7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
With their father away fighting in the Civil War, Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy grow up with their mother in somewhat reduced circumstances. They are a close family who inevitably have their squabbles and tragedies. But the bond holds even when, later, men friends start to become a part of the household.
Starring: Winona Ryder, Gabriel Byrne, Trini Alvarado, Samantha Mathis, Kirsten DunstRomance | 100% |
Family | 87% |
Coming of age | 15% |
Period | 4% |
Drama | 2% |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0 (192 kbps)
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (192 kbps)
English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 0.0 | |
Audio | 2.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Gillian Armstrong's mid-90s adaptation of Little Women is a (mostly) faithful take on Louisa May Alcott's seemingly timeless 19th century tale of familial love and heartache, set against the backdrop of the Civil War. Far from the frontlines, the author's indelible girls come of age facing the very real turmoil of death, illness, pain and loss, yet cling to one another to survive, thrive and, most importantly, dream, calling upon the most quintessential qualities of family to weather the storms that rage all around. To her credit, Armstrong captures it all with deftly sweet, often sad, but never saccharine glimpses into the young women's lives, matching her obvious fondness for the material with an exceptional cast, excellent performances, and the makings of a clear '90s classic and all too watchable (and re-watchable) film that will continue to win over audiences for decades to come.
Sony's 2160p native-sourced 4K video transfer can appear a touch too dark at times, but viewed in a properly dark home theater, particularly one with a precisely calibrated display, reveals one of the more striking and utterly filmic catalog presentations I've had the pleasure to review. Brightness and contrast are sometimes increased to satisfy modern audiences, but Little Women comes oh so close to appearing as if it's being projected on a screen at a local cineplex. Grain is consistently well-resolved and unobtrusive, Geoffrey Simpson's muted palette is given room to celebrate everything from mundane mahoganied hues to lush forest greens, skintones are lovely and perfectly saturated, and warmly lit interiors look natural and exude the beauty of hearth and home by fire and candlelight. Detail distinguishes itself as well, even going so far as to soundly best the already impressive 2016 and 2020 Blu-ray presentations (the former of which was sadly released on a 25GB BD-R disc at the time). Edges are clean and nicely defined, not to mention free of any halos or artificial nonsense. Fine textures are crisp and exacting, and blessed with a notable clarity when the sun is out. Black levels do introduce a bit of crush into the transfer, although it appears to be entirely optical rather than a shortcoming in the remaster or resulting encode. There also isn't any other issue to breathe word of, including blocking or banding, which are non-existent here. If anything, HDR addicts may wrongfully bemoan a lack of sizeable punch-up in color. Improvements are in play, whether all that obvious or not, but more notable boosts would begin to rob the image of its strong ties to the original negative and film, which isn't a gaudy affair by any means. All told, I can't imagine Anderson's adaptation of Little Women looking any better than it does here. Fans and newcomers alike should be more than pleased with the final product.
Oh dear. Unfortunately, Sony's disc is victim to an egregious error in regards to its DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. Both the front left and front right channels are completely dead; no sound emits from either one. Elsewhere, the rear speakers are active, but too much so. A quick trip to our ever-diligent forum reveals this is a widespread problem as well, with several members having already spent Thanksgiving messaging Sony in hopes of a replacement program. For now, the only fix appears to be going with the disc's lossless DTS-HD MA stereo track, which is solid enough to at least allow one to enjoy the video presentation... if you're willing to settle in the immediate in hopes of an eventual disc-replacement program. I suspect someone in the studio's quality control department is going to have a chilly Christmas this year.
All of the content from the 2016 and 2020 Blu-rays have been ported to Sony's new 4K release. Extras include:
Fans may continue to bicker over which adaptation is superior, Anderson's 1994 classic or Greta Gerwig's more recent film (I lean towards the latter), but there's no denying the beauty and allure of the story, characters, performances and writing of this version. Ryder leads a wonderful cast, each of whom lends wonderful heart and authenticity to the March family. Sony's 4K release would be excellent too, were it not for a terrible quality control oversight that has rendered the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track unlistenable. Hopefully a disc replacement program is coming soon. For now, buyer beware. The film's video presentation is terrific and can still be enjoyed if you're willing to go with the release's stereo track, but that requires a really big concession for a problem that's difficult to overlook and one that should have been caught very early in production.
2005
1987
1949
2008
1991
2002
1991
2005
55th Anniversary Edition
1960
1994
1995
Ultimate Collector's Edition
2004
1995
Deluxe Remastered Edition
1974-1975
2008
BD is Bonus Features
1964
1991
2007
2016
1944