6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 5.0 | |
Overall | 5.0 |
The year was 1961. Fallout shelters dot suburban backyards. Ken joins Barbie. Roger Maris slugs 61 home runs. And Elvis Presley is in paradise, playing an ex-G.I. who comes home to Blue Hawaii. His mother (Angela Landsbury) expects him to climb the corporate ladder. But Elvis would rather wear an aloha shirt than a white collar, so he goes to work as a tour guide.
Starring: Elvis Presley, Angela Lansbury, Roland Winters, John Archer (I), Pamela AustinMusical | 100% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
German: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
French: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (224 kbps)
English, English SDH, French
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 5.0 |
Blue Hawaii struggles to walk the very fine line between "star vehicle" and "pleasant escape." The film is in a difficult position, and it is built around a difficult proposition, because it is entirely all about its externals. Fortunately for the film, the primary external is Elvis Presley. The other is the beautiful state of Hawaii. Outside of these, there is very little story to speak of, but the picture is determined to make itself a fun and a viable alternative for a lazy, rainy weekend afternoon on the strength of its cheerful locations and nearly endless musical numbers, performed by its star, alone. But the film is hopelessly flat beyond the admittedly beautiful facade. Elvis does his best to carry it, playing a hopelessly two-dimensional character and offering little more than, like the rest of the movie, the expected superficialities to cover up the flat script and vacant story.
The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.
Paramount touts this UHD release of Blue Hawaii as sourced from a "brand new 4k 16-bit restoration of the film from the 35mm camera
negative. For the restoration, the original negative was scanned in 4K/16bit, however the opening title sequence was very grainy because it originally
used duped film. That sequence was completely rebuilt using the original film elements from the Paramount library. Brand new text overlays were
created for a truly spectacular opening sequence befitting this delightful film." So, there is the fine print. The question is how the film looks on the
home
theater screen.
It looks delightful! The Dolby Vision grading proves its worth right out of the gate, managing to do what seemed impossible while watching the
excellent accompanying (and included) Blu-ray which offered a dazzling display of blue depth with the opening titles.
The UHD presents them with a bolder, deeper appearance. Contrast is, overall, bolstered, bringing not just the more intense blue text but deeper
skies and more delightful green-blue waters underneath. The red sports car seen in the opening moments presents with a more brilliantly intense
shade, while the general Hawaii landscape -- which includes clothes, leis, natural greens, and sand -- presents with flat-out gorgeous color accuracy,
stability, and naturally inclined intensity. The film may be bland, but this color grading is anything but. Add in fine black levels, incredibly crisp whites,
and healthy skin tones, and this color grading is a force to be reckoned with.
The 2160p resolution is a delight as well. The picture offers a natural grain structure, bolstered above even that found on the companion Blu-ray.
Here, grain is certainly a little denser and more noticeable, but it is also very organic and true to the film source. It's consistent, too, with no signs of
tampering. The result is a handsomely crisp and faithful image that captures the true, organic filmic elements with striking ease and command. The
natural Hawaiian locales sparkle with intricate clarity on sand and rocks, while manmade structure reveal incredible complexity well
beyond the Blu-ray's capabilities. Skin definition is intimately complex, and hairs are practically countable. A few softer shots remain, but they appear
to be inherent to the photographic source. There is no evidence of print damage or encode flaws. This is a stellar UHD from Paramount.
Paramount brings Blue Hawaii to UHD with a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 "restored" soundtrack. Note that the Blu-ray also includes a Dolby Digital 2.0 mono restored track which is not included on this disc. The 5.1 track offers little in the way of immersion. Surrounds carry next to no content; it's difficult to point to even a subtle surround engagement moment and impossible to identify a significant one. But even if the track has not been engineered to distribute content all around the listener, this configuration does, at least, present the content with mild body and pleasant front-side spacing. Indeed, the 5.1 track is a bit shallow. There's not a lot of depth to airplane sounds in the opening minutes, and not much fullness to airport din, either. There is very little sense of space or engagement when waves crash around the 12-minute mark, and overall this track struggles to offer much in the way of engaging atmosphere. Music and lyrics are presented with fair dynamics and good fidelity but lack authority at reference volume. Spacing is adequate along the front. Dialogue is suitably clear and holds to a natural front-center position.
Blue Hawaii contains three extras as outlined below, all on the included Blu-ray disc. No extras are on the UHD disc. As it ships in the 36th film
in the 'Paramount Presents' line, a digital copy code and the
familiar 'Paramount Presents' fold open slipcover with alternative artwork are included.
Blue Hawaii is a film of well-meaning sight and sound but zero substance. That is a legitimate point of criticism, but it's also fair to cut the film some slack; it's not pretentious, it doesn't pretend that it's meatier than it is, and it enjoys the casual atmosphere and gentle ebb and flow of the process of moving from one number and location to the next. Go in expecting a simple, relaxed time at the movies and find a mostly agreeable little film; expect something of even modest substance and walk away disappointed. Paramount's UHD offers dazzling 2160p/Dolby Vision video, acceptable 5.1 lossless audio (but why the English 2.0 mono track was excluded is a head-scratcher), and a few bonuses, headlined by a prepared-remarks commentary track. Recommended, primarily for the stelar picture quality.
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