Westworld Season One 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack Review

Have you watched Westworld yet? If not, you should definitely check it out now that Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has released the entire10-episode first season on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack I reviewed in this Blog Post. The opinions I share are my own.

Westworld is a successful HBO series based on a film by best-selling author Michael Crichton. I’ve been looking forward to the Westworld Season One 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack because of all of the special features.

The series was created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy. J.J Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions and Kilter Films produced the show. Westworld Season One, which is titled ‘The Maze,’ stars Sir Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Evan Rachel Wood and Thandie Newton. The impressive cast also includes Jeffrey Wright, James Marsden, Ben Barnes, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Clifton Collins, Jr., Luke Hemsworth, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Simon Quarterman, Rodrigo Santoro, Angela Sarafyan, Jimmi Simpson, Tessa Thompson, and Shannon Woodward.

The plot of Westworld revolves around asking questions about what would happen in a world that has no rules or consequences. There’s a lot of philosophy in there along with an enjoyable mash-up of the Old West and Sci-Fi.

The first season of Westworld sets things up and introduces us to the characters. Dr. Robert Ford (Anthony Hopkins) serves as the mastermind behind the Android-amusement park. Evan Rachel Wood plays Dolors Abernathy, one of the oldest mechanical beings in the park. There’s also the Man in Black (Ed Harris). Safe to say that there’s a lot of mystery and intrigue packed in a mere 10-episode season.

Do read our Admin’s recommendation about why you should start watching Westworld. It has already been renewed for a second season by HBO.

Coming to the Westworld Season One 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack, the front has the main artwork while the back has images, details about the series, and a list of special features. The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack comes in a special limited-edition tin packaging, which is amazing to look at. So shiny!

The Westworld Combo Pack contains three 4K Ultra HD discs with episodes in 4K with HDR. There are also three Blu-ray discs with the episodes presented in HD. You get a Digital HD code too. Furthermore, fans get a premium collectible booklet which is a mock Corporate Guide for employees as well as a pamphlet that has episode descriptions, air dates, etc.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has a knack for adding a lot of extra content in their home releases and the Westworld Season One 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack is no different. The good news is that the extra features are included in both the 4K Ultra HD discs as well as the Blu-ray discs.

The extra features include:

• Disc 1
  • Imagining the Main Title (HD, 14:06) – It examines the main title sequence and how it was designed. It’s very intriguing stuff.
  • Welcome to Westworld (HD, 7:41) – This special feature has executive producers J.J. Abrams, Jonathan Nolan, and Lisa Joy along with actors Thandie Newton, Evan Rachel Wood, and James Marsden talk about the fantastical world of the series as well as how it explores humanity and the use of technology.
  • An Invitation to The Set (HD, 2:14) – You get to see executive producers J.J. Abrams, Jonathan Nolan, and Lisa Joy discussing what it might be like living in the Westworld park with actors Jeffrey Wright and Evan Rachel Wood.
  • About the Series (HD, 2:11) – Featuring executive producers J.J. Abrams, Jonathan Nolan, and Lisa Joy with actors Thandie Newton, Evan Rachel Wood, and James Marsden, you get to see everyone talk about what would happen if the Westworld park actually existed.
  • Realizing The Dream: First Week on the Set of Westworld (HD, 11:20) – You get to see filmmakers Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy discuss their own perspectives while working on this show.
• Disc 2
  • Gag Reel (HD, 1:36)
  • Reality of A.I.: Westworld (HD, 4:29, Disc 2) –  Executive producers J.J. Abrams, Jonathan Nolan, and Lisa Joy and actors Thandie Newton and Evan Rachel Wood talk about Artificial Intelligence.
• Disc 3
  • The Key to The Chords (HD, 8:03) – The use of the piano is a very important thing in Westworld. This little feature explores using the piano as a metaphor as well as a tool for Ramin Djwadi to echo the outside world.
  • Crafting the Narrative (HD, 29:15, Disc 3) – I really enjoyed watching this extra feature. It shows executive producers Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy reviewing the season’s finale and talking about memory, mythology, and inner monologue.
• “The Big Moment” Featurettes (HD, ) – The big moments from the show appear on each of the 3 UHD discs.
  • Disc 1 (HD) – Teddy Versus the Man in Black, A Host Self-Sabotages
  • Disc 2 (HD) – Maeve Gets an Answer, Bernard Faces an Unlikely Saboteur, Dr. Ford’s Blood Sacrifice
  • Disc 3 (HD) – The Truth About Bernard, Dr. Ford’s New Narrative

The 4K Ultra HD video is presented in 2160p Ultra High Definition 16×9 Widescreen (2.40:1). The video presentation is quite cinematic which is great considering Westworld boasts a cinematic feel when it comes to the concept and sets. The outdoor scenes look stunning! The audio for the 4K Ultra HD discs is English Dolby Atmos TrueHD 7.1 / EDA 5.1 / French and Spanish Dolby Digital Plus 5.1

The Blu-ray video is presented in 1080p High-Definition 16×9 Widescreen (2.40:1) with audio being English Dolby Atmos TrueHD 7.1 / EDA 5.1 / French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1. Though the Blu-ray presentation is clear too, the visuals are definitely superior in the 4K Ultra HD discs as the 4K presentation adds a bit more detail to the character’s skin as well as objects.

The division of the ten 1-hour episodes present in the three discs is:

• Disc 1
  • The Original
  • Chestnut
  • The Stary
• Disc 2
  • Dissonance Theory
  • Contrapasso
  • The Adversary
  • Trompe L’Oeil
• Disc 3
  • True Decay
  • The Well-Tempered Clavier
  • The Bicameral Mind

I highly recommend that you take out some time and experience Westworld. It’s a series that has fleshed out characters and talks about what it means to be human.

The Westworld Season One 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack is currently available for purchase. You can know more details, such as price tags and specs, about the home releases (including Blu-ray and DVD) here.

Are you a fan of Westworld? Feel free to share your thoughts about the Westworld Season One 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack with us.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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