays.  So it’s with great sadness and tears we send off Hugh Jackman as he portrays the Wolverine one last time in Logan, a modern day like Western.  And did I mention how spectacular this one looks and sounds on the 4K Ultra HD format?  Even better for those that care there’s also a 4K noir version of the film housed on the UHD disc release too.  It’s like two movies for the price of one admission here.

Check out our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review of Logan here.

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#6

PROMETHEUS

I absolutely love the fact that Prometheus made my Top 10 4K Ultra HD list this year.  Not only do I love this movie, but I was blown away by this 4K disc’s superior presentation.  The video is crystal clear and despite not having an upgraded surround track Prometheus has always sounded good on previous releases.  So it is what it is with the audio, but the video is the real star of the show here.  This one has always been gorgeous to behold whether it be digital HD or Blu-ray, but in 4K Ultra HD it’s pristine.  The ship’s control screens are clearly visible and well everything from the textures in space suits to Charlize Theron look spot on perfect throughout.  Equally amazing is the depth of field in this one in every which direction you look, hence why the 3D Blu-ray counterpart is so marvelous.  I know this one is heavily bashed amongst Alien fans because of its distance from the Alien lore, but if you’re a fan of this Ridley Scott sci-fi flick, I highly recommend picking it up on 4K Ultra HD disc.  You won’t regret the upgrade.  I promise.

Check out our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review of Prometheus here.

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#5

GHOST IN THE SHELL

 

Now I know this may sound like blasphemy, but I never once ever watched the 1996 anime of Ghost in the Shell, which this feature is cultivated from.  I’m just not a fan of magna or anime.  My only reason for wanting to see this one was because of Scarlett Johansson and the fact that I like most of you love a visually stunning, futuristic, sci-fi world like we have on display here.  And that’s just it.  Up until the second Guardians being released on the 4K format by Disney this year Ghost in the Shell was my front runner for 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation of the year.  However, I know all too well the controversy and backlash over this 4K title.  I’m not talking about the whitewashing aspect, but instead referring to A/V enthusiasts complaining over the coloring in the 4K presentation and their preference of the 3D Blu-ray version.  That being said it does not distract me from enjoying this one immensely.  Yes the picture is a little dark, but the presentation is razor sharp and that audio immerses you within the futuristic landscape.  Having ScarJo in it is really just the icing on the cake for me.  Your results may vary greatly with this one, but truth be told this still one of my favorite 4K releases of the year.

Check out our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review of Ghost in the Shell here.

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#4

BLADE RUNNER

Here’s another hard knocking truth that many will also consider blasphemy, but I’m not a huge Blade Runner fan.  In fact I’m quite the opposite.  I don’t consider it one of the greatest science fiction movies like many do, but I do appreciate it for what it is and that’s sci-fi noir.  I love the noir quality to it all.  However, I have come to accepting terms over what I dislike about Blade Runner and the aspects I love about it.  Let’s be honest with ourselves too.  Do you think of one minute that Ghost in the Shell up above would even exist without Blade Runner?  Um hell no.  Truth be told though Blade Runner is absolutely stunning to behold on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray.  I can’t say enough good things about the picture quality of this Warner Bros. transfer.  You’ve never seen Blade Runner look like this before.  And that audio.  Wow!  The Dolby Atmos surround audio is in a league of its own here.  If you held a gun to my head and demanded me to say what was more impressive the audio or the video, I might be inclined to go with the former.  Enjoy this one!  It belongs in everyone’s 4K Ultra HD home media collection.

Check out our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review of Blade Runner here.

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#3

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2

When I first popped this 4K title into my player I knew a little of what to expect from this 2K DI presentation, but wasn’t truly prepared for the majesty that I saw unfold.  Prior to seeing this pretty much all 4K reviewers gave the video presentation a 4.5 and had me a little worried that maybe Disney might not hit a home run at their first up to bat on the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format.  I honestly don’t know what they were looking at because I was blown away by the video.   The HDR colors are one thing, but I never ever saw a 2D presentation on the format look as deep and three dimensional as this one.  In fact if I had only one nitpick of this title, I wish the soundtrack was just a tad louder.  Forget Transformers: The Last Knight and Dolby Vision.  To me this one is reference in every which way.  Kudos to Disney for coming out with guns blazing in their 4K UHD debut.  The overall story may not be as strong as the Guardian’s first outing, but there’s no denying the lovable charm of Baby Groot and the many laughs you will have with the unforgettable chemistry of this team of actors.

Check out our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 here.

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#2

THE SONY CATALOG!

