Two-time Academy Award® winner Ron Howard delivers the exhilarating true story of a legendary rivalry that rocked the world. During the sexy and glamorous golden age of Formula 1 racing, two drivers emerge as the best: gifted English playboy James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth, The Avengers) and his methodical, brilliant Austrian opponent, Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl, Inglourious Basterds). As they mercilessly clash on and off the Grand Prix racetrack, the two drivers push themselves to the breaking point of physical and psychological endurance, where there’s no shortcut to victory and no margin for error.

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Video Quality

Rush makes its 4K UHD Blu-Ray debut with an impressive 2160p Dolby Vision transfer from a new 4K master. The new release allows the film to look the best it ever has on home entertainment. The original Universal Blu-Ray released over a decade ago in 2014 looked excellent for the time, but this new disc offers welcome improvements across the board. The 4K UHD disc gets the most out of the 2K Digital Intermediate showcasing a world of pleasing texture and background detail. You can more easily appreciate the naturally filmic quality with a refined grain structure that enhances these elements. Specific details within the prosthetics, environments, costumes, and production design are brought to the forefront.

The film implements a stylized aesthetic which this disc recreates with intense accuracy, honoring the creative intention of the film. The Dolby Vision presentation dials in the palette more than ever, as you have distinct lighting choices presenting with a wonderful saturation. Highlights offer a more formidable stability without veering into blooming. The black levels are deeper which allows this transfer to provide an ideal level of fine detail in darker environments. The improvements in contrast and overall clarity are some of the standout aspects of the disc, especially when exploring the rain-drenched environments that have previously struggled with delineation. Skin tones appear natural with an exquisite amount of facial detail. The 4K UHD upgrade honors this film with a top-tier presentation that should please fans.

Audio Quality

This 4K UHD Blu-Ray release boasts the previously available DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 lossless tracks along with a brand new Dolby Atmos track that is made to bring the house down. The latter track is mixed slightly more quiet, but if you turn it up a few notches to reference level, you are in for an immense treat. This disc capably brings the pulse-pounding automotive action to life with a depth and clarity of sound worthy of the experience. The sounds of each race flow out of your side and rear speakers for a fully immersive experience. The expansion to the overhead channels adds a level of immersion that is immensely satisfying.

The track engages all of the channels with sound effects and ambient noise that open up the soundscape. Action sequences are a fairly consistent presence with a terrific sound design that springs to life without fail. The activity in the low end is substantial and rarely stumbles when it comes to pure strength. Dialogue comes through clearly in the center channel without getting overshadowed by the music or any sound effects. The score from Hans Zimmer emanates with a standout fidelity. Shout! Studios has supplied fans with a top-tier audio presentation that honors the grandiosity of the experience. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided on this disc.

Special Features

Introduction by Director/Producer Ron Howard: A new 53-second reflection from the filmmaker who discusses the themes of the film and more.

Race For The Checkered Flag – The Making Of Rush:A nearly 25-minute making-of documentary that explores the writing of the script, the location shooting, the costumes, and more.

The Real Story of Rush: A 19-minute look at the real-life story portrayed in the film and how it was brought to life.

Ron Howard – A Director’s Approach: A nearly eight-minute piece that was previously included in the above making-of documentary on the previous Universal Blu-Ray.

Deleted Scenes: There are 11 minutes of unused footage provided .

Final Thoughts

Rush is one of the more surprising movies to come from Ron Howard as it sidesteps overindulging in sentimentality in favor of a more grounded and precise story of ambition and competition. Daniel Brühl and Chris Hemsworth deliver excellent performances that bring these figures to life. Some of the narrative developments do not completely come together seamlessly, but this is a movie that gets better with every viewing. Shout! Studios has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation and a fine array of new and legacy special features. If you are a fan of the film, this is worth an upgrade. Recommended

Rush is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

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.