Columbia Classics Collection: Volume 4 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

Columbia Classics Collection: Volume 4 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown February 13, 2024

In the past I've been one of the first people to roll my eyes and sound the alarm when studios release "classics" collections. One, these editions are usually never-before-released films paired with previously released films, meaning consumers are forced to double dip on some movies to acquire others. Two, it's rare that such collections increase the value of the movies included in every way. But the Columbia Classics Collection series is a different beast entirely. Take the latest volume for example. Volume 4 not only features six films making their 4K UltraHD debuts, it features six truly excellent classic films accompanied by multiple Dolby Atmos audio tracks, newly produced extras, and other bonuses, all in a genuinely collectible, handsomely packaged collector's set. Not too shabby! The price may scare some folks, but once you start connecting the dots on just how much you would spend on all six releases, each of which I would highly recommend, you actually start to realize the price isn't unreasonable at all.

Continuing the fan-favorite and award-winning series as part of the upcoming 100th anniversary of Columbia Pictures, Sony has released six more beloved films on 4K Ultra HD disc, with each making its 4K debut within the Columbia Classics Collection: Volume 4 box set. The fourth volume's classics include His Girl Friday, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Kramer vs. Kramer, Starman, Sleepless in Seattle and Punch-Drunk Love. Each film is presented in 2160p resolution with Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range, and five of the films have all-new Dolby Atmos mixes (His Girl Friday is presented with DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono). Also packaged with the collection is a gorgeous hardbound 80-page book featuring in-depth sections about the making of each film by way of insightful essays from renowned writers and journalists, plus rare photos from the Columbia Pictures archives. The set also features hours of extras, chief among them behind-the-scenes featurettes, audio commentaries, never-before-seen archival materials, and the entirety of the 1986 Starman TV series, exclusively debuting here in high definition.

• Movie Review of His Girl Friday 4K: Click Here - 4.5/5.0

• Movie Review of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner 4K: Click Here - 5.0/5.0

• Movie Review of Kramer vs. Kramer 4K: Click Here - 4.5/5.0

• Movie Review of Starman 4K: Click Here - 4.5/5.0

• Movie Review of Sleepless in Seattle 4K: Click Here - 4.0/5.0

• Movie Review of Punch-Drunk Love 4K: Click Here - 5.0/5.0

Columbia Classics Collection: Volume 4 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Every one of the six films in the Volume 4 box set look great, with Sleepless in Seattle being the only relative disappointment in the collection. Video quality scores are below, with links to my full reviews.

• Full AV Review of His Girl Friday 4K: Click Here - 5.0/5.0

• Full AV Review of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner 4K: Click Here - 5.0/5.0

• Full AV Review of Kramer vs. Kramer 4K: Click Here - 4.5/5.0

• Full AV Review of Starman 4K: Click Here - 4.5/5.0

• Full AV Review of Sleepless in Seattle 4K: Click Here - 3.5/5.0

• Full AV Review of Punch-Drunk Love 4K: Click Here - 5.0/5.0

Columbia Classics Collection: Volume 4 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Five of the featured films are presented with Dolby Atmos audio, which came as quite a nice surprise. Only His Girl Friday doesn't and its mix still delivers. Scores are recorded below, along with links to individual reviews for each film.

• Full AV Review of His Girl Friday 4K: Click Here - 4.5/5.0

• Full AV Review of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner 4K: Click Here - 4.5/5.0

• Full AV Review of Kramer vs. Kramer 4K: Click Here - 4.5/5.0

• Full AV Review of Starman 4K: Click Here - 5.0/5.0

• Full AV Review of Sleepless in Seattle 4K: Click Here - 4.0/5.0

• Full AV Review of Punch-Drunk Love 4K: Click Here - 4.5/5.0

Columbia Classics Collection: Volume 4 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The hardcover box splits open to reveal two sections: a pair of bifold "doors", each housing three standard Blu-ray cases with individual slipcovers, and a second area that extends the width of the box and houses an 80-page hardcover book with essays, photos and other archive materials covering all six films. The standard Blu-ray cases and slipcovers are especially appreciated as you can add all six films to your shelves and discard or store the larger box and book, or you can keep the cases within the larger box if space permits. Options, options, options. It's the little things. Consumers love when collector's sets provide different people with different ways to add a multi-film release into their collections, and this is one of the best ways I've seen it handled.

Those seeking the most value out of their Blu-ray supplemental packages will be fairly pleased with the selection of on-disc extras found across the Volume 4 set, although more TLC and content (a la Starman) would have certainly been appreciated. A detailed breakdown of each film's special features can be found by following the links below. Each film also includes standard 1080p Blu-ray and digital copies.

• All extras included with His Girl Friday 4K: Click Here - 3.0/5.0

• All extras included with Guess Who's Coming to Dinner 4K: Click Here - 3.0/5.0

• All extras included with Kramer vs. Kramer 4K: Click Here - 3.0/5.0

• All extras included with Starman 4K: Click Here - 4.0/5.0

• All extras included with Sleepless in Seattle 4K: Click Here - 3.0/5.0

• All extras included with Punch-Drunk Love 4K: Click Here - 2.5/5.0

Columbia Classics Collection: Volume 4 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Consider me impressed. Those who've enjoyed the first three CCC volumes will be happy to find the same relative quality here, while newcomers who push past the price point will soon be converts. Yes, it would be nice if the individual films were available separately -- I'm sure Sony hears ya there -- but, especially with this particular collection, it helps that there isn't a dud in the bunch.