Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome 4K UHD Screenshots (Patreon)

Video

Another visual winner that begins with a fresh 4K scan, the sharpness immediately stands out in Beyond Thunderdome. Being a higher budget production, there's more to see other than desert sands and dried out crevices (but it has those too). Barter Town's rotting metals keep the imagery constantly textured, whether it's rust or dirt. Facial texture stands out equally to the leather costumes. Consistent, resolved grain never looks digital, rather always film-esque.

Beyond Thunderdome isn't as deep in terms of black levels by way of the original cinematography. Exposure runs overly high, sapping intensity, and avoiding pure black. HDR spices the contrast a touch, adding intensity to the highlights, although this is a drearier film than its predecessors. Opportunities to put highlights on blast are few. Sparks and flames are the brightest elements.

Drearier color skews warm, offset by the blues in Tina Turner's home. The palette doesn't stretch far beyond that; true saturated primaries are rare. Denser hues makes this more attractive compared to the Blu-ray however, even if it's not substantial.

Audio

Inconsistent performance dims this Atmos track. Dialog varies from total clarity to nearly unintelligibly scratchy. Overall, this betters Mad Max 2's atrocious fidelity. Plus, Beyond Thunderdome sounds all natural, minus the obviously added effects. The soundstage fills generously, stretching through to the rears organically. Inside the Thunderdome, the cheering crowd spills out into the surrounds and heights, the latter making total sense given the audience covers the cage. Underground in the pig farm, there's a persistent droning of factory work, snorting hogs, and clanging metal.

The subwoofer isn't quite as prominent, but it's important to note opportunities don't present themselves often either given the combat is more personally focused. Gunshots send out a hearty boom, enough to deliver a small shaking.