At the height of the 1960s Cold War, Russia launches its flagship nuclear submarine, the K-19. In command is iron-willed Captain Alexei Vostrikov (Ford). Also aboard is the popular executive officer Mikhail Polenin (Liam Neeson), who clashes with Vostrikov, but shares his unwavering patriotism. As the K-19 heads toward American waters, a shocking discovery is made: the vessel’s nuclear reactor system is leaking, imperiling the men and the sub’s missiles. With time running out, the fearless Vostrikov and his crew join together as brave countrymen who must decide the true meaning of duty, honor and sacrifice.

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Video Quality

Shout! Studios presents K-19: The Widowmaker with a terrific 2160p transfer in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio sourced from a new 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative with Dolby Vision/HDR. The film was previously released by Paramount on Blu-Ray 14 years ago in 2010 from a dated master. That release still holds up decently, but the improvements of this new disc expose the obvious weaknesses of the prior one. This new presentation is an unbelievable improvement in nearly every respect. Even if you are not yet 4K UHD capable, this new release comes with a new Blu-Ray sourced from the same 4K master which also looks very good.

The implementation of Dolby Vision/HDR for precise color output fine-tunes hues to remarkable levels with depth and nuance. Black levels are first-rate with nothing in the way of crush or banding present throughout the shadowy submarine. Audiences can now process much more shadow detail with figures properly defined instead of blending into the murky background. Highlights are incredible with no evidence of blooming in the fleeting moments of brilliant luminance. Lighting is key from scene to scene, and this disc handles every slight environmental development with ease.

Audiences will be gobsmacked by the intricate texture on display in the outfits and within the production design. The level of detail and clarity newly revealed is a gift thanks to the sumptuous amount of natural film grain intact. The grain resolves perfectly well with nothing ever feeling unnatural even within the shadowy environments. We did not spot even a speck of damage thanks to the thoughtful clean-up of the image. This presentation is authentic to the original look of the film with the added resolution making elements seem more prominent and natural. There are no unwanted digital anomalies such as compression artifacts or other issues. This presentation is a winner from the team at Shout! Studios.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with a brand new DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track along with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio stereo track which both serve up a mighty mix. This narrative thrives with a complex sound design that springs to life in the surround sound mix. It provides a nuanced soundscape that deftly captures the artistic intent with a fidelity that is effortlessly maintained. Environmental sounds such as the replication of underwater submersion are rendered favorably alongside everything else such as alarms.

The effective score has never sounded richer and is used impeccably to establish the tone of the story. There is never a moment where it threatens to drown out competing sounds, and it maintains a gripping balance so that dialogue comes through crisp and clear. There do not seem to be any instances of age-related wear and tear. Shout! Studios has delivered a strong presentation worthy of the movie. English SDH subtitles are provided for those who want them.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Director Kathryn Bigelow and Cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth provide a decent commentary track in which they discuss shooting in Moscow, visiting the real K-19, the challenges of the shoot, some of the natural production design, the research for the project, the accent work, and more.

The Making of K-19: The Widowmaker: A 20-minute archival featurette is provided that gives a broad overview of the film, the real-life history, the qualities of the cast members, the work of Kathryn Bigelow, and more.

Exploring the Craft – Make-Up Techniques: A nearly six-minute look at the process of replicating the effects of radiation exposure along with some aging work on Harrison Ford.

Breaching the Hull: A five-minute piece on how miniatures were used to achieve the effect of the submarine breaking through ice.

It’s In The Details: A 12-minute exploration of how the cast and creative team took great pains to make things as authentic as possible.

Theatrical Trailer: The two-and-a-half-minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

K-19: The Widowmaker is not the best we have seen from Kathryn Bigelow, but with a career so strong, that is not a major insult by any means. Bigelow crafts a tale of great dramatic tension without having to play up the action aspects of the tale. This is much more character-based than you might suspect, and it thrives in that respect. The decision to cast non-Russians to perform these roles yields inconsistent results. Harrison Ford is a commanding presence, but his accent is distracting. Others in the ensemble steal much less focus with their take on the dialect. Given the content of the story, the film feels overlong, but it holds up a solid entertainment. Shout! Studios has provided the film with a 4K UHD Blu-Ray release that boasts a top-notch A/V presentation and a nice array of special features. If you appreciate a good character-driven wartime tale, this is worth a watch. Recommended

K-19: The Widowmaker (Collector’s Edition) is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD + Blu-Ray Combo Pack.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Shout! Studios has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.