Video Quality
Video Quality
The Hunger Games is presented on 4K UHD with a 2160p HDR enhanced transfer in 2.40:1. The film was finished at a 2K DI, and as I discussed in our original The Hunger Games Blu-ray review, both the prevalence of "shaky cam" techniques as well as some significant color grading tend to keep detail levels tamped down at times. There is certainly an appreciable uptick in fine detail throughout this new 4K UHD presentation, but the biggest difference I noticed probably came courtesy of HDR. There is a whole new range of rather subtle tones in both the cool slate grays and ice cold blues as well as the misty greens of the forest sequences now. While these may not add a lot in terms of actual detail or fine detail, they give the film a noticeably more nuanced palette. Close-ups can often provide spectacular levels of fine detail, though, with elements like facial pores or even flyaway hairs really distinct and precise looking. Just a hint of image instability can creep in on lateral pans over dense foliage, but it's a minimal issue. As with the original 1080p presentation, contrast is also slightly variable, but the added benefit of HDR helps to ameliorate some issues, especially in some of the darker sequences. This was shot on good old fashioned 35mm film, and commendably there's none of the slightly noisy looking grain that has accompanied some other 4K UHD releases.