Titanic 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review
Score: 94
from 9 reviewers
Review Date:
The 4K UHD Blu-ray of Titanic is a beautifully restored technical marvel, offering breathtaking visuals, immersive Dolby Atmos audio, and comprehensive extras, making it an essential addition for cinephiles.
Disc Release Date
True 4K
HDR10
Dolby Vision
Dolby Atmos
DTS-HD MA
Dolby TrueHD
Video: 94
Titanic's 2160p/Dolby Vision UHD release is a technical marvel featuring flawless, razor-sharp imagery with impressive clarity and nuanced grading. The HEVC H.265 encode captures every fine detail from the wood grains to facial textures, enhanced by deep blacks and vibrant colors. Dolby Vision HDR ensures perfect contrast and brightness across this pristine 2.35:1 aspect ratio.
Audio: 95
The Titanic 4K UHD Blu-ray release delivers an exceptional Dolby Atmos experience, enhancing the original multi-channel mix with superior immersion, expansive soundstage dynamics, and precise low-frequency extension. Vocal clarity, ambient effects, and spatial accuracy consistently uphold high-quality cinematic sound standards.
Extra: 95
The 4K UHD Blu-ray of Titanic offers an immersive Dolby Atmos audio experience and a plethora of extras, including three insightful commentaries, new retrospective featurettes, behind-the-scenes content, a documentary on Titanic myths, and nearly an hour of deleted scenes. Some legacy features are repackaged or excluded.
Movie: 86
The 4K UHD Blu-ray of *Titanic* receives high praise, being described as a masterwork and cinematic masterpiece. The epic film is lauded for its stunning 2160p/Dolby Vision video, Dolby Atmos audio, technical mastery, and breathtaking visuals. The added heart and authenticity are brought to life again, providing an emotionally resonant and spellbinding experience.
Video: 94
The 4K UHD Blu-ray release of "Titanic" by Paramount and Disney showcases an unparalleled video presentation that epitomizes the potential of Ultra High Definition. This 2160p/Dolby Vision encode ensures a remarkably pristine and filmic experience, accentuating every detail with surgical precision. The transfer from the original 35mm camera negatives is a revelation, offering spectacular clarity and depth. From the rivets in the ship to the grains in the wood and fine costume stitching, every element flourishes in stunning definition. The facial close-ups are astoundingly detailed, revealing even the finest hairs and skin textures with lifelike accuracy. This level of detail surpasses its Blu-ray predecessor effortlessly.
Dolby Vision HDR further enhances the visual feast, offering a perfect balance of contrast and brightness. Colors are vividly reproduced; Rose's red hair and purple hat appear almost tangible, while shadows maintain excellent depth and delineation. The grading holds true to the film's natural color palette, yielding stunning visuals from the warm interiors to the dazzling sunlight reflecting off the ship’s surfaces. Blacks are impressively deep, whites are blindingly crisp, and the overall image exudes a rich, three-dimensional quality. Even the dated CGI work looks exceptionally well-integrated, underscoring the success of the transfer.
The aspect ratio of 2.39:1 is preserved, maintaining the film's cinematic integrity. Despite its age, "Titanic" mesmerizes in Ultra High Definition, with enhanced digital effects that blend seamlessly into the narrative. The immersive depth of field captures both the grandeur of the ship and the intimacy of its corridors with fluidity and elegance. Colors are consistently natural, with HDR refining contrast for glowing highlights during intense sequences. Essentially artifact-free, this 4K UHD presentation stands as a reference-quality example, exhibiting meticulous care in every frame and ensuring an unparalleled viewing experience.
Audio: 95
Paramount's new Dolby Atmos soundtrack for "Titanic" transforms the audio experience, delivering an impressive and immersive soundscape. The enhanced Atmos track stands out compared to the original 5.1 mix, offering a broader dynamic range and increased low-level detail. Early underwater sequences make excellent use of overhead sound objects, elevating the feeling of immersion. James Horner’s sweeping score now fills the height channels, creating a more expansive auditory space. The additional channels provide superior wraparound effects, seamlessly blending with the music and sonic cues to immerse listeners deeply, especially during the high-intensity scenes in the film's second half.
