Elvis 4K Ultra HD

"Elvis's (Austin Butler) story is seen through the prism of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hank). As told by Parker, the film delves into the complex dynamic between the two spanning over 20 years, from Presley's rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America. Central to that journey is one of the significant and influential people in Elvis's life, Priscilla Presley (Olivia DeJonge). (Gary Reber)

Special features include four featurettes: "Bigger Than Life: The Making Of Elvis" (HD 22:23), "Rock 'N Roll: The Music & Artists Behind Elvis" (HD 07:33), "Fit For A King: The Style Of Elvis" (HD 08:02) and "Viva Australia: Recreating Iconic Locations For Elvis" (HD 07:26); "Trouble" lyric video (HD 02:15); Musical Moments" (HD 46:19) and a Movies Anywhere digital copy.

The 2:39.1 2160p HEVC/H.265 Ultra HD Dolby Vision/HDR10 picture, reviewed on a Sony Bravia Z9D 4K Ultra HD HDR display, was photographed digitally using the Arri Alexa 65 and Arri Alexa LF camera systems and sourced from a 4K master Digital Intermediate format. The picture is terrifically natural and realistic with a wide color gamut that exhibits finely nuanced hue shadings. Colors are vividly saturated and natural in appearance. Cinematographer Mandy Walker reportedly shot the entire film using Arri cameras with custom "Elvis" lenses made from special glass that produced an image both slightly less sharp and with more aberration than traditional ones. The imagery evoke the 1970s era in which story is told and evokes a classic cinematic appearance. While at times, colors pop, overall the imagery ranges from dark and muted to a candy-colored intensity. Flesh tones are perfectly hued with naturalness. HDR contrast is realistic with natural black levels, revealing shadows and natural white levels. There are some segments interspersed with well balanced black and white gray scale. Resolution is excellent, especially during closeups with sharp and clear imagery. Fine detail is exhibited in facial features such as skin pores, sweat beads, lines and hair. Clothing and costumes dazzle and reveal fine textures. As well the textural attributes of the production design are realistic. This is a beautiful picture with excellent color fidelity and superb cinematography, costume and production design. (Gary Reber)

The Dolby Atmos/Dolby TrueHD 7.1-channel soundtrack delivers good fidelity throughout with a dynamic character that enhances the realism of the years passing in Elvis's life. Dialogue is a prominent focus of the soundtrack and its spatial integration and naturalness does not disappoint. The music is nicely recorded and presented with a combination of Elvis's music, black music, and orchestral/choral segments. The music delivers a strong rhythmic feel during Elvis's singing segments with a natural deep bass foundation. The musical performances range from intimate locales seen in Elvis' youth to the concert during which he first met "Colonel" Tom Parker and the much more grandiose stage shows in which Elvis performed in Las Vegas. Atmospherics really enhance the realism and excitement as well as sound effects. Foley sound effects enhance the realism perfectly.

The Immersive Sound element is comprised of an extension of the music sans Elvis's performances, as well as numerous atmospheric and sound effects including lots of audience reactions. The height layer could have been even more effective had the filmmakers extended Elvis's performances.

This is a fabulous holosonic® spherical surround that is inspired throughout and exciting during the numerous Elvis music segments for a realistic representation of his life. (Gary Reber)