Westworld - 4K Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Westworld



Movie:
4K Video:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:


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Movie
While Michael Crichton is mostly remembered for his books, he did have a handful of movies that he directed (The Great Train Robbery being his most iconic), but his first feature film will always be my favorite (if you discount Pursuit, which was only a made-for-TV movie). Later made into a successful TV, the pulpy western/thriller was always a favorite in my family, and I remember watching it over and over again on a 13-inch Lucky Goldstar TV that my dad won at an event back in the mid 90s. But for some reason, I tired of watching it, and I think the only time I’ve seen the film in the 21st century is right after the 1st season of the TV show came out, and I had to do a comparison. And what better way to revisit an old classic than to see it in 4K?

Getting right into things, Westworld opens up with a TV promo for Westworld itself, a vacation for all the senses in the near future. In this world, they have built an AI-based vacation retreat, with customers able to live out the wild wild west, Medieval times, and even Roman times without any consequences. The inhabitants are all pretty much robots, which means you can shoot them, sleep with them, beat them up, and they are only able to go along with whatever fantasy you can think of. Effectively creating a “choose your own adventure” without any consequences.

Enter John Blane (James Brolin) and his friend Peter Martin (Richard Benjamin), both coming to Westworld to relieve some stress. John has been here before, but Peter is newly divorced, and John figures this would be the perfect way for Peter to get back into the swing of things. The first half of the film could almost be misconstrued as a light comedy, as the two buddies just have fun with the vacation and start mucking around. They get to act like gunslingers, and saloon girls swoon at their slightest comment. And at first, it really is kinda funny for the two “dudes”. Nothing can break their stride until something starts happening in the park. A few robots start malfunctioning, requiring the park aides to come in and replace them. But soon enough, they start to realize that the park’s AI is in free fall. The robots turn on the guests, slaughtering them all and sending the entire staff into a frenzy. Peter manages to BARELY escape with his life, but hot on his tail is the merciless gunslinger (Yul Brynner), who will stop at nothing to hunt down Peter and finish him off.

Amusingly enough, I can kind of see the inspiration for Jurassic Park in this production. Crichton uses some of the same tropes as he did in his infamous Dinosaur film, such as machines that break down (albeit not by humans mucking it up here), monsters out of control, and even the whole idea of a grand park that rich people can come and enjoy a different world in. But unlike Jurassic Park, this film is a bit campier and a bit sillier. I know this is generally considered a classic, but some of the 1970s orange blood and campy death scenes seem silly today. Even the gunslinger himself (who was very obviously the inspiration for the man in black from the modern TV show) comes across as a bit campy at times. But what saves the film is the second half, as the gunslinger basically turns into the Terminator. There’s some creep factor, some cool gun fights, and an ending that is simple and precise. Secondarily, I would say that the 89-minute runtime (including credits) is a boon for the production as well. Instead of going on too long and just dragging, the short runtime allows the simple tale to complete itself without much filler. Lightweight, creepy at times, but 100% 1970s fun, Westworld is a campy bit of fun that still doesn’t get old.




Rating:

Rated PG by the MPAA




4K Video: Video:

As is the case with most Arrow releases, this one got a new 4K remaster via Arrow Films, and scanned at 4K /16 bit at Warner’s MPI, then color graded at Duplitech. And finally, QC was reviewed by Pixelogic. The end result is a really nice upgrade by Arrow that faithfully replicates the grainy era of the 1970s, just with the spit and polish of modern remastering. Strangely enough, when comparing to my old Warner Blu-ray, the upgrades in detail levels aren’t MASSIVE. Now, don’t get me wrong, you can definitely see some upticks in clarity all the way around. It’s just that this isn’t a film that will suddenly reveal all sorts of new detail levels. Instead, the brunt of the upgrades comes in the form of the HDR/Dolby Vision upgrades. Colors just pack that much more of a punch, with whites, oranges (LOTS of oranges, thanks to the 70s), and blacks looking that much more vibrant. Black levels are deep and inky, and I swear I could find no issues with the heavy grain (outside of looking mildly chunky at times). All in all, this is a nice-looking upgrade that handily outclasses the Blu-ray.









Audio:

Audio fans are going to love this one, as the aging Warner Blu-ray only came with the “made for home video” 5.1 audio mix. This time, Arrow gives us the 5.1 legacy mix that we’ve had for years, then restored the original 4.0 theatrical audio mix, as well as a 2.0 and 1.0 Mono mix as well. I’ve heard the 5.1 mix a million times, but the 4.0 is the one I’m going to focus on here. It’s a great-sounding mix, with sharp clarity and a good sense of spaciousness and directionality (especially in the underground bit near the end, where you can hear Yul’s boots clacking over the floor and echoing off the walls). LFE is soft, but still there, and the dialog is crisp as can be. When comparing against the newly restored 2.0 and Mono mixes, it definitely outclasses both, as they tend to be a bit hot and harsh on the high end. But at the end of the day, none of the tracks are bad, and it’s nice to have this many options to choose from.












Extras:

• NEW 4K RESTORATION from the original negative by Arrow Films
• Original restored lossless 4-channel stereo, 2.0 stereo, and 1.0 mono audio options
• Optional remixed 5.1 DTS-HD MA surround audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Brand new audio commentary by filmmaker and film historian Daniel Kremer
• Cowboy Dreams, a newly filmed conversation between actor Richard Benjamin and producer/screenwriter Larry Karaszewski
• At Home on the Range, a brand new video interview with actor James Brolin
• HollyWorld: Producing Westworld, a brand new video interview with producer Paul N. Lazarus III
• Sex, Death and Androids, a brand new appreciation of the film by author and film scholar Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
• On Location with Westworld, an archival behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film from 1973
• Beyond Westworld, the 48-minute pilot episode of the 1980 follow-up television series
• Theatrical trailer
• Image gallery
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Arik Roper
• Collectors' perfect-bound booklet featuring new writing on the film by David Michael Brown, Priscilla Page, Paul Anthony Nelson, and Abbey Bender
• Double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Arik Roper
• Six postcard-sized artcards

Final Score: ​

It’s been years since I’ve seen Westworld, and while it can feel a bit dated compared to how the first season of the TV show went, it was a fun, pulpy little adventure back in the day. And much to my surprise, still holds up rather well. It’s a lot simpler than I remembered, but it works as a creepy film on the dangers of robots in an almost Terminator-like way. Arrow’s 4K UHD audio and video upgrades are more than appealing, and the disc comes loaded with extras (both physical and on disc), making this a very appreciated upgrade over the old Blu-ray. Recommended as a fun watch.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Yul Brynner, Richard Benjamin, James Brolin, Norman Bartold, Victoria Shaw
Directed By: Michael Crichton
Written By: Michael Crichton
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 HEVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, English DTS-HD MA 4.0, English DTS-HD MA 2.0, English DTS-HD MA Mono
Subtitles: English SDH
Studio: Arrow
Rated: PG
Runtime: 89 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: February 24th, 2026

Recommendation: Fun Watch