In 1776 South Carolina, widower and legendary war hero Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) finds himself thrust into the midst of the American Revolutionary War as he helplessly watches his family torn apart by the savage forces of the British Redcoats. Unable to remain silent, he recruits a band of reluctant volunteers, including his idealistic patriot son, Gabriel (Heath Ledger), to take up arms against the British. Fighting to protect his family’s freedom and his country’s independence, Martin discovers the pain of betrayal, the redemption of revenge and the passion of love.
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Video Quality
The new 4K UHD Blu-Ray SteelBook of The Patriot offers a significant improvement in quality over the older Blu-Ray released in 2007, but no Blu-Ray copies of the movie are included in this package. The film was already released on 4K UHD Blu-Ray back in 2018, which I have and used to compare to this newer release. The implementation of Dolby Vision versus the strictly HDR10 of the previous release yields some incremental improvements, but the major selling point of this release is the inclusion of the Extended Cut in 4K UHD at long last, as opposed to the HD presentation in the last set. While it was believed that the unique footage in this cut could not properly be scaled up to meet 4K UHD standards, Sony has worked its magic by providing it along with the Theatrical Cut on 4K UHD, each version with its own disc.
These transfers invite a proper amount of film grain that resolves exceedingly well without being clumpy, splotchy, or unnatural. Even in the most challenging conditions, such as the smoky battlefield, the picture does not stumble with loose grain or banding, leaving you astounded by its complexity. Sony has not had any digital manipulation done to this transfer, so this disc is clear of DNR, compression artifacts, and other encoding shortcomings. The period production design is presented with tremendous clarity and depth. Skin tones appear more natural than the previous Blu-Ray with a world of fine detail apparent, especially as wounds compound on the battlefield. The costumes and other background textures within the environment are key to making this transfer feel so alive. Even the unique footage of the Extended Cut blends seamlessly with the theatrical footage, so you are in good shape no matter which version you watch.
The benefits of Dolby Vision are readily apparent, as it refines the color spectrum to achieve a more pinpoint execution of the intended hue. The black levels are a beast, always staying deep and flawless with great detail. Highlights in the film are just as brilliant, with the whites pure and balanced with no signs of blooming to be found. This is helpful with characters out under the blazing sun. There is a fair share of eye-popping colors to behold, especially within the foliage and other environmental flourishes. The rich shades within the foliage are quite impressive on all fronts. The colors are complex and completely accurate to what was intended by the creative team. Sony has come through with a pair of impeccable transfers for fans, and even those who own the previous 4K UHD might want to upgrade for the extended cut.
Audio Quality
This 4K UHD Blu-Ray ports over the previous Dolby Atmos track, which gives the film a stellar audio experience necessary for a period epic. The disc also provides the original DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that still impressive in its own right. Those who choose to utilize the original track may not engage every speaker you have, but you will be treated to an ideal experience without any obvious age-related flaws. Dialogue is nice and clear without ever getting overpowered by the music or sound effects. The score from John Williams is deeply emotional and adds so much to the experience as it flows out with peerless fidelity.
With the Atmos track, you will find the front channels commanding most of the dialogue and other primary sounds, but subtle elements consistently expand to the surrounds, rears, and overhead speakers to make things feel more three-dimensional. The sounds up above do not steal focus unnecessarily, rather allowing the world to feel more expansive. Atmospheric sound effects are precisely rendered within the mix so that directionality is never in question. The low-end effects from the subwoofer are astounding due to the intense battle sequences. Sony has not set a foot wrong with this release. Optional English, English SDH, and a plethora of other subtitles are provided.
Special Features
Sony has provided The Patriot with a sleek new SteelBook featuring artwork that is truly lovely in person. Video of the SteelBook can be found at the top of this review.
Disc 1 (4K UHD – Theatrical Cut)
- Audio Commentary: Director Roland Emmerich and Producer Dean Devlin
- The Art of War: A ten-minute featurette that explores how combat was waged during this time and how the creative team approached realizing it on screen.
- The True Patriots: A ten-minute look at the process of bringing the soldiers into this feature, as well as the supposed historical accuracy at play.
- Photo Gallery
- Theatrical Trailer (2:39)
Disc 2 (4K UHD – Unrated Version)
- Deleted Scenes: A 13-minute selection of unused material is provided here with optional audio commentary from director Roland Emmerich and Producer Dean Devlin.
- Visual Effects Featurette: A nearly ten-minute piece that shows how they pulled off some of the visual effects work in the film.
- Conceptual Art to Film Comparisons (4:48)
Final Thoughts
The Patriot is one of the ultimate examples of pure “dad movie” bliss. You get an epic historical story that sands down any nuances to a strict moral binary that plays well for a broad audience. If you are looking for historical accuracy, you should stay far away, as this feature has strictly different goals. This movie mostly accomplishes what director Roland Emmerich strives to do with all of his movies—to entertain a mass audience. This does not always result in the most artistically rewarding endeavors, but they can be satisfying. Even with a runtime nearing three hours, the film moves along at a great pace, and the ensemble delivers in all the ways it needs to. It’s American history through a shiny Hollywood lens, but that is what you want sometimes when you rather rest your brain for a few hours. Sony Pictures has released a sterling new Limited Edition 4K UHD Blu-Ray SteelBook featuring a top-notch A/V presentation as well as a welcome assortment of special features. For the Extended Cut in 4K UHD alone, this is worth an upgrade for fans. Recommended
The Patriot is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray SteelBook and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment 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.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
