Resident Evil: The Complete Collection 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review

The Resident Evil: The Complete Collection on 4K UHD Blu-ray presents an exceptional upgrade in visual quality that significantly enhances the viewing experience. All six films, encoded in HEVC / H.265 and boasting a resolution of 2160p, are exemplary in clarity and detail. Although Dolby Vision is absent, HDR10 and Wide Color Gamut are effectively utilized across the collection, delivering impressive depth and color reproduction without visible pixelation or banding. The films generally maintain aesthetic consistency, showcasing a mix of sterile, grimy, and urban environments, with detailed imagery brought to life by varying contrast and sharpness levels.

Depth and dimension are well-rendered throughout the franchise. The first film distinctly invokes a three-dimensional experience, enhancing the claustrophobic atmosphere of the early mansion scenes. As the series progresses, it masterfully expands both scale and scope, immersing viewers further into the Raccoon City universe and beyond. Black levels are well-executed with only minimal crush observed in a few scenes of the initial film. Particularly noteworthy is Resident Evil: Extinction, where the desert setting's authenticity is mirrored in the film’s scorched Earth aesthetic, allowing dirt and debris to be vividly depicted.

Color reproduction varies through the franchise, aligning with each film's narrative demands. The progression from neutral tones in the initial movies to intense ultraviolet tints in Extinction before transitioning back to a cooler palette highlights incredible attention to detail. Flesh tones predominantly maintain natural appearance, albeit taking on a sun-kissed quality matching environmental exposure; Alice’s complexion noticeably reflecting this adaptation. Another technical improvement is the rectification of prior digital softness issues, particularly around character features in Extinction, returning them to life-like clarity facilitated by high-quality real location shooting.

The audio presentation for "Resident Evil: The Complete Collection" on 4K UHD Blu-ray is exemplary, taking full advantage of advanced sound technologies like English Dolby Atmos and English Dolby TrueHD 7.1. Each film's soundtrack is a vivid and immersive experience, transforming the viewing of these cinematic offerings into an auditory adventure. The revolutionary Atmos presentation redefines audio fidelity with its dynamic range and exceptional clarity, particularly elevating action sequences with its new height channels. The inclusion of multiple languages in Dolby Digital 5.1 ensures that the films cater to a wide international audience, adding to the franchise's global appeal.

The low-frequency extension and surround sound presentation are consistently robust across all six films, providing a rich, encompassing auditory environment. The use of subwoofer channels delivers powerful and precise bass that complements the on-screen chaos, while maintaining clarity free from distortion. The surround channels create a 360-degree sound field that efficiently captures the essence of survival horror, immersing viewers wholly into the tumultuous Resident Evil universe. The seamless blend of height and surround channels enhances the realism, making iconic scenes resonate with renewed intensity.

Dialogue reproduction is clear and well-balanced amidst the sometimes chaotic soundscape. Despite any corny moments in the script, dialogue is artfully handled; even rapid exchanges are crisp and intelligible. Standout performances, particularly comedic interludes such as Mike Epps' in "Resident Evil: Apocalypse", maintain clarity without compromising the immersive backdrop of the films. Overall, the collection offers a pristine audio performance that underscores the thrilling narratives, catering to enthusiasts who seek an unparalleled home theater experience.

The "Resident Evil: The Complete Collection" 4K UHD Blu-ray set meticulously gathers its extras primarily on the standard Blu-ray discs within each case, featuring notable inclusions such as full-length commentaries, featurettes, and deleted scenes for in-depth exploration. Highlighted is "Resident Evil: Apocalypse," offering an unrated extended cut with more violence and humor, available in both 4K and HD formats. No exclusive UHD extras aside from tailored theatrical trailers indicate a preference for original HD presentations, as observed in transferred content. This comprehensive compilation retains fan-favorite features across iterations, ensuring a robust presentation of the franchise’s evolution and thematic elements.

Extras included in this disc:

• Resident Evil: Multiple commentaries, alternate ending, 12 featurettes, music video, trailer.
• Resident Evil: Apocalypse: Extended cut, multiple commentaries, documentary, featurettes, trailers.
• Resident Evil: Extinction: Picture-in-picture feature, deleted scenes, featurettes.
• Resident Evil: Afterlife: Picture-in-picture feature, outtakes, featurettes, trailers.
• Resident Evil: Retribution: Commentaries, interactive database, featurettes.
• Resident Evil: The Final Chapter: Retaliation mode, best kill highlights, creature featurettes.

Sony's 4K UHD Blu-ray release of "Resident Evil: The Complete Collection" presents a long-awaited compilation of all six live-action films in the franchise. Each movie benefits from a meticulously upgraded 2160p transfer, with the first three films notably receiving new visual upgrades. These remastered editions exhibit stunning clarity and dynamic range improvements, allowing for a fresh and immersive viewing experience, particularly in action sequences that have been given new life. It should be noted that, except for "Resident Evil: Afterlife" and "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter," which had previous 4K releases, the other titles debut their enhanced visuals here.

Physically, the set is as impressive as its content. Efficiently designed with a two-disc flip open case structure for each title, it avoids the common pitfall of scratches, often associated with sleeve packaging. The thematic presentation, mimicking a classified Umbrella file, adds a collectible allure. In addition to the main features, each disc includes bonus materials - generally trailers and teasers - but some also offer more substantive extras, enhancing the set's appeal for franchise fans.

While the included supplements are mostly newly introduced or smartly repurposed from earlier editions, slight variations in bitrate might affect audio/video quality in certain scenes, although this is negligible for most users. Priced competitively at under $10 per film within the set, this collection provides substantial value for both longtime fans and those new to the series, offering a comprehensive cinematic journey through the 'Resident Evil' saga that pairs technical prowess with superior consumer packaging.

The "Resident Evil: The Complete Collection" on 4K UHD Blu-ray is a must-have for fans of the franchise and video game adaptations in general. This collection offers an exhilarating return to the world of bio-engineered horror with Milla Jovovich at the helm. The technical prowess of the remastered films is evident, as they exhibit impressive visual upgrades and robust audio experiences that elevate each film. Particularly noteworthy is the Dolby Atmos track, which adds an immersive auditory depth. While four of the movies debut at this quality, two have been revisited to enhance their previous releases.

The set is not without its drawbacks; while the packaging lacks standout elements like a SteelBook option, it delivers functional DigiPaks. Despite this minor shortcoming, the overall presentation remains stellar, with high-definition making-of featurettes and trailers complementing the renowned legacy extras on Blu-ray. The films themselves maintain their essence as straightforward action-thrillers, enriched with sci-fi horror elements. It's agreed among reviewers that while the series peaks with its earlier films, later entries still offer enjoyable, albeit brainless, monster encounters.

In conclusion, the collection showcases the definitive versions of the Resident Evil films in a boxset that balances excellent video and audio quality with a comprehensive array of special features. Ideal for aficionados and new explorers of the series alike, it succeeds as both a collector’s item and an accessible jump into the beloved franchise. Sony's significant upgrades ensure this set is a worthy investment for those seeking top-tier cinematic fun with all the explosive flare of the undead rising once more. Highly recommended for its entertainment value and technical achievements.