A FEW GOOD MEN

BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND

THE FIFTH ELEMENT

LEON THE PROFESSIONAL

STARSHIP TROOPERS

ZERO DARK THIRTY

     

     

So there’s this big company that I adore in every facet of my life practically called Sony.  Have you ever heard of them?  They may not of had many memorable movie releases this year, but on the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray front they’re practically batting a thousand with the overall 4K quality of their presentations they put out.  I could almost make a Top 10 list out of their 4K releases alone, but like the U.S. Electoral College that wouldn’t be fair to everyone.  Instead I want to focus solely on 7 of their 4K catalog releases this year: The Fifth Element, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Starship Troopers, Leon the Professional, Zero Dark Thirty and A Few Good Men.  Something to keep in mind is the fact that the three latter titles I mentioned are Best Buy exclusives only for the time being.  So there’s that.

We have you covered down below with full reviews of three of the titles, but for the other four I just wanted to say a few kind words about them.  Hands down you’ll never find better presentations of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and  A Few Good Men. Dracula has always been a rough watch on previous formats, but A Few Good Men is impeccable looking (you very well may not be able to handle the truth here).  Speaking of impeccable (or impenetrable) Sony absolutely kills it with Zero Dark Thirty.  This in my opinion is one of the finest looking and sounding 4K presentations of the year.  The HDR is wide open, the picture is razor sharp and the audio is bombastic and deafening.   During the many bomb explosions my ears were begging my brain to tell my hand to turn this surround track down.  I didn’t listen though and I had a blast with this one, no pun intended.   You can say what you want about the politics of it all, but the one thing you can’t deny is how awesome it is in 4K.  Last but not least, Starship Troopers.  Truth be told this was my very first experience with this film since seeing it on cable many years ago and I was just wowed.  Not only did I dig the sci-fi story more than I anticipated to, but the A/V aspects of it were unbelievable.  I had no idea what I was in store for and considering I bought this on sale for only $9.99 I feel like I stole it.  It’s that good!

Check out our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review of Close Encounters of the Third Kind here.

Check out our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review of The Fifth Element here.

Check out our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review of Leon the Professional here.

 

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#1

CHRISTOPHER NOLAN COLLECTION:

BATMAN BEGINS

THE DARK KNIGHT

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

DUNKIRK

INCEPTION

INTERSTELLAR

THE PRESTIGE

The Mothership has landed!  There’s the Holy Bible for devout Catholics and then there’s the 4K Christopher Nolan Collection for us A/V enthusiast fans.  One of the most prolific filmmakers of our modern day times sees 6 of his catalog titles plus his newest, Dunkirk, come home to the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format for the very first time.  Some of these transfers are even supervised by Nolan himself and come with 24-bit audio remasters to boot.  Let’s clear the air of one misconception here first though so we can move past it and start our worship of this 7-film boxset we’re all not worthy of.  The 4K presentations within here do NOT have Dolby Atmos.  I repeat each of the 7 4K film presentations housed within this collection do NOT have a Dolby Atmos surround track.  The reason being is simple.  Nolan did not create them that way and nor is he going to inject any artificial flavorings within.  Respect the man’s wishes or buy Zack Snyder films. I  don’t know what to tell you.  Now that we cleared the air of that topic we’re free to enjoy these 7 masterpieces.  While we received this box set to review in its entirety we are handling each of the reviews separately via the links below.  Enjoy!

Check out our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review of the Christopher Nolan 4K Collection here.

Check out our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review of Interstellar here.

Check out our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review of Dunkirk here.

Check out our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review of Batman Begins here.

Check out our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review of The Dark Knight here.

Check out our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review of The Dark Knight Rises here.

Check out our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review of Inception here.

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So once again this year I’m hoping curiosity has gotten the best of you.  Therefore, I encourage you all to ask any questions you may have regarding my selected 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray titles down below in the comments.  If you own an Ultra HD Blu-ray player (there are so many more choices available now than when I first entered the scene in June 2016), I encourage you all to click on however many of the covers above you feel is necessary and feed your personal collection today with both knowledge and of course 4K product.  Your support is very much appreciated and helps us keep this site running smooth and effectively.

To all my staff and readers across the globe here, thank you all for another blessed year full of some of the best 4K UHD and Blu-ray review coverage available on the World Wide Web.  In fact, we dare you to take the Blu-ray challenge and compare some of the above Blu-ray reviews against our competitors.  I’m pretty sure you’ll come around to our way of thinking, but nevertheless, Happy Holidays!

DISCLAIMER: All of my 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray reviews are judged and graded using the following 4K certified Ultra HD Premium television set found here and player here.  Make sure to check out all our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray reviews archived here.