Hocus Pocus 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Hocus Pocus 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Disney has released Director Kenny Ortega's fan-favorite 1993 film 'Hocus Pocus' to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/HDR video output. This release recycles the existing DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack included on previous Blu-ray editions. No extras appear on the UHD disc, but the bundled Blu-ray is the same Disney released in 2018 in celebration of the film's 25th anniversary which added a couple of extras; the original release from 2012 was featureless.

Hocus Pocus 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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

How much one will enjoy Disney's 2160p/HDR UHD release of Hocus Pocus depends a great deal on one's tolerance for HDR picture darkening. This one's dark, radically so next to the Blu-ray and obvious even in isolation, though it is at least complimentary of the film's setting and tone. But the picture frequently looks borderline transformed when comparing it to the 1080p SDR presentation. The opening flyover takes on an entirely different color temperature, like the scene is now taking place at a different time of day on the UHD. It's much darker overall, looking more like it was filmed an hour back when the sun was still rising, where on the Blu-ray it looks like it's already well risen. Look at a classroom scene in the 12-minute mark. It's like the lights are off in the classroom on UHD, the room lit only by the daylight flowing through the window at the front of the room, while the light appear to be turned on on the Blu-ray. The daytime exterior to follow is quite a bit more forgiving (though still considerably darker than the Blu-ray), bolstered by bountiful fall colors that leap off the screen with gorgeous color perfection. The HDR grading is a boon for the natural vegetation and the assortment of bright Halloween tones seen throughout the film, as are some of the more colorful magic spells that, as visual effects, lack that effortless punch and contrast those aforementioned tones enjoy but still dazzle more on UHD than they do on Blu-ray. At the very least, blacks are far deeper here than they appear on the Blu-ray. That's vital for a movie such as this where shadow and low light prevail to begin with, and even through the lower light the grading only enhances the experience. One the whole, HDR is a net plus for the movie; it could have just been a little more forgiving in its total light output.

Texturally, the 2160p resolution brings out a sharper, more refined image next to the Blu-ray. Details are more crisp, faces more revealing, clothes and costumes more capably clear and firm. Environments come alive with added complexity (even if some are rendered harder to see under the darkened HDR color spectrum), ranging from old Salem roughness to new Salem smoothness and efficiency seen in homes and classrooms. Grain is retained and presents with a fine, subtle, complimentary finesse. The picture appears to be absent any serious encode issues and there are no source warts worth noting. This is a good, stout image overall and a solid upgrade from the Blu-ray in all areas of concern. A strong case could be made to grade the image at a 4.5, but next to other UHDs on the market a solid 4.0 seems more appropriate. Either way it's a very nice effort all around.

Hocus Pocus 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Rather than remix to Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, Disney has simply repurposed the existing, and perfectly capable, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. For a full audio review, please click here.

Hocus Pocus 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Hocus Pocus originally released to Blu-ray in 2012 without any supplemental content. The UHD disc proper contains no extras, either, but the bundled Blu-ray, which is identical to Disney's 25th Anniversary re-release from 2018, brings with it two supplements: a picture-in-picture all-encompassing feature and a vintage featurette. This release does include a fresh Movies Anywhere digital copy code. It also ships with an embossed slipcover.

• We ❤️ Hocus Pocus: Trivia and Treats Edition (1080p, 1:36:05): Per the description: "Play the movie with fun facts, trivia, concept art, storyboards, behind-the-scenes magic, and more!" This is basically a picture-in-picture track that includes extensive interviews, deleted scenes, artwork, and more. Boxes that measure around 1/6 the size of the screen and appear in the most unobtrusive position possible for any given shot they accompany. Text-based trivia often accompanies windowed storyboards or video clips. It's a nifty way to watch, and a supplement style Sony once ran with on popular titles.
• Original Production Featurette (480i, 4:38): This vintage piece takes a quick look at the story, cast, special effects, and more.

Hocus Pocus 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hocus Pocus' UHD delivers a quality viewing experience. The resolution and the HDR grading bring out the best the movie has to offer; it's just a question of how dark an experience one can tolerate. The carryover audio is fine but it's disappointing that Disney couldn't have found a few more extras to sweeten the pot. Fans will find this to be a very worthwhile upgrade, even if it's just limited to picture quality. Recommended, and collectors can look out for the SteelBook packaging variant.