Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		2.5

American Graffiti 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 15, 2023

Universal has released the 1973 film 'American Graffiti,' directed by George Lucas and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, and Candy Clark, to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/HDR video and a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. No new extras are included. Universal does include the original 2011 Blu-ray. No new extras are included, but most of the Blu-ray extras carry over to the UHD disc.

In his review of the original Universal issue, Ken Brown summarized the film this way: 'American Graffiti' tells the somewhat episodic, coming-of- age tale of four longtime friends and recent high school graduates -- blonde bombshell-smitten Curt Henderson (Richard Dreyfuss), college-bound Steve Bolander (Ron Howard), stiff-lipped cruiser John Milner (Paul Le Mat, Melvin and Howard) and socially inept Terry 'The Toad' Fields (Charles Martin Smith) -- who drive, dance and race their way to morning over the course of a single, life-changing night in Modesto, California.

For a full film review, please click here.

American Graffiti 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.

Where's the grain? American Graffiti was shot on film back in the early 1970s but there is very little evidence of the filmic nature on display. Universal's 2160p/HDR UHD release of American Graffiti has been scrubbed of all but the faintest traces of its natural grain structure, leaving the film looking flat, inorganic, waxy, and pasty, recalling some of the more deficient Blu-ray releases from the Universal's past, such as Tremors. It's a great shame because this is a nice-looking film which should look great at home. It's rich with period texture and character that is dramatically lessened here because of the scrubbing. As it is, the image doesn't even look like a UHD, looking more like a scrubbed Blu-ray, never appearing to add any significant sharpness to the elements. I can't imagine most viewers would bat an eyelash if told this was a Blu-ray rather than a UHD. In fact, I prefer the look of the Blu-ray, which is drastically imperfect as it is, (read Ken Brown's review here). It is also processed but still retains a semblance of character and texture that is completely absent here. What a mess. What a disappointment.

There's not much good news with the HDR color grading, either. Yes, some of the classic cars look punchier, neon signs brighter, and a few other odds and ends more richly colorful, but the grading is largely flat and uninspired. Worse, black levels exhibit crush and murkiness. Whites don't pop and skin tones are pasty and somehow even more lifeless and inauthentic than the Blu-ray. What should have been a wonderful HDR grading adds almost nothing to the experience.

At least the image is free of any serious print blemishes, and the encode is good, showing no compression issues, but this is probably the biggest UHD disappointment of 2023. Yikes.

American Graffiti 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For this new UHD release of American Graffiti, Universal has included a new DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Purists will want to stick with the legacy 2.0 lossless soundtrack, which is also included. The new track is certainly spacious along the front, offering good front end engagement, centered lyrics, and a nice bass line to Bill Haley & the Comets' (We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock. However, even re-encoded to 5.1 channels, there's not a significant amount of back channel activity at work here. There is some musical seepage through the backs, as well as some very mild environmental fill, but generally listeners will barely notice that the backs are part of the configuration. The subwoofer makes more of an impact and presence than the surround left and right channels. As it is, the elements are in good shape. Clarity is adequate, imperfect at times and likely tracing back to the source, but offering good foundational definition to the incredible period soundtrack and dialogue, which comprise the vast majority of the track's sonic needs. The 5.1 track is not necessarily useful in total, offering little more than some added body to music. Many listeners will want to hang with the legacy 2.0 track. For a full review of that soundtrack, please click here.

American Graffiti 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Universal releases American Graffiti to the UHD format with most of the Blu-ray extras included on the UHD disc. The legacy 2011 Blu-ray is also included. Below is a breakdown of what is included on each disc. For full supplemental content reviews, please click here. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code and a slipcover are included with purchase.

Blu-ray:

• The Making of American Graffiti
• Screen Tests
• Theatrical Trailer
• Video Commentary with Director George Lucas (U-Control)
• The Music of American Graffiti (U-Control)

UHD:

• The Making of American Graffiti
• Screen Tests
• Theatrical Trailer
• Feature Commentary with Director George Lucas (U-Control)

American Graffiti 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

American Graffiti is a fun film with a wonderful soundtrack (for my money probably in the top two or three, right up there with Top Gun for the sheer excellence of the song selections), but this new UHD...yikes! What a disaster! The old Blu-ray, problematic as it may be, offer a much better viewing of the film. This is soft, flat, scrubbed, pasty, everything a film shouldn't be on Blu-ray, never mind UHD, which only amplifies the problems and the disappointment. Add unimpressive HDR grading and the net result is very poor indeed. The 5.1 soundtrack is fine, even if it remains front heavy. No new extras are included. Skip!!!