Legendary director Wolfgang Petersen (Das Boot, The Perfect Storm) brings all his talent for jaw-dropping spectacle to his 2006 epic disaster movie Poseidon, a pulse-pounding update of Paul Gallico’s classic adventure novel. Passengers and crew members alike are celebrating New Year’s Eve aboard the cruise-liner Poseidon, the pinnacle of engineering and the height of luxury. But soon after the clock strikes midnight, a gigantic rogue wave comes crashing against the vessel, sending it plummeting towards the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. As the ship sinks further down, a group of survivors must learn to work together if they are to pull through this terrifying ordeal. With an outstanding ensemble cast including Kurt Russell, Josh Lucas, Richard Dreyfuss, Andre Braugher and Emmy Rossum, and stunning special effects by Industrial Light and Magic, Poseidon is an audiovisual tour de force, presented for the first time on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray.

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Video Quality

Arrow Video presents Poseidon with a sterling 2160p transfer in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio restored by Arrow from a 2K Digital Intermediate sourced from Warner Bros. presented in 4K resolution and graded in 4K HDR10/Dolby Vision. Despite the 2K DI origins, the upscale to 4K resolution is an undeniable benefit to this feature that is executed with a cracking encode. This film was previously released by Warner Bros. on Blu-Ray in 2010, but we only have the even older HD-DVD release from 2006 to compare the presentations. We do know that it was presented with an anemic VC-1 codec, so this film needed an upgrade regardless of the step up to 4K. The level of discrete detail and clarity on display is terrific as you take in the opulence of the production design before the incident and the absolute destruction once things go to hell. This also translates to the textures on outfits and the cuts and bruises on the survivors.

The utilization of Dolby Vision is vital to achieve pinpoint color accuracy. Hues are at their most brilliant during the New Year’s Eve celebration, and things start to become a bit more subdued when dealing with twisted metal and other debris. Every source appears to be accurately rendered. The new master features some complex nuances within the lighting, production design, and clothing that reveal a wondrous amount of depth. This world feels claustrophobic yet three-dimensional thanks to the enhanced depth of field. Black levels are terrifically deep with nothing in the way of crush present, and highlights show no inkling of blooming. The disc always has a strong grasp on the contrast. This transfer leaves nothing in the way of damage or unwanted digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding, or any other such nuisances. Arrow Video has given the film a new life at home.

Audio Quality

This 4K UHD Blu-Ray comes with a mighty DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that packs the punch necessary for a disaster movie. While an expanded Dolby Atmos option may have been a nice upgrade, we are more than happy to have the original sonic experience sounding so healthy. With this being a disaster movie, you want a strong showing in the low end with texture flowing through your bones. The film is replete with environmental effects that engage the surround speakers well. When the wave hits and things go chaotic, your room will be shaking.

The track has a clear sense of directionality with sounds always emerging from the appropriate channels. Dialogue comes through clearly in the front channel without being stomped out by any sound effects or the music. The score from Klaus Badelt sets the tone for this story which fills the room effectively. There are no shortcomings with fidelity or damage to the track. This audio presentation from Arrow Video goes hard. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.

Special Features

The first pressing of the Arrow Video 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Poseidon includes a multi-page booklet featuring new writing on the film by Priscilla Page. This provides great insight into the film, the darker approach of the storytelling, how the film reflected the era in which it was made, and more in a thoughtfully written style. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Ocean Views: A new 15-minute interview with director of photography John Seale is provided in which he discusses his background, working with Wolfgang Petersen, the uncomfortable shooting situations, shooting with multiple cameras, giving autonomy to the camera operators, the technical challenge of working in water, and more.

Big Sets for Big-Time Directors: A new 13-minute interview with production designer William Sandell is provided in which he discusses his unusual path to movies, his collaborations with Wolfgang Petersen, the fun of making big sets, how they created the various locations, working with the special effects crew, famous visitors to the set, and more.

Surfing the VFX Wave: A new nearly 19-minute interview with visual effects supervisor Boyd Shermis is provided in which he discusses getting into special effects work, working with Jan de Bont on Speed, growing at Warner Bros., choreographing the opening title sequence, the challenge of telling a story with the water, and more.

Bringing Out the Dead: A new 12-minute interview with make-up effects on-set supervisor Michael Deak is provided in which he discusses his early days, creating fake corpses to weave into the production design, the most dangerous aspects of the set, and more.

Set Course For Adventure: A new 17-minute visual essay from critic Heath Holland in which he sticks up for Poseidon by exploring the way it differs from the original film, the approach of Wolfgang Petersen, the archetypes of the characters, the legacy of the film, and more.

A Ship On A Soundstage: A 23-minute archival featurette that looks at the production of the film through interviews with the cast and creative team. Topics include the updating of the material, the vision of Wolfgang Petersen, the scope of the film, and more.

Upside Down: An 11-minute archival piece that explores the impressive feat of production design in the film.

A Shipmate’s Diary: A 13-minute archival look at the creation of the film through the eyes of production assistant Malona Voigt.

Final Thoughts

Poseidon has a lot to live up to with a beloved adaptation from 1972 already on the books. That film was the highest-grossing movie of 1973, earned a slew of Oscar nominations, and received positive notices from critics and audiences alike. This update from Wolfgang Petersen streamlines the story a bit more (per studio notes) as it focuses on spectacle over character development, which can be a bit underwhelming. With that said, the ensemble collected here is very charismatic and does a fine job of holding your interest throughout the swift runtime. The film is agreeable popcorn entertainment, and that is enough sometimes. It is not the best version of itself, but it delivers a good time while you are watching it. Arrow Video has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a strong A/V presentation and a welcome assortment of new and archival special features. Recommended

Poseidon will be available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray on August 12, 2025.

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

Disclaimer: Arrow Video has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.