Review: 'The Wolf of Wall Street' in 4K Packs a Punch

Of all the films that have depicted American greed and excess, Martin Scorsese's "The Wolf of Wall Street" remains the most intoxicating depiction. That's not just because Scorsese was firing on all cylinders behind the camera, though. Rather, it's the no-holds-barred nature of the film and its representation of corruption right at the heart of the institution that dictates much of this country's inner workings: Wall Street. But despite a very large and vocal fanbase of people who were inspired by the film to become the kind of snake oil salesman that Jordan Belfort is, it's another major work that delicately toes the line between self-effacing and supporting the moral rot sitting right at the center of the story.

Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment brings "The Wolf of Wall Street" to 4K with a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release that's culled from a newly approved transfer by Scorsese. The film was originally shot using 35mm film and Arri digital cameras in certain scenes, although cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto paid careful attention to matching the digital work with the film work. The new 4K Blu-ray offers incredible sharpness over the previous 1080p Blu-ray, showcasing the depth of detail, especially in close-ups. And although there's only a couple special features included here, the video and audio presentations should be more than enough to satisfy fans of the film.

"The Wolf of Wall Street" follows Wall Street hotshot Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) from young and impressionable pup who was cast out after the Black Monday stock market crash of 1987 to the degenerate that destroyed the lives of thousands with Stratton Oakmont's pump-and-dump schemes. Together with Donnie Azoff (Jonah Hill) and leagues of people eager to make a ton of money, Belfort defrauded victims of millions of dollars and committed securities fraud countless times.

The physical comedy of "The Wolf of Wall Street" still seems like something only Scorsese might be capable of pulling off to this extent. We watch Belfort get constantly usurped in the gaudiest ways, and even in the key quaaludes sequence that everyone remembers, he's the sickly vessel of a person getting high on literally anything he can get his hands on. As funny as the action in that sequence is, it does the main character absolutely no favors at being redeemable. We're watching the morally rotten flail around right in front of us.

You'll find much to love in this new 4K Blu-ray edition of "The Wolf of Wall Street," primarily, the much deeper depth of color than the previous Blu-ray and incredible sharpness that feels natural to Scorsese's vision.

Special features include:

� 'The Wolf Pack" featurette
� "Running Wild" featurette
� "The Wolf of Wall Street Round Table" featurette

"The Wolf of Wall Street" is now available on 4K Blu-ray from Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment.