Barbie 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review
Score: 85
from 9 reviewers
Review Date:
Barbie's 4K UHD Blu-ray dazzles with stunning native 4K HDR, a lively Dolby Atmos track, and engaging extras, making it a highly recommended addition.
Disc Release Date
True 4K
HDR10
Dolby Atmos
Dolby TrueHD
Video: 97
Barbie's 4K UHD Blu-ray boasts a stunning image with vibrant pink-dominated colors, supported by HDR and WCG. Rendered from a 6.5K source to a 4K DI, it offers rich detail in clothing and hair textures, flawless contrast, deep black levels, and an excellent sense of depth. The HDR10 grading compensates well for the absence of Dolby Vision, delivering a reference-quality visual feast.
Audio: 93
Barbie's Dolby Atmos presentation excels with dynamic, crystal-clear dialogue and robust LFE, bringing vibrant scenes and effects to life. The immersive soundstage features active surrounds and height channels, enhancing everything from booming parties to intricate magic sparkles, matching the visual extravaganza beautifully.
Extra: 51
"The 4K UHD Blu-ray of 'Barbie' includes six fairly superficial featurettes covering production design, costume design, Margot Robbie's transformation, and behind-the-scenes insights, though lacks extensive extras despite the film’s success—a conventional but appreciated effort for home viewers.”
Movie: 83
Barbie's 4K UHD Blu-ray dazzles with top-tier production design and sharp social commentary. Directed by Greta Gerwig and co-written with Noah Baumbach, it masterfully melds playful satire with vibrant visuals. While not without minor flaws, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling deliver standout performances in this uniquely subversive cinematic achievement.
Video: 97
Warner Bros.’ 4K UHD Blu-ray release of "Barbie" presents a visually stunning experience, capturing the candy-colored world with unrivaled clarity. Utilizing a 3840x2160/24p BT.2020 image in the 2.00:1 aspect ratio and encoded with the HEVC (H.265) codec, this disc benefits greatly from its HDR10 grading. The native 4K presentation, finished on a BD-100 disc, shows exceptional detail, from fabric textures to hair strands and perfect plastic seams in Barbie's Dream House. The HDR and Wide Color Gamut (WCG) elements excel, providing a rich visual array that maintains deep, inky blacks and vibrantly saturated colors without banding, posterization, or macro blocking.
The disc's 4K video presentation is nothing short of Reference Quality. The film’s fantasy-based, boldly colorful palette is fully utilized here, with primary colors appearing rich and whites punchy. Pastels pop off the screen, making for an incredibly dynamic viewing experience. The HDR works overtime to modulate tones on screen, ensuring stunning contrast and keeping bright highlights from blooming or becoming blown out. This effect is even more pronounced in the various settings within the movie, from the virtually flawless hues of Barbie Land to the comparably muted real world environments. While the HDR10 grading is impeccable, it’s notable that the disc lacks Dolby Vision—a minor drawback considering the streaming version offers it.
Fine details are consistently sharp, offering strong image depth and a genuine three-dimensional sense of space. Black levels hold up perfectly across different scenes, maintaining healthy shadow gradients. Despite the heavy emphasis on pinks and pastels, other primaries like reds, blues, and yellows are represented vividly without over-saturating skin tones. Visual textures stand out in all settings, allowing for an immersive transition between the dreamlike Barbie Land and the muted tones of the real world. Overall, this UHD release is a visual triumph and a fantastic example of what the 4K format can achieve.
Audio: 93
The 4K UHD Blu-ray of "Barbie" comes equipped with an exceptional Dolby Atmos soundtrack that provides an immersive, engaging audio experience. This high-definition, object-based surround sound track opens with a dynamic, booming sequence reminiscent of "2001: A Space Odyssey," immediately establishing an auditory presence with palpable LFE. The soundtrack masterfully prioritizes clear dialogue, while also delivering a robust, bass-thrumming score and subtle, yet familiar, ambient effects. Moments like the whoosh of playhouse doors, the sparkle of toy magic, and the booming intensity of party sequences showcase the soundtrack's capacity to bring the vibrant environments to life with verve. Directionality is used effectively, offering a genuine sense of immersion that fully utilizes the height channels.
The Dolby Atmos presentation further elevates "Barbie," balancing powerful, dynamic audio with meticulous staging across its multiple channels. The front stage remains active from the start, with frequent surround activity and attention to height channels creating an engaging atmosphere. Vibrant scenes in Barbie Land are particularly striking, combining front-forward music with enveloping background effects and swirling dialogue. Real-world settings are not neglected either, as crowd noise and location-based elements enrich key moments. Although the height channels may not dominate, they deliver impactful sonic touches that enhance the overall mix. The Dolby Atmos track boasts firm low-end support that augments the bass-driven score and sound effects, such as pulsating cars and thumping engines, without ever compromising the clarity of dialogues.
Overall, "Barbie" on 4K UHD Blu-ray offers a reference-quality audio experience that is as playful and energetic as its visual counterpart. The mix excels in producing crystal-clear vocals and impactful music sequences that fill the room with depth and layering. Both LFE and surround sound presentation are executed with precision, making this a fun and lively track to enjoy at high volumes. Subtitles are available in multiple languages including English SDH, ensuring accessibility for all viewers.
Extra: 51
The 4K UHD Blu-ray of "Barbie" includes a modest collection of six featurettes that offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the film's production. These extras, while somewhat surface-level and typical of Electronic Press Kit (EPK) material, provide some insight into various aspects of the movie from costume design to Margot Robbie’s transformation into Barbie. "Welcome to Barbie Land" stands out with its detailed exploration of the production design, showcasing Greta Gerwig’s direction and the colorful, authentic sets. The inclusion of these extras directly on the 4K disc is commendable, although more extensive content would have been appreciated given the film’s success.
Extras included in this disc:
- Welcome to Barbie Land: Detailed look at the production design and direction.
- Becoming Barbie: Margot Robbie's transformation, including costumes and makeup.
- Playing Dress-Up: Focus on the film’s extensive costume design.
- Musical Make-Believe: Behind-the-scenes look at the dance party sequence.
- All-Star Barbie Party: Insights into the casting process and on-set vibe.
- It’s A Weird World: Discussion of Kate McKinnon’s character, Weird Barbie.
Movie: 83
Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" has shattered expectations, exceeding its presumptive place in children's cinema to deliver a vibrant social commentary that holds significant rewatch value. Margot Robbie embodies the titular Barbie with precision, making her character’s surreal journey surprisingly relatable. Ryan Gosling’s standout performance as Ken adds layers of humor and depth, often eclipsing Barbie in emotional nuance. Greta Gerwig, alongside co-writer Noah Baumbach, has masterfully spun a tale that deftly balances outrageous satire with poignant critiques of social structures and gender roles. The film’s tongue-in-cheek humor, reminiscent of "The LEGO Movie" but with a feminist bent, provides rich rewards for attentive audiences through its dense layers of topical observations and sharp wit.
The plot, catalyzed by Barbie's onset of human imperfections like flat feet and existential dread, propels her from the visually resplendent Barbie Land into the real world—a transition that serves as a goldmine for both visual gags and incisive cultural commentary. Life in the real world starkly contrasts the idyllic matriarchal Barbie Land, presenting oppressing societal norms quite liberating for Ken upon discovery. The physical set designs mirror the toys’ exaggerated, brightly colored aesthetics while Margot Robbie appears slightly too large for her surroundings, adding a layer of authenticity down to the plastic. Yet, despite its charm and glossy surface, "Barbie" does not shy from exploring themes of identity, societal norms, and corporate feminism under layers of humor which cleverly illuminate the absurdities of gender imbalances.
Despite occasional missteps such as overextended musical sequences and minor storyline hiccups, "Barbie" is a triumph of ambitious storytelling. Robbie’s layered portrayal of Stereotypical Barbie grapples with contemporary issues while immersed in comedic absurdity. Kate McKinnon’s Weird Barbie, among other standout supporting roles, provides scene-stealing moments. The film's production design is immaculate—every element from the set pieces to costumes channels the synthetic beauty of the doll’s universe in a way that’s both nostalgic and fresh. Gerwig’s direction ensures "Barbie" is far more than a commercial blockbuster; it’s an engaging satire that strikes a fine balance between delightful visual storytelling and incisive sociopolitical critique.
Total: 85
Barbie on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray is a standout release that exceeds expectations, both in cinematic scope and technical execution. Greta Gerwig's film blends sharp satire with endearing humor to create a movie that's as intelligent as it is entertaining. The Ultra HD format showcases this blend beautifully with razor-sharp detail and drop-dead gorgeous colors, particularly enhanced by a 2160p HDR transfer. Accompanying this visual splendor is a Dolby Atmos audio track that provides an immersive experience, capturing everything from witty dialogue to dynamic soundscapes with precision.
Despite some minor hiccups in its narrative pacing, Barbie's 4K release is near flawless in its presentation. The film brings a thoughtful and humorous take on its iconic subject matter, reinforced by stellar performances and vibrant production design. One notable drawback is the lack of comprehensive bonus features – while it includes several engaging featurettes, the absence of in-depth extras such as director commentary or a making-of documentary is felt. However, these minor complaints do not overshadow the film's impressive technical achievements on this 4K UHD release.
