Glory 4K Anniversary Steelbook Review

1989’s Glory received another 4K release for its 35th anniversary.

Believe it or not, Glory turns 35 this year. The Civil War classic has remained a favorite in homes and classrooms for more than three decades now, and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is celebrating the new anniversary with a special edition release. The Glory 4K UHD Steelbook hit stores this week, providing both longtime fans and new movie lovers an excellent restoration of an already excellent film. Is it worth your purchase? Let’s break it down…

The Movie

Edward Zwick’s Glory tells the true story of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, one of the very first African-American regiments to fight in the Civil War. Matthew Broderick plays Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, the man who was put in charge of the 54th and trained them to be a legitimate force, despite the Union Army’s plans to never let them see battle. Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington, Andre Braugher, and Cary Elwes also star.

Glory is one of the most acclaimed Civil War films out there, and was recognizes as such at the Oscars in 1990. The film took home five awards, one of which was Best Supporting Actor for Washington. We know Denzel as a household name now, but Glory was one of the films that catapulted him into superstardom. 

The Disc & Steelbook

The Glory 4K transfer is nothing short of fantastic, but physical media lovers have known that for quite a while. See, this isn’t the first time Glory has been released on 4K, having gotten its initial debut on the format in 2019. You may be disappointed to know that there is very little difference between that edition and this new one.

The most noticeable difference is, of course, the steelbook itself. That 2019 release features a standard plastic case with the usual cover art. This new 2024 edition from Sony is presented in a wonderful looking steelbook, with the red and blue army on the front and an image of Washington in the film’s most pivotal scene on the back. 

Glory‘s new 4K release also presents the film in both Dolby Vision and HDR10, where the previous release didn’t utilize Dolby Vision. There is a slight difference between the two options, but not every 4K TV and Blu-ray player are Dolby Vision capable. It’s still a great looking picture in HDR10, you’re not missing a whole lot.

With this disc, either set up is eons better than the standard Blu-ray release. The film grain is perfect throughout and the coloring is excellent. 

The Features

There are several great features on this Glory release, including a full video commentary, several audio commentaries, and a documentary on the real 54th Massachusetts. The only unfortunate part is that all of these features were included in the 2019 release as well. 

The Verdict

There is no denying just how great Sony’s 4K restoration of Glory is. Phenomenal picture and sound across the board and plenty of special features to dive into. The Glory 4K is absolutely worth buying, it’s just deciding whether or not this particular edition of the film is worth the cost.

If you’ve got a Dolby Vision capable set up and you want the absolute best picture money can buy, even if it’s just a slight improvement on another disc, you should grab this Anniversary Edition. If you’re really into collecting steelbooks, you should buy the Anniversary Edition. If you answered “no” to both questions, maybe this one isn’t for you.

This new steelbook for Glory is double the price of the 2019 4K release. The Dolby Vision color grading is an improvement and the steelbook looks good, but it’s a steep increase from the previous edition, which is still stellar and also readily available for less than $20. It’s really a matter of preference.

The Glory 4K UHD Anniversary Steelbook is now available for purchase. A copy was provided for the purpose of this review.