The dynamic sound design of "Titanic," which garnered Academy Awards for Best Sound and Best Sound Effects Editing, is excellently reproduced here. The Atmos mix provides full use of the surround and height channels during key moments—like the ship's catastrophic collision with the iceberg, and the ensuing chaos—providing a palpable sense of immersion and realism. The subwoofer is effectively employed to capture the water's rush and the rumble of the ship, enhancing tension. Though the mix is somewhat conservative in low-end deployment during quieter scenes, it compensates with outstanding clarity and spatial imaging across all channels.
Overall, the new Dolby Atmos mix delivers pristine clarity for dialogue, impactful bass when necessary, and a complex layer of ambient effects that enhance the film's grandeur. With elements like water splashing and engine rumbles perfectly rendered through every channel, the soundtrack creates an authentic, atmospheric environment that fans will appreciate. Despite occasional restrained use of height channels, which become more prominent in the film’s latter half, this audio presentation is a massive upgrade, ensuring a deeply engaging listening experience.
Extra: 95
The special features included in the 4K UHD Blu-ray release of "Titanic" are comprehensive and provide both new and legacy content, delivering deep insights into the making and impact of the film. New additions such as "Stories From the Heart," "Titanic: 25 Years Later with James Cameron," and "Behind-the-Scenes Presentation Hosted by Jon Landau" add fresh perspectives and engaging retrospectives. The legacy content, including three audio commentaries from 2005 and multiple detailed documentaries, offers extensive behind-the-scenes footage, deleted scenes, and visual effects breakdowns. Though some original extras have been merged into new formats, the breadth of material remains impressive.
Extras included in this disc:
- Director Commentary by James Cameron: An insightful track with anecdotes and behind-the-scenes stories.
- Cast and Crew Commentary: Technical insights from the cast and crew.
- Historical Commentary by Don Lynch and Ken Marschall: Discusses the accuracy of the film.
- TITANIC: Stories From the Heart: Reflections from key cast and crew members.
- TITANIC: 25 Years Later with James Cameron: Examines myths and scientific details.
- Behind-the-Scenes Presentation hosted by Jon Landau: Showcases the making of the film.
- Trailer Presentation hosted by Jon Landau: Insights into the film's marketing.
- Fan Poster Art: Special selection of fan-created posters.
- Reflections on TITANIC: A four-part documentary.
- Deleted Scenes with optional commentary by James Cameron: Nearly an hour of additional footage.
- Additional Behind-the-Scenes: Various featurettes.
- Deep-Dive Presentation narrated by James Cameron: Footage from Cameron's dives.
- $200,000,001: A Ship’s Odyssey (The TITANIC Crew Video): Gag reel footage.
- Videomatics: Early CGI sequences.
- Visual Effects: Detailed look at the VFX process.
- Music Video “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion: Iconic song from the film.
- Still Galleries: Including scriptments, storyboards, artwork, and photos.
Movie: 86
James Cameron’s "Titanic" masterfully showcases his unparalleled expertise in blending grand spectacle with intimate human drama. With meticulous authenticity, Cameron recreates the ill-fated 1912 voyage through advanced technical wizardry, stunning visuals, and painstaking attention to historical detail. The film's robust visual fidelity in the 4K UHD Blu-ray release elevates these elements, with 2160p/Dolby Vision video and Dolby Atmos audio delivering an immersive cinematic experience. The narrative unfolds through a contemporary expedition led by treasure hunter Brock Lovett (Bill Paxton), intertwining with the poignant romance between Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet). Their love story deftly navigates class boundaries amidst the looming disaster, culminating in a heart-wrenching climax underscored by James Horner's haunting score.
While the structural and thematic simplicity of the love story draws criticism, it's this very familiarity that lures audiences into an emotional journey, seamlessly interwoven with the historical context of the Titanic's tragic voyage. Cameron expertly transitions between past and present, employing flashbacks to enrich the narrative depth while showcasing his passion for oceanographic exploration. This dual narrative approach not only reinforces the film’s thematic explorations of hubris and vulnerability but also provides a modern lens through which the historical tragedy is viewed, adding a unique layer of immediacy and relevance. The realistic depiction of the ship’s grandeur juxtaposed with its catastrophic descent into the Atlantic is rendered with remarkable clarity and poignance, making "Titanic" an enduring cinematic achievement even over two decades since its release.