In conclusion, Barbie defies its perceived limitations to deliver a fun, insightful, and visually stunning experience. Its 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment offers jaw-dropping video and audio quality, making it a must-have for fans and collectors alike. Despite a modest extras package, this release is highly recommended for its top-notch presentation and the sheer enjoyment it provides. This is one title that promises to be a popular holiday gift and a worthy addition to any home entertainment collection.
avforums review by Casimir HarlowRead review here
Video: 100
Their Ultra HD Blu-ray delivers a likely unsurprisingly stunning image, with a popping pink-dominated colour palette, and HDR working overtime to keep up with the vibrance on offer....
Audio: 100
equally excellent There's everything here you'd like from a modern soundtrack here, maintaining priority for the all-important dialogue, but hitting you with with palpable LFE right from the outset with...
Extras: 60
Warner offer a limited salvo of half a dozen Featurette-based extras to accompany Barbie (perhaps unsurprisingly given one of the movie's in-jokes, there's no Commentary here), but at least they port them...
Movie: 80
Greta Gerwig deserves all the real praise though, for doing the utterly unthinkable, unimaginable, impossible - taking a property which, by any rights, should have landed on the Blockbuster playing field...
Total: 90
The birth of, and arguably the backbone of, Pixar, the first Toy Story may no longer look like the groundbreaking animation it was in 1995, but it remains an animated masterpiece and gets a much-deserved...
Blu-ray.com review by Randy Miller IIIRead review here
Video: 100
Black levels, contrast, and subtle gradients hold up perfectly, and the supportive bit rate provided by this UHD's ample 100GB disc space ensures a smooth and stable presentation that doesn't fall victim...
Audio: 0
Vibrant scenes in Barbie Land are obvious standouts, where front-forward music combines with occasionally enveloping background effects and swirling dialogue, while "the real world" follows suit with a...
Extras: 100
Welcome to Barbie Land (12:01) - Barbie's production design gets a bit of love here, including its colorful sets and other "authentically artificial" elements, as well as the importance of a childhood...
Movie: 80
This sequence serves up a few solid gags (none better than a decades-late takedown of Matchbox 20's irritating 1997 single "Push") but is otherwise hampered by major mixed-message issues, temporarily derailing...
Total: 40
The surprisingly something-for-everyone enjoyment value of Barbie was a mild shock to yours truly, proving that its 2023 box-office dominance was hardly a fluke....
Blu-ray Authority review by Matt Brighton and Matt MaloufRead review here
Video: 100
The blonde hair on both Barbie and Ken are fabulous, if there’s a flaw to be found on Margot Robbie or Ryan Gosling, I couldn’t find it....
Audio: 90
I’d have not thought this would be one that I’d actually have to turn down at a few moments, but no – they belt out songs and sound shoots out of every speaker at your disposal....
Extras: 50
Playing Dress-Up – As we might expect with Barbie, this is a costume design featurette that shows the myriad of outfits used in the film....
Movie: 0
It isn’t something I will revisit often, but it more than got the job done, and as of this writing, the film is a huge success....
Total: 80
To be fair, I was guilty of judging a book by its cover (it is Barbie, after all), but there’s something so endearing about it that I couldn’t help...
The Digital Bits review by Tim SalmonsRead review here
Video: 100
The wide variety of pastels and primaries in Barbieland, as well as the (by contrast) more muted palette of the real world are beautifully rendered, aided dutifully by the HDR grade....
Audio: 100
Again, this is reference-quality stuff that takes full advantage of its multiple channels with frequent surround activity, giving plenty attention to the height channels, but also vast ambient and dialogue-related...
Extras: 40
Welcome to Barbie Land, which is by far the most interesting featurette, spends time talking about the production design, going into a bit more specific detail about the variety of sets and props, as well...
Movie: 95
It shouldn’t come as a surprise though because, as we’ve seen time and time again, when filmmakers make something aimed at a particular audience that meets them on their level (without insulting their...
Total: 84
First of all, a commentary with Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach would be great, specifically discussing the writing process, as well as the creation of the film in a bit more detail....
DoBlu review by Matt PaprockiRead review here
Video: 100
Pink, pink, and pink dominates the palette obviously, but that doesn’t mean a loss in flesh tones or other primaries when the opportunity presents itself....
Audio: 80
While not a bombastic action movie, Barbie feature a few scenes of note, including a car chase with vehicles sweeping through the soundtstage and thumping cars....
Extras: 40
...
