The new Christopher Nolan Collection — not to be confused with previous Christopher Nolan Collections on Blu-ray — is comprised of seven films.
Each one is a superb entertainment, with the latest, Dunkirk, leading the pack.
Included are crowd favorites, The Dark Knight trilogy — Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises;
Inception, Interstellar, and The Prestige.
From a technical perspective, the most interesting are those with multiple aspect ratios — Dunkirk, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises.
All of the films are presented in DTS-HD MA 5.1.
With the exception of Batman Begins, for which I found the HDR a bit heavy, but not problematic, all of the films are nicely presented.
All were photographed in 35/4 with the exception of the IMAX sequences in the above noted multiple aspect ratio productions, and the large format work on Interstellar and Inception.
It’s the large format, 65mm, IMAX material that makes this set extremely interesting in 4k, and based upon your home theater setup, you’ll see varying results.
One of the problems in referencing the new 4k discs, is that the original Blu-ray releases from Warner Bros., were generally stellar in quality.
Disney’s original Blu-ray of The Prestige is also superb.
As I noted above, things get interesting.
Especially if one is projecting the original Blu-ray in 4k, with one’s player doing the uprez from HD to 4k.
With the exception of a bit of HDR, the difference between the HD and 4k on The Prestige is extremely minor, even if standing a foot from the screen.
For those productions containing large format, the difference is greater, and noticeable at the screen, but at a normal seating distance, you’ll note virtually no difference.
Again, the problem is not that the new 4k discs are imperfect, although they were scanned from IPs, and not from OCNs. It’s that the previous discs were as good as they are.
And they are superb.
There is also the financial question, since these are fine films, and Mr. Nolan has many fans.
One must presume that anyone desirous of owning the seven productions, already does, on Blu-ray.
Once again, the original releases, took full advantage of the technical attributes of the format, with extras delivered on a separate disc. Therefore, data throughput was exemplary.
To my mind, for the average consumer, it comes down to this.
If you already own the seven films on Blu-ray, which means that you also already have the extra content, is the $150 street price a reasonable proposition, since what you’ll really want are the seven discs in 4k.
Purchased separately, the seven films would run $200. At even $20 each for the new 4k discs, you’ll be looking at almost the price of the set with all of the Blu, extras, and 4k material.
So, yes, it’s a fair bargain. And you can gift your earlier versions.
One really must be desirous of that little bit of extra technical data to replace what one already has.
There seems to be no upgrade in audio.
If one doesn’t have any, or even the majority of the seven films, the set is a no-brainer. But for those who already own all seven, and already have the capability to uprez to a 4k flat panel or projector, the difference between the old and the new is so slight, that I can’t in good conscience suggest buying them again just for 4k.
Possibly, had the original negatives been accessed, things might have been different, but as it is, the new Collection is a wonderful 4k set, that simply isn’t a necessity.
Image – 5
Audio – 5 (DTS-HD MA 5.1)
4k – 5
Pass / Fail – Pass
Recommended
RAH
Robert has been known in the film industry for his unmatched skill and passion in film preservation. Growing up around photography, his first home theater experience began at age ten with 16mm. Years later he was running 35 and 70mm at home.
His restoration projects have breathed new life into classic films like Lawrence of Arabia, Vertigo, My Fair Lady, Spartacus, and The Godfather series. Beyond his restoration work, he has also shared his expertise through publications, contributing to the academic discourse on film restoration. The Academy Film Archive houses the Robert A. Harris Collection, a testament to his significant contributions to film preservation.
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