Life of Pi Livened Up in 4K HDR

Time moves so fast, much of it soon feels like it was a dream. That’s very appropriate for a fantastic movie like Life of Pi, which as of this writing was released the better part of a decade ago. Yet at times it still feels like a totally new movie, and at others as if it never even happened. That’s the magic of cinema, and in the case of Life of Pi that magic comes through strong thanks to incredible visuals, colours, sound, and of course a very emotive and engaging story.

Life of Pi took a while to make it onto 4K HDR Blu-ray. Made primarily in Taiwan during 2011 and released in late 2012, the 4K Blu-ray cemented an August 1, 2020 release that’s now finally drawing near. Once available, this uncompressed version of Life of Pi will indubitably make a big screen home cinema viewing the best way to enjoy Ang Lee’s masterpiece, based on a book by Yann Martel. We really do recommend a 4K HDR projector if possible. However, because much of Life of Pi takes place outdoors in eye-popping environments full detail, happiness, drama, sadness, and deep meaning, it’s a prime candidate for a summertime family movie session in the garden. You can now find Life of Pi on many streaming services, plus 480p DVD and 1080p Blu-ray. 

Arguably one of the most visually stunning films of all time, and right up there with the likes of Avatar in terms of sheer visual impact, Life of Pi centres on a youngster from India called Pi. When his family tries moving to Canada via ship, the large freighter sinks in the Pacific Ocean and Pi (Suraj Sharma) finds himself stranded on a solitary lifeboat with wild animals for company. The highly metaphorical film recounts his misadventures and escapades while on the boat, struggling to survive against the constant threat of starvation, dehydration, and wily wildlife. At the same time, the movie makes it clear that same wildlife and supposedly threatening natural world are all beautiful and full of love if you just bring yourself to view them in the right light. This line of thought makes Life of Pi a very touching and downright impressive motion picture that deserves to be enjoyed on a large format screen. 

Undoubtedly one of the most important films of the early 2010s, Life of Pi has a unique format and offers viewers a very intriguing choice at its conclusion, but we won’t spoil anything here. Since the format of the story has Pi telling his tale to a writer (Rafe Spall) decades after the alleged events of his teenage years, a layer of mythical vibe descends on the plot. We’re not really seeing what happened, we’re watching what Pi remembers or chooses to recall and that makes a big difference.

What also makes a difference is the great soundtrack by Mychael Danna, so get a good pair of headphones or speakers ready.

Regardless, if you haven’t watched Life of Pi yet we genuinely recommend you do so. Once the 4K HDR Blu-ray’s out, we will consider that the ultimate version. There won’t be any excuse to skip this masterpiece!