Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Ultimate Edition

Despite being sourced from a 4K digital intermediate, Warner's HEVC /H.265/2160p UHD disc won't immediately blow viewers out of their seats with its superior resolution, largely because BvS is such a visually kinetic film that the camera rarely pauses long enough for anyone to assess the improved detail—but it's there. Combined with judicious HDR encoding that subtly enhances brightness and contrast, the UHD treatment of BvS amplifies the impact of director Zack Snyder's crowded frames, even as the action rushes forward. Take, for example, the scene, where Batman and Superman first confront each other standing atop the Batmobile, with bright flames to the right and a blue lens flare bisecting the frame horizontally. In the UHD presentation, the key elements of the tableau stand out more distinctly against the nighttime background, namely, the two superheroes confronting one another, each under the mistaken belief that the other one is a menace.

Indeed, the entire sequence leading up to that moment demonstrates the UHD image's superiority, beginning with the aerial shot that finds Batman poised above the pier where a ship smuggling kryptonite has docked. As the camera swirls and zooms from above, the folds of Batman's cape blowing in the wind are more defined on UHD.

The ensuing pursuit in the Batmobile—an elaborate combination of practical stunts and CG elements—feels more visceral and immediate, because, even with the rapid-fire editing, all of the critical elements in the frame have more presence and finer definition, including Batman and his vehicle, the truck carrying the kryptonite, and the various additional vehicles and weapons deployed by Luthor's minions against their pursuer. (For a clear example of superior resolution, look at the beard stubble on Batman's face in the undercranked closeup where he first drives past Superman. On the regular Blu-ray, it's facial coloration, but on the UHD, you can see individual whiskers.)