Annie 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Annie 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Sony has released the beloved 1982 film 'Annie,' starring Eileen Quinn, Carol Burnett, and Albert Finney, directed by John Huston, to the UHD format. At time of writing, this UHD disc (as well as the companion and included 4K master Blu-ray) is exclusive to the third volume of the prestigious 'Columbia Classics Collection' boxed set, where five other films are included. The film was previously released to Blu-ray by Sony in 2012. New UHD specifications include 2160p/Dolby Vision video and Dolby Atmos audio. This set includes all of the legacy extras from the 2012 Sony disc as well as new extras, including on YHD the 1932 film. Also included for the Blu-ray is new 1080p video sourced from the 4K master and 5.1 lossless audio.

Annie 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from the 4K mastered Blu-ray disc.

Sony adopts Annie onto the UHD format with a swell 2160p/Dolby Vision UHD transfer. The new Blu-ray looks fantastic, but this takes the image a couple of steps further. The picture holds to the same basic characteristics as the Blu-ray, offering a true-to-medium grain presentation, exquisitely sharp detail, and robust colors. The 2160p resolution allows for a slightly more aggressive but still very natural and flattering grain structure. The picture as a while offers obvious gains to overall clarity and sharpness, with fine detail in the orphanage and the mansion looking exquisite. One of the best places to explore is at the White House late in the picture, though. Look at how much sharper the grass appears and how refined the clothing and textures inside. On the UHD, viewers will be able to explore the image with more intricacy while paused, but the magic, of course, happens in motion, where the picture looks absolutely striking for its high yield filmic appearance and ceaselessly razor-sharp textures.

The Dolby Vision color grading adds a substantial sense of tonal depth and accuracy. Look again at the White House arrival scene at the 1:25:11 mark. This shot offers a wonderful contrast between the Blu-ray's SDR grading and the UHD's Dolby vision grading. The "auto-copter" orange is a dazzlingly deep color on the UHD while the Blu-ray looks comparatively flat and washed out. The lush natural green grass is spectacularly dense and deep and realistic. Colors leap off the screen, especially outside during the opening act and across all the clothes seen in the mansion in the middle. The warm tones inside the orphanage and the less vivid, more earthy clothes are stronger and more tonally solidified as well. Whites delight with newfound life and depth, black levels are terrific, and skin tones look spot-on.

There are no source or encode problems to report, either. This is a magnificent image; fans are in for a treat!

Annie 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Sony's new Dolby Atmos soundtrack for Annie is not a radical departure from the Blu-ray's 5.1 offering, but it does offer a soundly fuller and richer experience. The track is not reorganized to distribute content far and wide with major discrete content coming from above, but the gentle supports certainly add some flavor and spherical immersion into the film, especially during the musical numbers, which are robust and highly detailed, even with the cavernous spacing at play. The fronts do carry the bulk, but listeners will note a fuller, more engaged presence here compared to the 5.1 offering. Various support elements play nicely for detail and placement. Dialogue, which beyond music is the main sonic element, is clear and lifelike from a natural front-center position.

Annie 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This new UHD release of Annie includes a blend of the legacy extras from the 2012 release and also adds several new supplements, including a new audio commentary track on Blu-ray and a vintage feature film on UHD. Coverage of the carryover content can be found by clicking here. New content is marked as such and briefly reviewed below. As it ships in the above-linked "Columbia Classics" boxed set, a slipcover and a digital copy code are included.

• NEW! Revisiting Annie with Aileen Quinn (1080p, 12:04): The actress reflects on her career and life with Annie on stage, in the film, and in the years since her portrayal. She also explores work with cast and crew, dance choreography, filmmaking anecdotes, and more.
• NEW! Behind the Music with Charles Strouse (1080p, 10:02): The film's composer remembers his work on the film.
• NEW! Looking Back: A four-part feature.
  
  
  • Annie's Journey to the Screen (1080i, 4x3, 17:00): This vintage supplement looks back at John Huston's direction, the film's budget, casting, dance choreography, child acting, costumes and sets, and more.
  • "Easy Street" (1080i, 4x3, 5:50): Making and recording one of the film's musical numbers.
  • "I Don't Need Anything But You" (1080i, 4x3, 7:06): A fun behind-the-scenes look at making one of the film's most dazzling and complex sequences.
  • Making a Finale (No Audio) (1080p, 4x3, 17:49): On-set footage from the making of the film's finale. As the title suggests, there is no audio.
• NEW! Audio Commentary: Carol Burnett, Ann Reinking, Tim Curry, and Roseanne Sorrentino discuss the film in this newly recorded retrospective commentary. The track includes various participants cobbled together, piecemeal style. They were recorded at different times over the years.
• Sing-Along with Annie
• My Hollywood Adventure with Aileen Quinn
• Musical Performance by Play: "It's a Hard-Knock Life"
• NEW!(ish) Original Trailers & TV Spots (1080p): Incudes all of the trailers and TV spots from the original disc and adds the international teaser and trailer. Included are Theatrical Trailer (3:38), Behind the Scenes Teaser Trailer (2:02), International Teaser Trailer (1:09), International Theatrical Trailer (2:53), TV Spot #1 (0:32), TV Spot #2 (0:32), and TV Spot #3 (1:02).

• NEW! Little Orphan Annie (1932) (1080p, 4x3, Dolby Digital 2.0, 1:00:26): The full 1932 film. The picture quality is very good, and the audio is sufficient.

Annie 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Annie is the epitome of feel-good cinema. Its entire construction deals with positive thinking, love, family, friendship, and promoting the good in life while working through the bad and refusing to let negative circumstances stand in the way of a healthy outlook on life. It's a movie high in spirit and fit for the entire family. It's catchy and pleasant, filled with quality song and dance numbers. The performances are stellar even if the movie is shaped by rather simple and straightforward ideas. It's that adherence to simpleness and goodness that make the movie great and so incredibly sweet, one of the top musicals, and perhaps the finest "rainy day" picture of them all. Sony's new UHD release of Annie offers stellar new 2160p/Dolby Vision video and Dolby Atmos audio and features all of the legacy supplements and several new extras. This release, as it ships in the above linked "Columbia Classics Collection," earns my highest recommendation.