The film’s exceptional craftsmanship extends beyond its narrative structure to its technical execution. Rebuilt sets, exacting replicas of historical artifacts, and innovative special effects combine to recreate the opulence and despair of the Titanic. Cameron’s dedication to precision, from accurate lifeboat davits to corset-clad extras adhering to period etiquette, invests "Titanic" with an authenticity that compels viewers into its historical milieu. This dedication is evident in every frame, further enhanced by Russell Carpenter's striking cinematography, ensuring that even today, "Titanic" remains a visually resplendent and emotionally resonant exploration of one of history's most storied maritime disasters.
Total: 94
The long-awaited arrival of James Cameron's "Titanic" on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray is an event that delivers immense satisfaction to cinephiles and casual viewers alike. The film, a staggering epic that took the world by storm in 1997, benefits greatly from the technological leap afforded by this new format. The 2160p/Dolby Vision UHD transfer is nothing short of breathtaking, transforming the viewing experience into something akin to seeing this masterpiece for the first time. Video quality is impeccable, showcasing intricate details and vivid colors that breathe new life into every scene. Accompanying this visual feast is a stellar Dolby Atmos soundtrack that envelops the viewer, adding depth and richness to the already mesmerizing auditory landscape.
While the storyline of "Titanic" may be predictable, the simplicity of its narrative serves as the perfect canvas for its rich tapestry of romance, adventure, and tragedy. Critics may argue about its length, but there's no denying that every minute is filled with cinematic splendor and emotion. The thoughtful restoration preserves the integrity of Cameron's vision while introducing subtle digital enhancements that feel natural and unobtrusive. This balance results in a presentation that feels both nostalgically familiar and refreshingly new.
The bonus features included in this release are extensive, offering both new and legacy content that provide insight into the making of this cinematic gem. Whether it's archival footage or new interviews, these extras add significant value to an already outstanding package. Fans of Cameron's work can also look forward to more of his classics hitting the 4K format soon—a prospect that is both exciting and highly anticipated.
Conclusion: The film remains a beautifully updated and gloriously unashamed old school Hollywood epic that they hadn’t made for years before and thankfully, haven’t made since. James Cameron may not have been king of the actual world that Sunday night in March 1998, but he most certainly was of the cinematic one. And while it may be now the done thing to snigger at both Cameron and Titanic in the intervening quarter of a century, the film is resolutely a beautiful ode to a time, both figuratively and cinematically, long gone. Wonderfully melodramatic, sweepingly epic, and visually mesmerising, Titanic is still one of the quintessential works of the modern era of filmmaking. This long-awaited new 4K release offers up a technical marvel of a transfer that potentially ushers in a new era of film restoration…which both excites and worries at the same time: the new picture is digitally manipulated and looks like it, but it’s done without any of the negatives normally associated with such work. Whether or not it leaves it looking like an actual ‘film,’ well that’s down to you. But with the new Atmos soundtrack and superb new extras, as a package, it’s certainly one that deserves your attention and our highest recommendations, if only to see what the fuss is about and what may be waiting for us when the rest of Cameron’s planned 4K disc slate is finally released... Titanic is on UK 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray from Disney/Paramount and is available now.
avforums review by Mark CostelloRead review here
Video: 80
The 1080p blu-ray of the film is the same disc as has been released previously and by all accounts, the UHD and the extras discs are the same as released by Paramount in the US....
Audio: 100
At times here, the sharp lines look a little too sharp – especially noticeable with the variation in sharpness within the same shot at times (an edge to a face will be crystal clear while just away from...
Extras: 90
At its very core, the soundtrack is powerful and dynamic, with a simply huge frequency range from massive LFE troughs to crystalline highs, but with a perfect rendering of both and everything in between....
Movie: 100
The Terminator and its sequel gave us beautifully drawn, human relationships that seem to swell and mature as the faintly ridiculous situations around them got more and more outrageous, culminating in...
