Ghostbusters 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Ghostbusters 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

4th time's the 4K.

Note: The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc. Watch for 4K screenshots at a later date.

Ghostbusters has an interesting release history on Blu-ray, beginning with its much-discussed and controversial debut back in 2009. A "Mastered in 4K" release in 2013 cleaned up the video nicely, kept the original release's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack, and dumped all of the supplements. The movie was again put out to market in 2014 as part of a bundle with Ghostbusters II, marking the sequel's high definition debut. The third release maintained the "mastered in 4K" video, switched up the audio to a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, kept most the original release's extras, and added a few of its own. So in three releases there were two different video presentations, two soundtracks, and two sets of supplements. With the fourth release, Sony has issued the fan-favorite via a UHD release that presents the movie at 4K (rather than a watered down 1080p version thereof) and boosts the audio to Dolby Atmos. The included 1080p Blu-ray is identical to the third release, which means it contains all of the extras available. Confused? Don't be. This is easily the best, most comprehensive "definitive" release of Ghostbusters yet. And hopefully the last, for a while. Fan wallets can't handle much more.

Ghostbusters 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Ghostbusters was a no-brainer to be amongst the early UHD releases for its massive popularity, previous "mastered in 4K" Blu-ray release, and the franchise reboot film just around the corner. Sony's 2160p/HDR-enabled release doesn't really turn heads or, at first glance, improve all that much on that "Mi4K" release. The image is generally very attractive. It's ever grainy, the field a bit thick but nevertheless refined. Details are solid. The transfer's best work comes in close-up and medium-distance city shots where concrete and urban textures really shine under the 4K spotlight. Smaller interior touches -- the wooden card catalogue in the library, the old firehouse headquarters, odds and ends in Dana's apartment -- are likewise sufficiently revealing and clear. Clothes and skin textures are good, if not a hair on the softer/less razor-defined end of the spectrum. Colors are healthy and natural, even with the added push from the HDR manipulation. There's a nice balance between "pop" and "natural." Black levels hold deep and tight. Flesh tones appear reflective of the actors' complexions and makeup support. Compression artifacts are never an issue.

The real question, however, is how much this release stands apart from the older "Mastered in 4K" release, which was itself a marked improvement over the original 1080p release. There's certainly some improvement in finer point details on the UHD release. Clothing textures are particularly more robust, even if it's only by way of a little more natural complexity and clarity. Facial textures are more refined. Compare a close-up of Bill Murray when he first encounters Slimer. The definition in forehead lines and cheeks are noticeable, less smooth-looking in 4K. Colors aren't drastically altered, as they are in some other HDR UHD discs. Here, the palette feels more comfortable, natural, and refined. Colors, such as yellow cabs and red accents, particularly the big red confinement chamber in the Ghostbusters headquarters, enjoy a solid boost in reproduction, so much so that looking at that red containment unit on the 1080p disc is practically an eyesore in comparison. Flesh tones are notably less rosy as well, not that they're particularly warm to begin with in 1080p.

Ghostbusters 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

This is the fourth Ghostbusters release in the Blu-ray era, and it features the third different soundtrack. The original Ghostbusters release, and the first Mastered in 4K release, both contained Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtracks. The second Mastered in 4K release contained a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. This UHD Blu-ray features a Dolby Atmos (core Dolby TrueHD 7.1) soundtrack that adds "height" channels to the mix. This review is based on an 11.1 setup, which adds four "height" channels to the traditional 7.1 setup. The track is fine, if not a slight bit underwhelming considering the addition of several new channels. The height speakers are never utilized in a role that dominates a moment in the movie, for better or for worse. They add a subtle support layer to several aggressive effects, which does, at least, retain a more traditional presentation that's more honest to the movie but still allows another check mark on the spec sheet for upgraded listings. Indeed, little details seem augmented with a modest upper level sound field, including fluttering catalogue cards at the library, blasts from the proton beam, the explosion in the containment system that releases the ghosts, booming thunder, and really any of the more aggressive moments. The overhead fold into the greater track isn't always obvious, but the little touches help. Music is fine, a bit modest in the lighter notes with a front-heavy presence that opens up along the side and rears for more aggressive bursts of score and the famous Ray Parker, Jr. song. Clarity throughout is fine. Both music and effects alike are rich and detailed, though certainly a step behind many of today's more precisely engineered and carefully mixed recordings. Dialogue is clear and detailed, nicely prioritized and placed in the center, with only a few instances of hesitation and timidity in delivery.

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

This UHD release of Ghostbusters contains all of its supplements on the 1080p Blu-ray disc, with the exception of the commentary track, which is available on both. The UHD does contain a unique collection of "Moments" (2160p, Atmos sound), which are montages featuring several segments from the film. Included are Something Strange (9:28), Ghostbusting (7:59), Ecto-1 (6:57), and Memorable Moments (14:56). Also included is a "Cast & Crew" tab that contains several still images of the filmmakers and actors. A UV digital copy code is included with purchase. The included 1080p Blu-ray contains the supplements from both the original Ghostbusters release and the second Mastered in 4K release (the first Mastered in 4K release contained no supplemental content). Please click through the links for reviews.

For convenience, below is a basic list of the supplements included on the 1080p disc:

• Audio Commentary: Ivan Reitman, Harold Ramis & Joe Medjuck.
• Slimer Mode Picture-in-Picture
• Gallery 1988 Ghostbusters 20th Anniversary Print Collection
• Who You Gonna Call: A Ghostbusters Retrospective
• Ecto-1: Resurrecting the Classic Car
• Ghostbusters Garage: Ecto-1 Gallery
• 1984 Featurette
• Cast and Crew Featurette
• SFX Team Featurette
• Scene Cemetery
• Alternate TV Version Takes
• Multi-Angle Explorations
• Storyboard Comparisons
• "Ghostbusters" Music Video by Ray Parker, Jr.
• Theatrical Trailer

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

Ghostbusters doesn't find new life on UHD Blu-ray, neither visually nor aurally. That doesn't make it a bad release. In fact, it's very good. It's just not a massive step forward from the "Mastered in 4K" release that was previously available. As with many of these early UHD presentations -- even those sourced from 4K masters rather than upscaled 2K -- the boost is more subtle, particularly on "smaller" displays (if 65" can be considered "smaller" by today's standards and particularly in the home theater field). There's no mistaking the slight refinement to detail and stabilization of the color palette. If nothing else, there's no mistaking that this is the definitive Ghostbusters home video release, considering the inclusion of the excellent 1080p Blu-ray and all of its supplements. Bottom line, though, is that it's probably not worth a full price upgrade for those who already own the one of the movie's "Mastered in 4K" Blu-ray discs, but for newcomers, even for those yet without the ability to watch in 4K, it's a must-buy considering that it's future-proof (for now), that all the extras are here, and the digital code is included, too.