After Independence Day, director Roland Emmerich and producer Dean Devlin could have easily kept feeding the multiplex more flag-waving alien carnage. Instead, with Robert Rodat’s Saving Private Ryan pedigree tempering the “U-S-A!” machinery, The Patriot became something more grounded, darker, and far better researched than anyone had reason to expect. It is still historical fiction with Hollywood fingerprints all over it, but compared to the glorious cheese fountain of ID4, this is a far more serious and satisfying story about American grit, personal loss, and the ugly cost of revolution.
Mel Gibson’s Benjamin Martin is not based on one specific individual but a composite of militia who fought so bravely to win our freedom from Great Britain some two-and-a-half centuries ago. As a veteran of the French and Indian War, specifically “the wilderness campaign,” he’s not only witnessed but perpetrated unspeakable horrors and is reluctant to see his people thrust into another bloody conflict. But when the war comes for him and his family, this expert in guerilla warfare answers the call and helps turn the tide. Beyond the relatively minor indignities such as the Tea Act Monopoly, the Stamp Act and the Writs of Assistance, we’re shown the atrocities visited upon the colonists by the British forces, a brutality born of arrogance, and it’s hard not to be invested in the struggle by the climactic battle.
A quick glance over my left shoulder at the shelf marked M through Z tells me that, damn, I must really like this movie. I’ve owned The Patriot on five different five-inch discs (see photo), and that was before Sony dropped its new and improved SteelBook 4K edition, once again serving up both the R-rated theatrical cut and the longer unrated version. On the 2018 UHD disc release, just the theatrical cut was in Atmos and 4K, but only in HDR10, with the unrated version in 1080p/5.1. This SteelBook set now offers both cuts each on its own BD-100 platter, in 4K, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, with breathtaking cover artwork by Paul Shipper.
Say what you like about ol’ Mad Max here, but he is one intense thespian, and his closeups convey his grief, his conviction, and the inner demons that fuel Martin’s resolve. Not every shot is razor-sharp, but nonetheless it looks like we’re watching the Revolutionary War, the roll-up and the aftermath through an immaculate window. A light, consistent layer of film grain accentuates the 2.39:1 image, and the high dynamic range delivers consummate detail in the many period-authentic low-light scenes, illuminated by candles, fireplaces or campfires. Even the glisten of a brocaded epaulet is preserved. Whether through the use of filters, magic hour scheduling or post-production wizardry, Caleb Deschanel’s Oscar-nominated cinematography has an enticing golden glow, and the colors are significantly upgraded from the 2018 4K, with only the slightest perceptible drop in picture and sound quality at the inserts within the unrated cut.
Subtle LFE for hoofbeats and fireworks early in the story lull us into false resignation, until the realities of warfare are fully unleashed. Showoff scenes don’t come much better than Gabriel’s rescue–this is the one I routinely use to test speakers, in particular my surrounds and sub–conveniently located at the start of Chapter 5 on the theatrical version, 36:42 into the film. Our vantage point shifts frequently amid the chaos but the hard placement of off-camera voices keeps us in the middle of the action, with frequent booming gunshots all around. (I plan to watch it again after this review publishes, just because.) The whiz and impact of cannonballs are also outstanding. The active overhead channels bring a wonderful sense of spaciousness throughout, and dialogue scenes that proved challenging on past editions are now crystal-clear. The Patriot boasts a John Wiliams score, lesser-known despite its Oscar nomination, and it amplifies the excitement exponentially.
The extras are all ported from past editions, some dating back almost 26 years, spread across the two platters. The theatrical version carries an enjoyable Emmerich/Devlin audio commentary in addition to brisk featurettes about the production and the historical fact. Interestingly, the comprehensive deleted scenes section–13 minutes total with optional commentary–is located on the unrated disc, even though most of that footage has been integrated back into the movie to create the longer cut. Also on this disc are vignettes devoted to the visual effects and concept art.
The timing of the new The Patriot 4K SteelBook is curious, too late for Memorial Day and too early for The Fourth, but take it from me: This one would make a terrific Father’s Day gift. (Father’s Day feature incoming, but this one deserved its own review.) With top scores for the movie, audio and video, this one gets our highest recommendation.
Movie Details
- STUDIO: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
- FORMAT: Ultra HD 4K Blu-ray (June 9, 2026)
- THEATRICAL RELEASE YEAR: 2000
- ASPECT RATIO: 2.39:1
- HDR FORMATS: Dolby Vision, HDR10
- AUDIO FORMAT: Dolby Atmos with TrueHD 7.1 core
- LENGTH: 165/175 mins.
- MPAA RATING: R/Unrated
- DIRECTOR: Roland Emmerich
- STARRING: Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Jason Isaacs, Chris Cooper, Tchéky Karyo, Joely Richardson
Our Ratings
★★★★★★★★★★ Movie
★★★★★★★★★★ Picture
★★★★★★★★★★ Sound
★★★★★★★★★★ Extras
Where to buy:
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