Looper - 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray (SteelBook) [UK Import]

Years before stirring heated controversy in the intergalactic universe of Star Wars fandom, Rian Johnson gave science-fiction fans an action-packed, mind-bending thriller in Looper. And the brilliance of Johnson's film is in its simplicity despite tackling complex, cerebral matters like time travel and even more complicated human emotions like remorse and redemption. Set in the year 2044, the plot, which Johnson also wrote, is ultimately focused more on the characters than on the dystopian Kansas City, the technology that makes time travel possible and the rousingly creative action visuals. In fact, Johnson makes this futuristic world feel very matter-of-factly and mundane, like a gritty, lived-in environment straight out of a Philip K. Dick story. The characters are simply surviving the day-to-day grind, and the future tech is an everyday occurrence, if not also as much of a headache as our own.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt turns in an excellent performance as Joe, a dutiful assassin confronted by his possible future when encountering his older self (Bruce Willis), inadvertently causing a ripple effect that threatens the trajectory his life was on. On the flip side, the older Joe has the opportunity to correct the demons of his past haunting his future, which fuels the actions and decisions that ironically end up solidifying those ghosts while introducing new regrets. The scene at the diner is a thought-provoking and weighty conversation where the future wrestles with feeling worthy of the absolution he eventually finds yet working to ensure it happens, but the younger fights to preserve his self-serving present. Caught in the middle is Emily Blunt's Sara laboring between the two extremes, and as a single mother to the precocious Cid (Pierce Gagnon), she battles her past to build a present that guarantees her family a stable future. 

Ultimately, Rian Johnson's Looper is an intelligently conceived and intricate sci-fi thriller that allows its audience to predict the conclusion but still manages to surprise in the end. 

For a more in-depth take on the film, check out our review of the 2012 Blu-ray HERE. 

Vital Disc Stats: The Ultra HD Blu-ray

Imported from the United Kingdom and courtesy of Entertainment One, Rian Johnson's Looper lands on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray as a two-disc SteelBook edition, which is exclusive to purchase via Zavvi. The triple-layered, Region Free UHD100 disc sits comfortably atop a Region B locked, BD50 disc. Both are housed inside an attractive, white-and-beige SteelBook package decorated with original poster art on the front and back. At startup, the disc takes owners directly to a menu screen with full-motion clips, music playing in the background and the usual options along the bottom.

Zavvi also has a regular 4K UHD version in the standard black keepcase available on their website HERE.

Reportedly coming from a new restoration and remaster of the original 35mm camera negatives to create a fresh 4K digital intermediate, the sci-fi thriller takes Ultra HD on a mind-bending loop with a top-notch HEVC H.265 encode that appears faithful to the creative intentions of the filmmakers. On the other hand, Steve Yedlin's stylized cinematography introduces a few issues worth noting and taking into consideration, keeping the video on this side of demo material or the sort to convince anyone still sitting on the fence. 

This stylized aesthetic boasts a strong contrast that runs on the hot side, making the whites bloom significantly during daylight exteriors and much of the action look somewhat cooked. The grain structure is fairly thick and pronounced as well, making things fall slightly on the noisier side, but it is consistent and stable and better defined than its Blu-ray predecessor.   Nevertheless, the boost in contrast supplies clean, snappy whites for a majority of the runtime while maintaining sharp definition throughout, and specular highlights are crisp and narrow, allowing for the finer details to come through, such as in various light fixtures. Some moments and several long shots are also oddly soft and poorly resolved, but for the most part, the native 4K transfer displays discrete, well-defined lines in the costumes, the farmhouse and the surrounding foliage while objects in the background remain distinct from a distance.

Moreover, the HDR10+ presentation comes with richer, inkier black levels, showering the many nighttime scenes and poorly lit interiors in silky, midnight shadows, providing the 2.39:1 image with an attractive cinematic appeal. However, there are a few instances of very mild crushing, lightly obscuring visibility in the darkest, blackest areas, and faint posterization in some scenes, such as when Sara and Joe are talking in bed around the 88-minute mark. Still, it's easy to overlook as it doesn't distract from the video's overall enjoyment. At the same time, the benefits in the colors are fairly subtle and nuanced, but primaries are a tad richer and fuller with reds, in particular, showing better variation between shades. Likewise, secondary hues are slightly more vibrant with a stronger diversity between the earthy tones and the warmer yellows. 

Facial complexions, meanwhile, appear accurate to the hot climate with revealing, lifelike textures, exposing the smallest wrinkle and negligible blemish while also making the make-up prosthetics on Joseph Gordon-Levitt all the more blatant and unmistakable. All things considered, the 4K video is a satisfying step up over its HD SDR predecessor and a worthy upgrade. (HDR10+ Video Rating: 82/100)

For all intents and purposes, the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track enjoyed on this UHD release appears to be identical to its Blu-ray predecessor. It is unknown at this time if the audio received the same remaster treatment as the video. 

Nevertheless, the sci-fi favorite delivers a fantastic, "blunderbuss" soundtrack that's sure to disturb the neighbors, thanks to an authoritative, room-energizing low-end that not only rattles walls but also provides an awesome chest-pounding impact to the action. With plenty of background activity convincingly moving between the three front channels and into the off-screen space, imaging continuously feels wide and spacious while exhibiting outstanding detailing and clarity in the mid-range. Various atmospherics, especially the echoing and ricocheting from gunfire, flawlessly pan between the surrounds, and when applying the receiver's Dolby Surround or DTS: Neural:X up-mixing functionality, those same effects subtly and effectively bleed into the overheads, generating a broad, immersive soundfield. Amid the loud action, dialogue remains precise and well-prioritized for the most part.

While an object-based audio option would have been a much-welcomed upgrade, this lossless mix is nonetheless plenty satisfying and outstanding. (Audio Rating: 88/100)

For this UHD edition, Entertainment One ports over the same set of supplements as the previous Blu-ray release.  

• Audio Commentary with Rian Johnson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Emily Blunt
• Scoring Looper (HD, 16 min)
• The Science of Time Travel (HD, 9 min)
• Looper: From the Beginning (HD, 8 min)
• The Two Joes (HD, 5 min)
• New Future, Old School (HD, 3 min)
• Deleted Scenes (HD, 37 min) with optional commentary
• Animated Trailer (HD, 2 min)

From writer and director Rian Johnson, Looper is an intelligently tense and stylishly engaging sci-fi thriller with an edge-of-your-seat story and visually creative action that builds to a satisfying conclusion. Starring Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt and Jeff Daniels, the sci-fi gem continues to be an impressive, thought-provoking feat that's destined to be a cult classic. In the UK, the action thriller takes 4K Ultra HD on a mind-bending loop with an excellent HDR10+ presentation that delivers a strong upgrade over its Blu-ray counterpart, but it features an identical DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack and the same set of supplements as before. All in all, this UHD SteelBook edition courtesy of Entertainment One makes for a highly recommended addition to the collection.