Friday the 13th: Part II 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Friday the 13th: Part II 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Paramount has released the 1981 Horror franchise sequel film 'Friday the 13th: Part II to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/Dolby Vision video. The UHD disc includes the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack from the original 2009 Blu-ray rather than the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack from Paramount's more recent remastered Blu-ray of the film. Curiously, it is that remastered Blu-ray which is also included in this set, and it contains all of the legacy Blu-ray extras (which were all original to the previously mentioned 2009 issue). At time of writing, this UHD release is only available as part of the four film Paramount Scares: Volume 2 collection.

Friday the 13th: Part II 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from the UHD disc output at 1080p. They are not representative of the UHD/Dolby Vision image you will see on your screen.

This is the kind of movie I'm really excited to see come to the UHD format. To be perfectly frank, movies like Orphan: First Kill (also included in the "Paramount Presents" set where this film is included) don't move the needle much: modern, slick, flat, and drab factory pictures that have no tactile life to them. But here's a movie shot on grainy film stock in the early 1980s with some some great opportunity to really take advantage of the UHD format's capabilities to both increase sharpness and add great gains to the color spectrum, especially given the movie's stark contrasts of bright daylight exteriors, dark nighttime locales, and even some very low light interiors. it's a movie replete with opportunity to delight on the UHD format, and delight it does.

The above referenced remastered Blu-ray really showed what the film could look like for home viewing, and this UHD, which is almost assuredly sourced from the same 4K scan (do note that the UHD presents the film at 1.85:1 as opposed to the Blu-ray's 1.78:1), pushes the film further into viewing bliss with a stout 2160p/Dolby Vision UHD image. The image's textural gains are obvious from the outset. The picture boasts wonderful natural elements, especially in those bright daylight exteriors that fill the first portion of the film -- grasses, patches of dirt, leaves and tree trunks -- with excellent clarity, amplifying the Blu-ray's presentation with obvious gains to sharpness and pinpoint definition. Are these gains astronomically superior to the Blu-ray? The honest answer is no, which is a testament to just how rich and satisfying a really well encoded Blu-ray from a terrific master can look, but there is no doubt that fans will notice that improvements to the tactile feel around the film. That also, of course, extends to skin, clothes, and manmade objects throughout the film.

The more impressive work comes via the Dolby Vision grading. The grading bolsters the color spectrum, delivering a bolder, more stable, more authentically rich and accurate presentation. Natural greens are an early highlight and clear point of comparison for the UHD's gains. The Blu-ray's green palette looks drab by comparison. Here, colors are richer, deeper, more tangibly impressive in every shot. Colors of clothing and skin tones follow suit as well. Black levels, so vital later in the film, are plainly improved as well, delivering increased depth and accuracy while holding to superior shadow detail as well, really amplifying the atmosphere at work on the screen. Whites balance sees some nice improvements, too.

With a very pleasing grain structure, no real issues with print wear, and no obvious encode issues, this is an easy recommend for the improvements in all areas over the remastered Blu-ray. Again, it might not be drastic in terms of detail gains, but the Dolby Vision grading really adds a good bit more life to the image. Impressive!

Friday the 13th: Part II 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As mentioned at the top, this UHD release of Friday the 13th: Part II contains the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack from the 2009 disc rather than the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack from the recently remastered release. And, curiously, the remastered Blu-ray release with the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is included with this set. Be that as it may, a review of the included 5.1 Dolby TrueHD lossless soundtrack can be found by clicking here.

Friday the 13th: Part II 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This new UHD release of Friday the 13th, Part II includes no extras on the UHD disc proper but the bundled Blu-ray, which is identical to the remastered issue linked to above, includes all of the extras. All of those extras are the same supplemental content found on the 2009 Paramount disc. Unfortunately, there are quite a few extras -- deleted scenes, two audio commentary tracks, interviews, and film trailers -- from the Shout! Factory release that are not included here. Below is a listing of what's included. Please click here for full reviews. As it ships in the second volume of the Paramount Scares collection, a slipcover (which matches the other films in the set) and a digital copy code are included.

• Inside "Crystal Lake Memories"
• Friday's Legacy: Horror Conventions
• Lost Tales From Camp Blood Part II
• Jason Forever
• Original Theatrical Trailer

Friday the 13th: Part II 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Paramount has done a great job bringing Friday the 13th: Part II to the UHD format. While a new audio track and/or new extras would have clearly sweetened the pot, make no mistake that the upgrade is found where it counts: in the video, and especially with the Dolby Vision grading. This is exactly the kind of film that really shines on the format, and fans of the format, and the Friday the 13th franchise, will find this to be a welcome addition to any UHD library!