The 5th Wave (2016) REMUX 4K UHD 2160p

The first wave left a haze behind it. Only the most lucky ones managed to escape from the second one. But you can hardly call those who survived after the third are lucky. And the fourth wave erased all human laws, instead, it established its own, only one: you want to live - do not believe anyone. And now the fifth wave is rolling ...

The 5th Wave 4K (2016)

The 5th Wave 4K Blu-ray remux delivers stunning video and reference-quality audio in this fan-pleasing Blu-ray release
16-year-old Cassie Sullivan tries to survive in a world devastated by the waves of an alien invasion that has already decimated the population and knocked mankind back to the Stone Age.
For more about The 5th Wave 4K and the The 5th Wave 4K Blu-ray release, see the The 5th Wave 4K Blu-ray Review published by Martin Liebman on May 4, 2016 where this Blu-ray release scored 3.5 out of 5.

The 5th Wave 4K Blu-ray 2160p, Video Quality 3.5 of 5 1080p 4.5 of 5
The Fifth Wave's 2160p/HDR-enabled presentation isn't in any way poor or even technically flawed, but it never rises to the level of "substantial improvement" over the 1080p presentation, which is also included on a separate disc in this set. Sitting down to watch the movie without pausing to make A-B comparisons results in an experience that never feels in any way radically different from the 1080p transfer. Granted, that was reviewed a week or so before getting a chance to watch the UHD, but that's close enough to note that, maybe beyond a little more buoyant and saturated colors and mildly sharper details on a few surfaces (heavily textured military gear in particular), there's simply not a lot of added visual muscle here. According to the movie's IMDB page, the movie was finished at 2K, and that is presumably the source for this release, making it more similar to Concussion and less so Sony's first wave of UHD discs that contained movies sourced from 4K masters.
On a direct A-B comparison, yes, the UHD fares a bit better. Blacks appear more uniform and realistic. Skin tones a little fuller. Colors more dense. Improvements in details are not often striking. Take a dialogue exchange between Cassie and her mother in chapter three. Each of them are wearing a protective mask. The words "Kimberly-Clark" are clearly legible on both. Little fabric details don't seem immediately more appreciable in 4K, but very close examination does show some very fine, porous textures in the middle of the mask that are completely lost on the 1080p, which favors a simple white field instead. Still, it's such a minuscule improvement that even the most demanding viewers probably won't lose any sleep over the 1080p disc's subtle differentiation. Besides, in motion rather than examining dueling stills, it hardly makes a difference. That same scene is a good example of the UHD disc toning down brightness, a bit, favoring a more reserved, less blindingly dynamic splash. That same effect carries through. A few minutes later, Cassie, her brother, and her father are walking to the camp. Look at the 18:20-ish mark that sees them walking through a roadway devastated by the flooding. The sun is hitting green and fall leaves above. The effect is noticeably more bright on the 1080p and more reserved in 4K. Detailing, particularly evident on leaves, seems a tad bit sharper on 4K. One of the biggest differences does come on the aforementioned military vests. The thick stitching and complex velcro surfaces reveal an easily identifiable boost in raw texture, enough that the difference was clear even without the A-B comparison. Making that direct comparison, anyway, does reveal just how much of a leap is to be enjoyed. But is the opportunity to see more of Liev Schreiber's and, a bit later in the movie, Maria Bello's uniform textures worth the added price of 4K admission? Eh, maybe. This review was conducted on a 65" screen, which is big enough to see a difference, but probably not big enough to fully appreciate it. There's no doubt that The 5th Wave's UHD improves on the 1080p, but it's by no means a startling, jaw-dropping, must-see, redefine-the-movie increase.


The 5th Wave 4K Blu-ray, Audio Quality 5.0 of 5
The 5th Wave's Dolby Atmos soundtrack offers a nice, at times even substantial, improvement over the already excellent 5.1 track accompanying the standard 1080p Blu-ray release. This review is based on a 7.1.4 setup, which is the "traditional" seven-channel plus subwoofer configuration with the addition of four "object" or "overhead" speakers to the mix. Sony's Atmos presentation both solidifies core details while adding life to several key moments, both in terms of the extra surround-back speakers and the limited "aggressive" use of the overhead speakers. In a general sense, the Atmos track makes for a solid refinement of smaller details while bringing some added, and welcome, immersion to the proceedings. Music is notably fuller and more effortlessly immersive. While it never feels like notes are spilling down from the ceiling, the added surround channels create a more unified, full-sounding presentation that gives music a little more kick. Clarity certainly never wavers, and the result is a richer listen that, honestly, 5.1-only listeners won't necessarily miss, but that Atmos listeners will appreciate. Likewise, chaotic action scenes reap the benefits of the added speakers, particularly in some early moments where trees collapse and flooding waters punish the listening area with full-stage saturation that, again, offers a more dynamic and thoroughly defined effect that enjoys perhaps not more raw power, but certainly more entry points into the listening area that all but leave the listener soaked when aliens flood the coastal cities. Gunshots ring out with more immersive reverberation, particularly in the convenience store early in the movie. Smaller atmospheric details prove notably more precise and capable of creating a more fully realized environment, particularly in quieter outdoor scenes. Several discrete overhead effects are present, perhaps the most obvious being a helicopter flyover in chapter six that listeners can almost feel whooshing overhead. The sensation is real and the effect very well done. Dialogue remains well prioritized throughout, rounding a very impressive and, at several junctures, reference-worthy Atmos track into form.