Total: 90
This long-awaited new 4K release offers up a technical marvel of a transfer that potentially ushers in a new era of film restoration…which both excites and worries at the same time: the new picture is...
Blu-ray.com review by Martin LiebmanRead review here
Video: 100
This is a stellar, striking, and indeed perfect and flawless presentation, one of those images that even years after the UHD format's debut still manages to delight even the most grizzled reviewer and...
Audio: 0
The additional channel certainly offer superior immersion, with the surround-back channels offering fuller wrap and more seamless engagement, while the top layer adds intermittent fill effects for music...
Extras: 100
Behind-the-Scenes Presentation Hosted by Jon Landau (1080p, 34:13): This supplement is new but it folds in a number of previous one-off extras from the old Blu-ray, including Southampton Flop, View from...
Movie: 100
Titanic frenzy is all the rage, and Lovett appears on talk television to discuss his latest find, the safe believed to once house the necklace and inside of which the crew discovered not their prize but...
Total: 100
Titanic is as complete as a movie can be, a beautifully crafted epic that dazzles with its pure cinema perfection -- technical, dramatic, and thematic -- in every single scene, enough to maybe even move...
Blu-ray Authority review by Matt BrightonRead review here
Video: 100
Broad, sweeping shots that showcase the beauty of the ship, outstanding costumes and so forth....
Audio: 100
The LFE are very aggressive towards the end and while the front stage handles the majority of the sound, the surrounds are almost always humming away adding a bit of excitement to an already explosive...
Extras: 100
Stories from the Heart – This new segment features some key members of the cast and crew as they reflect on the film, it’s enduring legacy as well as some of the trials and tribulations of making this...
Movie: 0
All domestic squabbles aside, everyone’s plans change when the Titanic hits an iceberg and it becomes a fight for survival....
Total: 100
From reference-quality audio and video, to the expansive selection of supplements this one truly has it all....
The Digital Bits review by Bill HuntRead review here
Video: 95
Titanic was shot on 35 mm photochemical film (specifically Eastman EXR 50D 5245 and Kodak Vision 500T 5279) in Super 35 format by cinematographer Russell Carpenter (True Lies, Avatar: The Way of Water)...
Audio: 95
This too is terrific, offering a smooth and expansive forward soundstage, tonally very clean and naturally-centered dialogue, constant but often subtle use of the surround channels for music and immersive...
Extras: 95
The most interesting in terms of the film itself is the director’s track with Cameron, who’s in great form as he offers a steady stream of anecdotes and insights....
Movie: 85
It’s not long before a passionate love kindles between Jack and Rose, but their relationship quickly becomes a struggle against class lines, Hockley’s rage, and an unthinkable fate... the sinking of the...
Total: 93
Yet the most surprising thing here for me is not just how good this film looks and sounds today in 4K Ultra HD, but how quickly it completely drew me in again once I started watching the disc....
DoBlu review by Matt PaprockiRead review here
Video: 80
For all of this incredible fidelity, there is a cost, whether the filming process, film stock, or the mastering....
Audio: 100
Engines firing and the boiler room mark the first instances of the bass to come, a throbbing, thick rumble that perfectly accentuates the action....
Extras: 80
While not complete, the wealth of galleries, scene breakdowns, a look at the ship itself, EPK featurettes, and of course a music video make this an excellent set....
Movie: 80
Showcasing wealth disparity and pompous attitudes, Titanic tells the most obvious take on the disaster, ensuring the smug villain Cal (Billy Zane) is nothing less than a grotesque, abusive, and controlling...
Total: 85
While unnecessarily overlong, Titanic still remains an absolute spectacle at its best showing humanity’s hubris....
High-Def Digest review by M. Enois DuarteRead review here
Video: 100
Thanks to the Dolby Vision HDR, the movie also enjoys an improved contrast and brightness balance, showering each scene in vividly bright and clean whites while specular highlights add a crisper, more...
Audio: 90
This is a front-heavy story primarily driven by its dialogue and character development which just happens to also be a disaster flick, so much of the attention and focus is on the vocal and character interactions,...
Extras: 100
James Cameron and crew at 20th Century, Lightstorm, and Paramount have banded together to give fans of the film a terrific mix of new extra features and archival materials from the 2005 DVD and 2012 Blu-ray...
