Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Pretty in Pink 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Paramount has released the cultural icon 80s film 'Pretty in Pink,' directed by Howard Deutch, written by John Hughes, and starring Molly Ringwald, Kevin MCcarthy, David Spade, and Jon Cryer, to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/Dolby Vision video. No new primary audio track is included, and Paramount has added no new extras onto the UHD disc. A Blu-ray is included, and it is simply a repurposing of the 2020 'Paramount Presents' issue. In other words, this is a fairly standard UHD catalogue issue from Paramount.

Pretty in Pink 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from the UHD disc output at 1080p. They are not representative of the UHD/Dolby Vision image you will see on your screen.

It took a good long while -- 2020 -- for Pretty in Pink to finally make its way to Blu-ray. That's a surprisingly long wait for a movie of this stature, but at least the wait was worth it. The release was one of the earliest entries in the prestigious 'Paramount Presents' line. It included a 1080p transfer sourced from a 4K remaster, and a new retrospective with Director Howard Deutch. Fortunately, fans have not had to wait far too long for a UHD, with this 2160p/Dolby Vision presentation releasing just less than five years later. How does it stack up to what was (and still is!) a rather impressive Blu-ray?

The good news is that the UHD shows fine improvements over the Blu-ray. I have little doubt that this UHD is sourced from the same master used for the 2020 Blu-ray. There are obvious similarities between the two, but of course the UHD amplifies the image's attributes by a fair margin. For starters, the 2160p resolution offers a nice boost in definition and clarity in every frame. Taken at face value, apart from comparisons, the image yields a pleasing, efficient, satisfyingly film-like image. Grain retention is consistent, with a very fine grain lingering throughout the entire picture without any obvious encode issues interfering, and no tangible feel for smoothing out the field, either. Detail is crisp and revealing, especially period clothes and odds and ends in classrooms, bedrooms, and other deeply detailed and texturally intricate environments and the elements within them. Look at the lacy bedding in Andie's room at the 30-minute mark where Duckie is debating whether he should tell Andie that he loves her. This is a great example of the image's filmic finesse and overall quality. A cutaway shot of the dog in this scene also looks wonderful for the natural fur and fine facial details. In comparison to the Blu-ray, well, there is no comparison. The grain has a healthier, somewhat more natural look on the UHD, with fewer compression issues on display (albeit those issues being minor on the BD). Details are firmer, textures are sharper, and the image looks very natural, whereas the Blu-ray has an artificially sharp edge about it.

The image also features Dolby Vision color grading. The differences are very obvious on an immediate A-B comparison. The Blu-ray looks a little gaudy and bright whereas the UHD looks a little darker, but not sacrificing tonal vividness. Colors are richer and fuller here, toning down brightness while amplifying natural tones and highlights. Andie's red hair is an obvious point of interest. It's richer and more lifelike on the UHD where the Blu-ray can push it a little orange. Various clothing colors and hues around Andie's room, for instance, find more natural expression on the UHD as well. The UHD may not "amplify" colors, but it does bring them to a place of accuracy that the Blu-ray cannot quite achieve. Black level depth is terrific here and white balance is plainly superior, the latter in particular really evident on various undershirts and clothing accents seen throughout the film.

Pretty in Pink 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For this UHD release of Pretty in Pink, Paramount has simply repurposed the 2020 Blu-ray's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack instead of releasing the film with a new Dolby Atmos soundtrack; this is pretty much par the for course for Paramount, with a few exceptions (Galaxy Quest immediately comes to mind as one of those exceptions). For a full audio review, please click here.

Pretty in Pink 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Paramount releases Pretty in Pink to the UHD format with no extras on the UHD disc. All of the bonus features are included on the Blu-ray, which as noted above is identical to the 2020 'Paramount Presents' issue. See below for a bulleted listing of what's included, and please click here for full coverage. This release includes a fresh digital copy code and a non-embossed slipcover.

• Filmmaker Focus: Pretty in Pink
• The Lost Dance: The Original Ending
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• Isolated Score Track

Pretty in Pink 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Paramount's UHD release of Pretty in Pink may be what passes for "bare bones" these days, with the only thing here that's been upgraded being the visuals, but that's enough to make this 80s icon a worthy upgrade for any serious film library. The picture may not quite reach the level of "sublime" that the best catalogue releases achieve, but it's a very nice looking UHD that delivers a high quality cinema experience at home, upgraded in terms of texture, grain, and color compared to a Blu-ray that is by no means feeble but that is certainly not quite up to the level of excellence found on this UHD. The stagnation on the audio side of things is fine, especially given the high quality of the included 5.1 track. It would have been nice for Paramount to squeeze in a few more extras somehow, some way, or at least bring over the isolated score track to the UHD. Still, this is well worth owning and comes highly recommended.