7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
In the summer of 1963, innocent 17-year-old Baby vacations with her parents at a Catskill's resort. One evening, she is drawn to the staff quarters by stirring music. There, she meets Johnny, the hotel dance instructor, who is as experienced as Baby is naive. Baby soon becomes Johnny's pupil in dance and love.
Starring: Jennifer Grey, Patrick Swayze, Jerry Orbach, Cynthia Rhodes, Jack WestonRomance | 100% |
Teen | 50% |
Coming of age | 27% |
Music | 26% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 kbps)
English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 5.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Lionsgate's soft 4K UHD release of the 1987 sorta-classic Dirty Dancing is a rare bird indeed: this Best Buy exclusive Steelbook flew under the radar of all but the film's most devoted fans, only a fraction of whom are videophiles with Dolby Atmos setups. Nonetheless, that vocal minority should appreciate Lionsgate's efforts to finally pull this romantic drama into the 21st century after a series of lackluster and recycled Blu-ray editions... including the 20th Anniversary Edition, which was the worst thing to happen to Dirty Dancing until The Black-Eyed Peas. Sadly, one of those recycled discs -- the uneven 30th Anniversary Edition -- is included here instead of a newly-authored Blu-ray... so unless you're planning to upgrade your player soon, this combo pack is pretty much worthless for non-4K fans.
Although somewhat contested in our always-entertaining forums, Dirty Dancing's new 1.85:1 4K presentation offers what appears to be a solid upgrade from earlier home video editions -- especially the infamous 20th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray, which is rightly regarded as one of the worst-looking transfers on that format. From the very welcome Vestron opening logo onwards, the most easily-seen improvement here is a more satisfying level of film grain and richer black levels, both of which give overall image detail a perceivable boost. It also reveals other shortcomings in those earlier transfers, which all had boosted contrast levels and artificial sharpening that gave many edges an unusually feathered appearance. These are absolutely not a problem on the 4K disc which, due to its lack of reliance on heavier processing tricks, ends up looking a lot more natural and "relaxed" than previous versions. Colors get a fairly nice facelift too, although the disc's HDR enhancement doesn't necessarily translate to substantially dialed-up hues; more often than not, Lionsgate's transfer again seems to aim for accuracy rather than base-level saturation boosts. Although a few stray scenes looked surprisingly soft -- perhaps even more so than the included Blu-ray -- this could be due to that lack of artificial sharpening and, in almost all cases, this issue is so infrequent that it barely registers. As for its occasional moments of blooming (most noticeable in sunny outdoor locales), they're largely kept under control and, combined with those deeper black levels, once again just gives the film a more natural appearance. Overall, complaints are few and far-between here and, while Dirty Dancing will never look slick or glossy due to its original source elements, this really does feel very close to a best-case scenario considering the film's troubled history on home video.
As mentioned earlier, the Blu-ray included with this release is 100% identical to Lionsgate's 30th Anniversary Edition, which in turn contains the same 1.78:1 1080p transfer as featured on 2010's Limited Keepsake Edition; this Blu-ray is also the source for my review's decorative screenshots. (Hey, at least it's not the 2007 disc.)
From an audio perspective, earlier Blu-ray editions of Dirty Dancing seemed more than adequate on paper, sporting either PCM 6.1 or full DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio tracks that, considering prior home video editions on VHS and DVD, likely sounded pretty good at the time. But after hearing this brand-new Dolby Atmos remix, the shortcomings of those earlier mixes become incredibly obvious. Perhaps the best analogy I can make is that those previous lossless tracks, though not without a few stray highlights, sounded as if you were watching the film from a slight but very perceptible distance: in short, it kept the listener at an arm's length. This new mix feels like you're right in the middle of the action, with totally immersive moments of surround activity that completely envelop the listener in an extremely convincing and effective way. Dialogue clarity is substantially improved as well; I'm not sure if this is due to overall fidelity, better volume leveling, or both, but the end result is much cleaner than ever before. Yet it's some of the film's most famous music breaks -- "Hungry Eyes", "(I've Had) The Time of My Life", etc. -- that propel this Atmos audio mix to its greatest heights, as smoother channel separation and a beefier LFE presence increases the overall width and weight of these memorable moments. Height channels are not discretely dominant due to the film's subject matter, but they are put to good use during crowded scenes and other suitable moments. Overall, this audio mix is the best reason to upgrade and, if you're a huge fan of Dirty Dancing's soundtrack, it'll be worth the price of admission alone.
Optional subtitles, including English (SDH), are offered during the main feature and some extras.
This two-disc release ships in exclusive Steelbook packaging (detailed below) with attractive design elements and a Digital Copy slip. Two new extras, marked with an asterisk, are on the 4K disc as well as two vintage commentaries; all other recycled extras can be found on the Blu-ray, which is identical to Lionsgate's 30th Anniversary Edition.
Disc One (4K UHD)
Disc Two (30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray)
Chances are good that you formed an unwavering opinion about Dirty Dancing long ago, which might mean you already own this new 4K edition. If you don't, it's a small to massive upgrade in every department, especially the redemptive Dolby Atmos track that really does the film's soundtrack justice. Throw in stylish Steelbook packaging and you've got what looks to be the most definitive home video edition of the film to date. Nobody puts Baby in a corner... except for Best Buy, of course. They might have a copy in the dusty corner of their dwindling physical media section. :(
Twentieth Anniversary
1987
Limited Keepsake Edition | with Book
1987
30th Anniversary Edition
1987
30th Anniversary Collector's Edition
1987
30th Anniversary Edition | Retro VHS Collection
1987
1987
35th Anniversary Edition
1987
1987
2004
40th Anniversary Edition
1984
2006
2001
Dance-Off Edition
2008
2014
2017
2002
2007
2007
1985
2016
2007
1980s Best of the Decade
1984
2010
2008
2012
2012
2010
2014