7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Good girl Sandy and greaser Danny fell in love over the summer. When they unexpectedly discover they're now in the same high school, will they be able to rekindle their romance?
Starring: John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, Jeff Conaway, Barry PearlComedy | 100% |
Romance | 83% |
Musical | 69% |
Teen | 43% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
German: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (224 kbps)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Italian: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Japanese: Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 kbps)
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Brazilian Portuguese; Spanish=Castilian 5.1 and Latin American Mono
English, English SDH, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Cantonese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Hungarian, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Norwegian, Swedish, Thai, Turkish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Paramount first released Director Randal Kleiser's world-famous Musical phenomenon 'Grease' to Blu-ray in 2009 to fair result at a time when the format was still in its relative infancy. For the film's 40th anniversary, now deep into the Blu-ray lifespan, the studio has re-released the film to the 1080p format in both this DigiBook edition as well as in SteelBook packaging which also includes 'Grease 2' and 'Grease Live,' currently the only way to own those films on Blu-ray. A companion UHD has also launched simultaneously with this Blu-ray, lacking either type of collectible packaging. The studio has included new video and audio presentations alongside several new bonus features, packed in alongside various legacy extras from the 2009 disc.
Grease was previously released to Blu-ray in 2009 to decent, if not unspectacular, result. For the film's 40th anniversary, Paramount has returned to the film and released a "fully restored" Blu-ray from the original negative which was "scanned and received extensive clean up and color correction." While I do not own the original 2009 release and cannot perform a direct comparison, this new 40th anniversary edition certainly delivers a positive all-around viewing experience. Both detail and color are nicely rendered. Grain is not pronounced but there are some visible spikes in darker scenes, such as during a nighttime pep rally in chapter four. Black levels do present with impressive depth and accuracy with minimal appearance of crush. Colors are bold. There's a nice variety throughout the cheerful 1950s landscape. Pink jackets, red cars and athletic apparel, various shades in a diner, all of them are spunky and well saturated, and they stand out against some of the darker and less vibrant backgrounds and black leather jackets the boys tend to wear throughout the film. Details hold strong. Environments are crisp, clothes are sharp and revealing, and skin textures are naturally complex. The image certainly doesn't match the intimacy of superior pictures or even the film's companion release UHD, which is a fairly sizable leap forward for detail and color alike, but everything is presented with quality definition and attention to detail, appearing very true to the original film source. There are some softer focus edges and sporadic images that appear somewhat pasty and artificial, both seemingly inherent to the source, but there are no significant signs of print deterioration or encode anomalies of note.
For its 40th Anniversary release, Paramount has not changed the encode or channel configuration from the 2009 Blu-ray, but the studio has nevertheless tinkered with the track. For this new take on the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack, "audio was enhanced from a six-track mix created for an original 70mm release." The track is hardly a revelation, but it offers a solid enough foundational listen. The track is fairly front-heavy, but the musical numbers are satisfyingly rich and wide. The American Bandstand segment in chapter 11 stretches the system and offers impressive instrumental clarity throughout the range. There's not much immersion, even as surrounds are engaged (though listeners would be hard-pressed to really notice), but the aggressive frontside push minimizes the missing impact of a more effective wraparound sensation. A few basic sound effects present with enough distinction and stage presence to please, such as deep, rumbly engine revs during the race near film's end. Dialogue is largely fine and sonically defines much of the movie beyond song and dance numbers interspersed throughout. That said, it does have its moments of struggle, perhaps the most notable coming just prior to that aforementioned race where words are notably harsh-edged and slightly garbled. Much like the video presentation, this is an imperfect soundtrack, but it certainly serves the film well enough, and during its critical music moments in particular.
Grease's 40th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray ships in DigiBook packaging and contains many extras, most of which carry over from the previous
"Rockin' Rydell" release, several of which are new.
New
extras are marked as such, and reviewed (note that I do not have access to a copy of the original 2009 release and markings of what extras are new is
based on the Blu-ray.com review of that 2009 disc, written by another reviewer, as well as the press release provided by Paramount). A UV/iTunes
digital copy code is included with purchase.
The DigiBook is attractive, with a nicely textured faux-leathery yearbook-type cover with embossed lettering ("Rydell High," "Yearbook," and "Grease").
The rear cover includes no artwork, though it does ship with a typical info cluster sheet attracted. Inside is disappointingly brief content. The full color
glossy pages include a morning announcements sheet, some character images and artwork (with each page decorated to appear as if someone wrote
in the book) and a commencement announcement sheet. Underneath the staggered-stacked Blu-ray and DVD is an image from the film. In short: the
outside looks and feels great while the inside is a disappointment. See screenshots 21-25 for a few pictures.
Grease was a hit when it released and has become a cultural icon with serious staying power, now 40 years since its debut. For the film's milestone anniversary, Paramount has re-released the favorite on Blu-ray with a brand-new 1080p transfer and a new multichannel soundtrack (though in the same Dolby TrueHD 5.1 configuration as the previous release). A few new extras are included, on top of the prodigious pile of supplements from the previous edition. However, the UHD offers an improved picture quality. Recommended, but 4K capable fans should go with that version instead, even if it disappointingly lacks special packaging.
Rockin' Rydell Edition
1978
Rockin' Rydell Edition
1978
Paramount 100th Anniversary
1978
Rockin' Rydell Edition
1978
Rockin' Rydell Edition
1978
40th Anniversary Edition
1978
1978
1978
2012-2013
2016
Sing-Along Edition
2018
2-Disc Shake and Shimmy Edition
2007
2009
2006
2011
10th Anniversary Edition
2008
1982
2018
Director's Cut on BD
1990
2008
2008
10th Anniversary Edition
1999
20th Anniversary Limited Edition Packaging
2004
2010
1999
2015
Extended Edition
2007
2020