Beetlejuice 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Beetlejuice 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Nice F'n HDR! *Honk Honk*

NOTE: This review's screenshots are sourced from the included Blu-ray, which does not feature a new transfer.

Warner Bros. has once again burrowed into their deep back catalog for another welcome 4K release, this time for Tim Burton's supernatural horror-comedy Beetlejuice. Though Michael Keaton's titular character doesn't get near as much screen time as you remember, his presence looms over the production which maintains a creepy but extremely fun and playful vibe. Like most PG-rated fiims of its era, Beetlejuice isn't necessarily a safe bet for young viewers -- that is, if they'd even care about young Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis struggling to navigate through a surprisingly bureaucratic afterlife with the unwelcome help of a foul-mouthed bio-exorcist. Ladies and germs, it's showtime!

Beetlejuice 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Though certainly respectable for its time, Warner Bros.' 2008 Blu-ray edition of Beetlejuice (which is included here in lieu of a properly remastered disc) opened up the film to 1:78:1. Restoring the film to its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio is just a cherry on top, though: even more noteworthy is the outstanding level of depth, clarity, and texture present on this new 2160p transfer, which beautifully captures the stunning outdoor scenes and colorful set design and breathes new life into the film's unique visuals. Fine detail is perfectly resolved and the picture as a whole achieves a very rich and film-like appearance overall, from extreme close-ups to wide panoramics and just about everything in- between. Likewise, dirt and debris are completely absent and the transfer runs at a very high bit rate, showing absolutely no signs of compression artifacts, banding, jagged edges...or excessive noise reduction, as evidenced by the fine but very present level of film grain throughout. All things considered, it's one of the better catalog remastering jobs I've seen in recent memory this side of Warner Archive but, as many 4K fans know, picture clarity is only half the story.

Perhaps the real star of the show is Beetlejuice's superb HDR10 color enhancement, which tastefully boosts the film's terrific color palette into new and exciting territory without compromising its original look. Simply put, this film was made for the format and shot after shot proves it with extremely strong saturation, vivid primaries, and all-around excellent color levels that pop out nicely and create a consistent level of visual interest from start to finish. From the afterlife's horrific waiting room to the intense green glow behind a chalk-drawn door and, of course, the nightmarish landscape outside the Maitlands' house, there's an awful lot of eye-popping color to appreciate here. It's basically Batman -- or better yet, Batman Returns -- without the slightly controversial color re-grading, a tastefully enhanced but purist-friendly palette that die-hard fans will swoon over. Now, where's Pee-Wee's Big Adventure already?

Beetlejuice 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Unlike the majority of early Warner Bros. Blu-ray releases, Beetlejuice somehow ended up with a lossless Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio mix back in 2008. It's been tastefully tweaked into a full Dolby Atmos track for this new 4K disc (which automatically unfolds into a TrueHD 7.1 mix for those without an Atmos setup) and not surprisingly sounds like a million bucks: dialogue is crisp and clear, surround channels -- including the heights -- are occasionally put to use during its more supernatural moments, and discrete channel separation is extremely strong at times. Danny Elfman's outstanding original score has about the same presence as its 5.1 counterpart, which is balanced nicely with a deep and lively dynamic range. Still, this is a largely front-loaded affair overall and those extra channels don't make Beetlejuice substantially better from a sonic perspective...but the extra spit and polish attention is certainly appreciated.

Like Warner Bros.' recent 4K release of The Goonies, several new lossy foreign dubs have been added on the 4K disc although the previous 5.1 mix is gone. Subtitle choices are also different but English (SDH) is still front and center.

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

This two-disc release arrives in a dual-hubbed keepcase with colorful artwork, a few inserts (including a Digital Copy redemption code), and a matching slipcover. Its slim extras are identical to those from the 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Blu-ray (save for the bonus CD, of course) and are housed on the Blu- ray disc only. These include:

• "Beetlejuice" Cartoon Episodes

• Music-Only Audio Track

• Theatrical Trailer

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

Tim Burton's Beetlejuice was the first major showcase of his visual sensibilities and a truly unique film in its own right. Most of it went right over my head as a kid, I still didn't fully appreciate it well into my twenties, but as a somewhat mature and responsible adult/husband the film really clicked for me this time around. Warner Bros.' sparkling new 4K edition certainly helped matters too: its outstanding new transfer offers perhaps one of the most satisfying uses of HDR10 color enhancement to date, which breathes new life into the production design and special effects. The new Dolby Atmos track is pretty fun too. Yet the lack of more bonus features, not to mention other missed opportunities (like a recycled Blu-ray and no lossless music-only track on the 4K disc) keep this from feeling like a truly definitive release. But Beetlejuice has never, never looked better, and that'll be more than enough for most.