Movie: 100
The roads, the homes, the props, the vehicles – it’s all exquisite to see, and this in addition to a carefully considered imbalance in scale; Barbie appears slightly too large for her surroundings, as...
Total: 80
...
High-Def Digest review by Matthew HartmanRead review here
Video: 90
With all of the world-building of Barbieland from the plastic houses and cars to the “water” on the plastic beach to the amazing costume design work, this film is a pink-hued visual feast....
Audio: 100
The narration feels stronger and more pronounced, the dialog feels livelier, and the dance numbers have a whole lot more impact....
Extras: 20
But considering there was a wild lack of any retailer exclusives for Warner Bros. biggest movie of the year (or ever by certain mathematical metrics), this has me believing there’s got to be a much more...
Movie: 80
All said, it's not a perfect film, I did think some of the A-plot points drifted a little too close to The Lego Movie for comfort (complete with a hilarious Will Farrell as the clueless president of Mattel),...
Total: 90
Not every movie needs to be for everyone but for those open to having a big silly time with a great cast, colorful world-building, and a great audio mix, this fits the bill nicely....
Home Theater Forum review by Todd ErwinRead review here
Video: 100
Warner’s 2160p HEVC encode on the lone BD100 disc includes a nice HDR10 grading that really make this disc pop, particularly during the Barbie Land sequences, while the real world takes on a much more...
Audio: 100
LFE is strong, from the smashing baby dolls in the prologue to the pulsing beat in the music numbers....
Extras: 50
Playing Dress-Up: An Extended Look at the Costumes of “Barbie” (1080p; 7:27): The costume designs of the film....
Movie: 80
Director and co-writer Greta Gerwig along with co-writer Noah Baumbach’s screenplay is both an homage to the history of Barbie (yes, there really was a eating and pooping dog and a pregnant Barbie) but...
Total: 80
Barbie defied all expectations by telling a fun and interesting story with a talented cast when it could have easily joined the despair of other toy-based movies....
AVSForum review by Ralph PottsRead review here
Video: 96
This is a fantasy-based film that is essentially boldly colorful throughout, and this Ultra HD rendering makes the most of its elements....
Audio: 84
Extras: 60
• Welcome to Barbie Land – featurette • Becoming Barbie – featurette • Playing Dress-Up – featurette • Musical Make-Believe – featurette • All-Star Barbie Party – featurette •...
Movie: 80
The plot is simple, Standard Barbie’s perfect world, where she lives with ALL of the other iterations of Barbie (as well as the iterations of Ken), is thrown into chaos when she begins to exhibit human...
Total: 80
It arrives on Ultra HD in this Ultra HD Blu-ray/Digital release from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment featuring sparkling video, solid overall sound, and a fun assortment of extras....
Why So Blu? review by Brandon PetersRead review here
Video: 100
HDR really helps many colors to radiate and of course pink is one of the all start colors....
Audio: 100
The subwoofer hits quite good with the bass in the score and songs that play as well as accentuating sound effects for things like engines, doors slamming, stomping and more....
Extras: 40
Playing Dress-Up (HD, 7:27) – Costume design is the name of the game for this featurette as we look at the many, many outfits that wander by the screen in the film....
Movie: 70
None of it is a deal breaker, even if its up and down, but there’s areas within that it could have challenged and pushed and been something even more....
Total: 80
I wish the extras were quite a bit more, but its actually kinda par for the course for Gerwig Blu-rays....
Director: Greta Gerwig
Actors: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Issa Rae
PlotIn a vibrant and colorful world, a young woman with a flawless life realizes that her seemingly perfect existence within the confines of her idyllic hometown isn't as fulfilling as she once thought. Known for her beauty, kindness, and seemingly limitless talent, she begins to grapple with the dissonance between who she is expected to be and who she wants to become. Surrounded by friends who adore her and a community that puts her on a pedestal, she makes a daring decision to leave behind her manufactured paradise and embark on an uncharted adventure to discover her true self.
Outside the comfort of her former life, she encounters a diverse array of individuals each battling their own stereotypes and societal expectations. Among them is a charismatic and adventurous man whose initial cynicism about her past life hides a more complex and thoughtful nature. As their paths intertwine, they challenge one another's perspectives, leading to moments of conflict, humor, and unexpected friendship. She finds herself drawn into an array of situations that test her ingenuity, compassion, and courage, causing her to confront the question of whether she can truly transform beyond the confines of her previous identity and what it means to live authentically in a world that's often superficial.
Writers: Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach
Release Date: 21 Jul 2023
Runtime: 114 min
Rating: PG-13
Country: United States, United Kingdom
Language: English, Spanish