Footloose 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		1.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Footloose 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Paramount has released the fan-favorite 1984 film 'Footloose,' starring Kevin Bacon and directed by Herbert Ross, to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/Dolby Vision video and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless audio. The 2011 Blu-ray, rightly maligned for its substandard video quality and for more than a decade in desperate need of a makeover, is also included with all of the legacy supplements. That Blu-ray included a 6.1 lossless soundtrack.

Footloose 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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

Paramount certainly had room to make massive improvements over the 2011 Blu-ray, and the studio's new 2160p/Doby Vision UHD presentation does just that. While imperfect in its own right, this new 2024 release is clearly, and vastly, superior to the old Blu-ray, not just in terms of a resolution boost or an amplification of colors under the Dolby Vision grading, but in correcting some of the major flaws found in the old release, especially the excessive DNR that left skin looking hopelessly waxy and inauthentic and grain that was frozen and pushed and pulled with the movement of characters.

With the grain more in check with film and the basic expectations for grain management in general, Footloose is free to take advantage of the 2160p resolution offered, and the movie looks very good. While it's a bit naturally soft and not a visually dynamic image by any means, the more stable grain and seemingly untampered detailing leave the movie looking very healthy and true to its roots. While details never reach the level of "striking" or "excellent" or "lifelike," the improvements to stability certainly allow for nicer reproduction of skins, clothes, and environments. Though not a "looker" by its nature, Footloose on UHD definitely stands heads-and-shoulders above the old Blu-ray and delivers a pleasingly film-like image that fans will find well worth the upgrade cost.

The Dolby Vision colors are certainly not dynamic by any stretch of the imagination. The film's palette is definitely somewhat muted, lacking brilliance and punch, but that's the nature of the film. Still, there's an obvious solidification at play that amplifies core colors, from clothes and natural greens to exterior lighting (look at the 1:38:28 mark for a nice example of Christmas lights against a black sky). Speaking of blacks, there is some crush at play in some of the nighttime exteriors and low light interiors, but blacks do hold deep rather than push to overly light or gray and/or blue. White balance is good, though as with the rest of the colors not really as punchy and bright as some of the finer UHDs on the market. Muted and basic though this one may be, there's still some nice solidification and amplification at work, especially those Christmas lights and lights in the dance sequence at film's end.

Footloose 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

While the UHD "downgrades" the soundtrack from a DTS-HD Master Audio 6.1 lossless soundtrack on the Blu-ray to, here, a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio presentation, there's not a major difference to any area: clarity, spacing, and the like. I believe that the review for the old Blu-ray track essentially satisfies for this presentation as well, so please click here for audio coverage.

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

All of the included supplements are found on the included Blu-ray disc, which is identical to the previous 2011 issue. There are no extras on the UHD disc. See below for a list of what's include on the Blu-ray and please click here for full coverage. This release ships with a digital copy code and a non-embossed slipcover.

• Audio Commentary: Producer Craig Zadan and Writer Dean Pitchford.
• Audio Commentary: Actor Kevin Bacon.
• Let's Dance! Kevin Bacon on Footloose
• From Bomont to the Big Apple: An Interview with Sarah Jessica Parker
• Remembering Willard
• Kevin Bacon's Screen Test
• Kevin Bacon Costume Montage
• Footloose: A Modern Musical -- Part 1
• Footloose: A Modern Musical -- Part 2
• Footloose: Songs That Tell a Story
• Footloose Theatrical Trailer

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

Footloose is a decent enough movie that works a bit better than its horribly generic and transparent plot would suggest. It's overshadowed by Dirty Dancing and even the popularity of its own theme song, but it's an entertaining enough little genre and decade footnote that still plays well thanks to its ever-relevant themes. Paramount's UHD release of Footloose makes amends for the disastrous 2011 Blu-ray by replacing the DNR'd 1080p image with a much more flattering and filmic 2160p/Doby Vision presentation. It looks very nice. The 5.1 lossless soundtrack is good, and the legacy extras remain excellent in quality and quantity. Fans are definitely going to want to upgrade!