Movie: 70
But audiences at that time couldn't care less that the worn-out story had been used countless times long before Cameron's disaster flick finally set sail on its voyage to cinematic history, valuing the...
Total: 90
Nevertheless, the incredibly simple story is surprisingly the right approach for immersing audiences in the romance and glamor of the ship once called "The Last Word in Luxury" and its unfortunate plunge...
Home Theater Forum review by Neil MiddlemissRead review here
Video: 100
The first half of the film has a warmer palette, but once the ship begins to sink, the blue (Cameron’s Blue as I call it) and darker hues take center stage, offering greater contrast....
Audio: 100
Audio during the collision with the iceberg and the subsequent failing of the ships redundant watertight compartments is piercingly precise, sounds from the overheads come alive once the rescue boats start...
Extras: 90
The extent of the special features included here is splendid and includes a few new pieces but does exclude some of the extras from previous editions (though portions are included in a new way so you’re...
Movie: 90
The scale of the spectacle, the unflinching love between Jack and Rose, and the gripping race against time and the flooding compartments of the grand ship give us a sense of hope and possibility even though...
Total: 90
The film’s emotional impact on me a quarter century ago was in the heartbreaking romance, today as I see the film the scale of human tragedy packs the heavier wallop....
AVSForum review by Ralph PottsRead review here
Video: 100
26 years later, it hasn’t lost any of its luster/appeal, and is still as marvelous as it was the first time I saw it....
Audio: 94
The opening underwater sequences utilize the overhead channels to enhance the feeling of immersion as the submersible vehicles work their way around the wreckage of the Titanic....
Extras: 100
Jon Landau introduces a series of behind-the-scenes segments showcasing the making of TITANIC....
Movie: 80
but I always looked at it as one of our history’s significant events (I felt the same way about The Hindenberg)....
Total: 94
It makes its debut on Ultra HD Blu-ray in this Ultra HD Blu-ray/Digital release from Paramount Home Entertainment featuring beautifully restored video quality, a terrific Dolby Atmos listening track and...
Why So Blu?Read review here
Video: 100
HDR helps to both refine the image and add some good contrast and glow in the firework flares and such during the late night sinking....
Audio: 90
All of the additions with the advent of more channels on feel quite authentic to the film itself and feel as refined and calculated as the film itself....
Extras: 100
Reflections On TITANIC (HD, 1:03:46) TITANIC: 25 Years Later With James Cameron (HD, 42:06) – A program that has Cameron taking in criticisms over the years of the film’s accuracies and he takes to doing...
Movie: 90
Why I say that he’s not going for Oscar bait, is that all the hallmarks of a James Cameron picture absolutely remain here at the forefront and aren’t being restrained, tamed or feel like he’s even trying...
Total: 90
The new transfer and Atmos audio heighten the film to the best degrees you could ask for without being in the theater....
Director: James Cameron
Actors: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane
PlotIn 1912, a young, wealthy woman named Rose boards the RMS Titanic, destined for New York City from Southampton with her fiancé Cal and her oppressive upper-class family. Trapped in a life of suffocating etiquette and expectations, she feels despair at the path her life is taking. Meanwhile, a spirited, penniless artist named Jack wins a third-class ticket for the Titanic in a poker game and boards the ship full of hope and dreams of a better life in America. Their worlds collide when Jack sees Rose contemplating a drastic escape from her life and intervenes, forging an immediate connection between them.
As the ship sails toward its fate, the two develop a clandestine romance that blooms despite the stark class divisions on the ship. Their relationship challenges the rigid social norms and allows Rose to rediscover her zest for life, encouraging her to pursue her own desires and freedoms. However, their newfound love is threatened not just by Cal's jealousy and the disapproval of Rose's family, but also by the inevitable disaster looming over the Titanic. As they navigate their feelings for each other among the opulence and grandeur of the ship, the passengers remain blissfully unaware of the tragedy that awaits them in the cold waters of the North Atlantic.
Writers: James Cameron
Release Date: 19 Dec 1997
Runtime: 194 min
Rating: PG-13
Country: United States, Mexico
Language: English, Swedish, Italian, French