Groundhog Day 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Groundhog Day 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

A contemporary classic earns a hearty UHD release. Bing!

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 16, 2018

Sony has released the fan-favorite time loop Comedy 'Groundhog Day' to the UHD format in celebration of the film's 25th anniversary and only weeks before Groundhog Day 2018. For the release, the film receives a pleasingly high quality 4K/HDR-enhanced picture and enjoyable Atmos audio. No new extras are included, but the bundled Blu-ray, identical to that released some nine years ago, is included.

Groundhog Day is a special film not only for its comedic theatrics or one of the top performances of Bill Murray's career but for its blend of humorous and heartfelt storytelling about an aloof and self-centered man who repeats what he believes to be the worst day of his life that gradually turns into his best. A bad situation -- one from which he cannot escape -- becomes a life-changing exploration of his innermost soul amidst the ups and downs of small town life on a blustery winter's day. The film finds character complexity through plenty of humor. It balances a bit of crass content, localized flavor, repetitious yet ever evolutionary laughs, and narrative depth and meshes it all together with seamless precision, where the dramatic content and the comedic content become so effortlessly entwined that both feel prominent yet never overpowering, equal partners in telling a tale of redemption over time yet in no time at all. Filled with memorable dialogue, classic moments, unforgettable side characters, wonderful comedic antics, and touching narrative excellence, the film remains an icon of contemporary cinema and an infinitely re-watrchable and ever-enjoyable tale.

For a full (and alternate take) review of the film, please click here.

Groundhog Day 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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

Groundhog Day was released back in 1993 and shot on film. Sony's 4K scan offers a delectable 2160p image, one that's beautifully filmic, nicely defined, sharp, and crisp. Grain retention is continuous and even, light but critically complimentary. It's a bit more harsh over the opening title sequence but settles in nicely for the duration thereafter. Textural qualities are highly impressive, particularly manmade environmental details around town. Pavement and brickwork, storefronts, booths and nicknacks in the diner, finely appointed wares in the bed and breakfast, every textural delight throughout the movie receives a healthy boost in crispness and definition over the previously released Blu-ray. Facial textures are nicely detailed and refined, lacking the absolute intensive sharpness of some UHD images but enjoying a perfectly balanced and toned, agreeably lifelike and filmic, presentation. Colors are pleasant. The HDR enhanced palette doesn't do much to alter the film's largely dreary, overcast, mildly washed out appearance. The chilly filtering not only compliments the film's location but also its tone, though certainly the overall palette finds a healthy boost in vibrance, depth, and stability. A few one-off elements sparkle. A blue screen in the studio at film's start and an orange fireball a little over an hour into the movie are highlights that show the subtle but critical boost in intensity and clarity high dynamic range brings to the film, even one that is otherwise somewhat bleak by design and dotted only by the occasional more warmly lit scene. Flesh tones match place and mood, appearing a little pasty and pale outdoors but finding creamier warmth inside. Black levels are deep with only mild push to excess brightness in spots. This may not be an absolute standout on the format, but Groundhog Day's UHD offers a satisfying increase in image stability, clarity, color, and cinematic bonafides over an aging 1080p Blu-ray. Another job very well done by Sony and another UHD that's a massive step forward from the previously released Blu-ray.

Groundhog Day 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For its UHD debut, Groundhog Day has received a new Dolby Atmos soundtrack. The film is, of course, not particularly intensive on the sonic front, but the Atmos presentation does add some critical depth and space to the soundtrack. Music enjoys a robust boost in clarity and stage saturation. It's big, transparent, extends beyond the speaker placement and seems to fill the room with enjoyably clear and detailed instrumentals, including a hearty low end support. The Pennsylvania Polka song, critical as an entry point to each new day when Phil walks into Gobbler's Knob, plays with a stage-commanding airiness about it, gleefully floating through the stage and creating an open, enriching listen that essentially transports the listener from cozy home theater to chilly Pennsylvania field. Environmental supports enjoy equally impressive stage entrance, such as light gusty winds or honking traffic on a congested road closed down by snow, and recreate the places with scene-enriching ease. Dialogue is firm, front-center positioned, and naturally detailed. This track proves Atmos isn't just for the sonic big boys.

Groundhog Day 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

All of Groundhog Day's core supplemental content can be found on the bundled Blu-ray disc. Below is a list of what's included, but for a full review please click here. As for the UHD disc, it includes only the usual Sony extra content, including cast and crew still photos and a collection of categorized "moments" (2160p/HDR/Atmos): Phil, Punxsutawney People, Hilarious Moments, and Day After Day. A digital copy code is included with purchase.

• Audio Commentary: Director Harold Ramis
• A Different Day: An Interview with Harold Ramis
• The Weight of Time
• The Study of Groundhogs: A Real Life Look at Marmots
• Needle Nose Ned's Picture-in-Picture Track
• Deleted Scenes

Groundhog Day 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Groundhog Day walks that fine line between cinematic comfort food and purposeful storytelling. It blends hearty humor with heartfelt happenings, built around a razor-sharp script flawlessly delivered by way of an unforgettable cast of characters. One of the best films of its time and a top comedy of all time, they just don't get much better than Groundhog Day. Sony's UHD release impresses with high-end 2160p/HDR picture, a wonderfully complimentary Atmos soundtrack, and all of the extras from the 2009 Blu-ray release. Very highly recommended.