Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Do the Right Thing 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Universal has released Director Spike Lee's acclaimed 1989 film 'Do the Right Thing' to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/HDR video and a DTS:X soundtrack. The UHD disc carries over the full suite of supplemental features from the legacy Blu-ray, which is also included in identical form to the 2009 issue. Note that Criterion also released the film to Blu-ray in 2019. I do not own that disc and cannot make a comparison with it.

Do the Right Thing 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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

The picture quality is terrific. The 2160p resolution brings about a drastic improvement over the studio's older Blu-ray. Here, the picture is perfectly filmic and holds to a steady, natural grain structure which is organic in density and brings a seriously pleasing cinematic feel to the proceedings. The picture's newfound textural richness brings Lee's Brooklyn to life with unflappable screen command. The absolute improvements to sharpness and clarity next to the aged Blu-ray are stunning, to say the least, and A-B comparisons of every scene reveal a monumental improvement. But even after just perusing the Blu-ray for a few minutes and turning over to watch the UHD renders any further comparison unnecessary. The UHD trounces it, plainly, in every way. This is a fine example of just how far UHD can elevate a picture. Street exteriors are a major source of fine texturing improvements for details on pavement, brick facades, and storefronts. Inside the pizzeria, there's no questioning the UHD's ability to reveal countertops, ovens, booths, and the pictures on the wall, which are collectively a vital plot device, with definition far beyond the Blu-ray's reach. Skin details are obviously a highlight, too, in intimate shots. It's a spectacular image and far and away superior to the Blu-ray.

Lee and Cinematographer Ernest Dickerson shoot the film hot to help convey the very literal, and the very figurative, temperature in the movie. The film's contrast and color temperature are deliberately pushed hard and the HDR color grading only reinforces the dominance of warm yellows, hot oranges, and intense reds. Interiors are often exceedingly warm yet far more naturally so compared to the Blu-ray, which is comparatively lifeless. Tones across the board reflect the vital structural grading and HDR surely only amplifies the effect, though without fundamentally altering the movie's feel of any given tone's essential presentation. But there are major adds to color depth and brilliance. Blue skies, red brick walks, and all variety of flesh tones enjoy critical color adjustments that bring more life, authenticity, and visual reinforcement to the story. Black levels are terrific and even whites are excellent, though often rendered less than intense by effect in order to accentuate the larger color scheme; Mookie's white Jackie Robinson jersey is a great example.

Universal's UHD is also free of any signs of print deterioration. There are no speckles or pops or stray lines or fibers. Compression is flawless, too, and there are absolutely no encode flubs to be found. This is UHD approaching its peak and fans of this film, and the cinematic medium in general, will be ecstatic with this presentation. It's sublime.

Do the Right Thing 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Universal does right by Do the Right Thing and its new DTS:X soundtrack. The presentation is sterling, just like the new picture quality. It's quite loud, sometimes frenetic, but always in expert balance. Whether intense musical beats or undercurrent ambience inside Sal's, the track is always dialed into the right sonic temperament to perfectly suit any scene's needs and the movie's total mood. The soundtrack proves dynamic from the opening segments as the song blares from the speakers with impressive theater fill, terrific lyrical clarity, a strong subwoofer output, and plenty of range throughout the stage, including a prominent surround envelopment. Music is the film's lifeblood, underscoring a number of key moments and scenes and themes. One of the best comes at the 33-minute mark. Not only is music prodigious and powerful, detailed and dynamic, it's a great example of the track's discrete, multidirectional, and stage flood capabilities all in one stop. As competing beats are volume adjusted for dominance, the amplifying sounds present with exceptionally good depth and detail even at peak output and from anywhere and everywhere in the listening area. It's a dynamic reference moment in one of the best soundtracks out there. Another great moment, and maybe the best usage of the overhead speakers, is when water rushes from a fire hydrant around the 28-minute mark with a wonderful feel for force and stage saturation (literally!) as the water seems to flow through every speaker and even above the listener when it's being aimed into a convertible car. Environmental ambience out on the street is presented with superb fidelity and location immersion. Even light elements like pedestrians, chirping birds, and passing traffic – even just a car here or there – subtly but effectively and critically draw the listener into the movie. Dialogue is clear and precise with firm front-center placement and easy prioritization, though certainly some shouts play deliberately underneath blaring music (particularly in one of the key heated exchanges in the third act). The movie couldn't sound any better.

Do the Right Thing 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Universal's UHD release of Do the Right Thing includes all of the extras from the 2009 disc. A new intro is included and the returning content is excellent and it's all present on the UHD disc proper. A Blu-ray copy of the film (the same as the studio released in 2009) is also included, as is a digital copy code. This release ships with an embossed slipcover.

• NEW! Spike Lee Intro
• Do the Right Thing: 20 Years Later
• Deleted and Extended Scenes
• Behind the Scenes
• Making Do the Right Thing
• Editor Barry Brown
• The Riot Sequence
• Cannes, 1989
• Trailers
• 20th Anniversary Edition Feature Commentary: Director Spike Lee.
• Audio Commentary: Director Spike Lee, Director of Photography Ernest Dickerson, Production Designer Wynn Thomas, and Actor Joie Lee.

Do the Right Thing 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Do the Right Thing really hasn't dated a day since 1989, at least where it counts. The film is terrific -- narratively, thematically, technically -- and Universal's new UHD is the best, and really only, way to watch it in 2021. The picture is perfect and so is the audio. No new extras are included but the carryover content, all of which is found on the UHD disc, is thorough, meaningful, and enjoyable. This release earns my highest recommendation.