7.6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
A career bank robber breaks out of jail and shares a moment of mutual attraction with a U.S. Marshal he has kidnapped.
Starring: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Jim Robinson, Mike Malone (II), Steve ZahnCrime | 100% |
Heist | 86% |
Drama | 59% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Romance | Insignificant |
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)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Steven Soderbergh's "Out of Sight" (1998) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include vintage audio commentary recorded by Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter Scott Frank; archival documentary with cast and crew interviews; deleted and extended scenes; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
Kino Lorber's release of Out of Sight is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack.
Please note that all of the screencaptures that appear with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and are downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc, including the actual color values of this content.
BLU-RAY DISC
The new 4K master is very healthy and virtually spotless. However, it features a brand new color grade that makes various parts of the film look quite awkward. For example, the outdoor footage from the prison -- which is supposed to have a prominent yellowish tint -- blends yellow with cyan that alters the dynamic range of the visuals and even flattens them quite dramatically. As a result, it almost looks like someone was experimenting with daylight-to-nighttime or nighttime-to-daylight flashing that did not turn out right. (You can see examples in screencaptures #4, 15, 22, and 23). Residuals from this flashing can even be spotted during indoor footage where facial tones become very suspicious. (See screencapture #20). When the action moves to Detroit, where according to Steven Soderbergh the color temperature must become significantly colder, emphasizing nicely saturated blues, the cyan still lingers, and as a result some visuals continue to display dynamic range anomalies. While here the fluctuations are much smaller, the shifts that occur are still easily noticeable and are not quite in sync with the intended stylization Soderbergh describes. (If you view the archival documentary that is included on this release, you will find out exactly how Out of Sight should look). The end result is a new stylization on top of the original stylization, which means that the new makeover of the film does not replicate the original theatrical look of the film. I personally found it the overlapping very inconsistent, and in some areas clearly problematic. Delineation is typically very good. Depth fluctuates because of the anomalies in the dynamic range of the visuals. Image stability is excellent. There are absolutely no traces of problematic digital corrections. My score is 3.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
4K BLU-RAY DISC
I viewed the native 4K presentation of the new 4K makeover with Dolby Vision enabled. I also did some direct comparisons between the 1080p presentation -- which is made available on a separate Blu-ray release as well -- and the native 4K presentation.
The most obvious improvement in the move from 1080p to native 4K is the all-around tightening of the visuals. As far as I am concerned, density is now at or around reference levels. Clarity and sharpness can be pretty stunning as well. However, the unevenness in the dynamic range of different visuals is even easier to recognize too, and I am convinced that in some areas the balance simply isn't right. Indeed, it is pretty obvious that the new color grade destabilizes the native dynamic range of certain visuals/sequences and introduces flatness that was not present on the previous grade of the film. Yes, there is plenty of unique stylizations that is responsible for some minor dynamic shifts as well, but this is something entirely different. I think that much of the prominent yellow tint that Soderbergh addresses in the archival documentary that is included on this release isn't reproduced correctly on the new 4K master. I don't know why, but the cyan that sneaks in definitely has something to do with the imbalance. Now, Dolby Vision does expand the dynamic range of the problematic visuals, so a case can be made that they look slightly better in native 4K than they in 1080p, but it does the same elsewhere as well. For example, there is darker blue footage from Detroit where you can actually get a pretty good idea how the visuals from Miami should have looked as well. Again, even though there is a connection between the stylization and the dynamic range of the visuals, some of the flatness that begins to emerge is just not part of the stylistic contrasts that the Miami and Detroit footage produce. It is the new grade that is responsible for the alterations. The rest looks really good in native 4K. Fluidity is outstanding. During the robbery in Michigan, there are plenty of excellent darker nuances as well. All in all, I think that the new 4K makeover is a missed opportunity to deliver a definitive presentation of the Out of Sight on 4K Blu-ray. My score is 3.25/5.00. (Note: This is s Region-Free 4K Blu-ray release).
There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.
I started viewing the film with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, but in certain areas did some very quick tests with the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. (Because of the new color grade on the new 4K master, I viewed the film on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray). The former is very clearly superior because the film has plenty of action sequences where the 5.1 track noticeably expands the audio field. Dynamic intensity is very good as well. The dialog is clear, clean, and remains stable throughout the entire film.
4K BLU-RAY DISC
I took the time to view the new 4K makeover of Out of Sight in native 4K and 1080p, and then spent an extra day performing direct comparisons between the two presentations. I find the work that was done to bring the film to 4K Blu-ray pretty frustrating and ultimately disappointing. This 4K makeover is so healthy that the old Blu-ray release of Out of Sight now looks like it was produced during the early days of the DVD era. However, the new color grade that is introduced on the 4K makeover gives the film a brand new stylistic appearance. As a result, some parts of the film look very different, and in some parts I recognize fluctuations that simply do not look right to me. The new 4K makeover was apparently supervised and approved by cinematographer Elliot Davis, which is unfortunate because this most likely means that going forward the new stylistic appearance will be viewed and described as the correct one.
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