Rudy 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

Rudy 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Sony has released the magnificent 1993 inspirational sports film 'Rudy,' starring Sean Astin and directed by David Anspaugh, to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/Dolby Vision video and Dolby Atmos audio. Additionally, this release includes two cuts of the film, whereas the 2008 Blu-ray included only the theatrical cut. That Blu-ray disc is included with purchase. The UHD disc also includes new extras, including a commentary track tied to the director's cut.

Rudy 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Wow! Sony releases Rudy to the UHD format with a stunning new 2160p/Dolby Vision UHD presentation that puts any thought of the old transfer being "about as good as we'll ever see the film" to rest (I wonder who said that?). This new presentation is the product of a faithful filmic presentation that looks striking in every shot, offering audiences a perfectly healthy and wonderfully realized film-like image that maintains a nicely pronounced and evenly distributed grain structure. Included are naturally sharp textures across the board, which range from the usual facial and clothing wonders to the complexities inside a factory, the beautiful appointments in school offices, Holy Cross classrooms, and roughhewn textures in locker rooms. The image really thrives on the football field where every blade of grass is precisely defined and ultra sharp, and even the brickwork and cracked pavement around the field of play are tangible precise. This is an absolute textural delight.

Not to be outdone are the Dolby Vision colors. This is a sparkling new presentation of the film that finds a dramatic uptick in tonal accuracy and boldness. The green grasses on football fields, especially the well-manicured turf at Notre Dame, sparkle with a richness and accuracy that far exceeds the old Blu-ray even at its best. Various period clothes are wonderfully bold and accurate, fires in the plant are vivid, skin tones are healthy and full, black levels are perfect, and whites are brilliant. It's a small matter but look at a book Rudy is holding at the 39:12 mark (director's cut). It's a black cover with white lettering that might be insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but its accuracy and perfect contrast are a delight. Consider also the absence of any encode issue and print issues, and this is a wonderful presentation that every fan must have in their film and UHD collections.

Rudy 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The new Dolby Atmos track accompanying Rudy offers a rock-solid listen that amplifies the parts that benefit from amplification and offers good, clear, settled elements for dialogue and mild atmosphere. The Atmos track springs to life with some tangible full stage extension in various moments, such as at a plant at the 20-minute mark where sounds of work being done envelop the stage, and an alarm blaring moments later seems to emanate with a very real sense of place and space. The explosion to follow acks a healthy wallop. For a film that is often dialogue heavy, those elements really pierce and penetrate the listening area with wonderful impact. Additionally, blaring band music, crowd din, and hard hits on the field effortlessly pull listeners into gameday with not always discrete, but certainly well utilized, overhead content. The core elements are faithfully presented, especially Goldsmith's stellar score, which is rich and nicely defined with well capable spacing and wonderful fidelity. Bold atmospherics pull the listener nicely into school hallways and other moderately sonic intensive locations. Dialogue is clear and well prioritized and plays from a grounded front-center location.

Rudy 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Sony releases Rudy to the UHD format with all of the legacy extras from the 2011 Blu-ray, only on the Blu-ray disc, as well as additional new extras on the UHD, including a new commentary track and new deleted scenes. Note that the UHD disc includes two versions of the film; Theatrical (1:54:00) and Director's (2:017:18). At time of writing this UHD only ships exclusively in SteelBook packaging. The front panel offers a dreamlike quality as Rudy stands on the Nore Dame field, in coat and tie with his duffel bag at his side, dreaming of his future. The sun pierces through clouds at the top, offering an amber glow. The film's title appears in large white letters top center. On the back is a triumphant Rudy propped on the shoulders of his teammates, a shot from the film's climax. The spine is black with the film's title in gold, center. A white UltraHD logo appears at the top and a white Tri-Star logo at the bottom. Inside, the digital copy code is tucked underneath the left-hand-side tabs. The two discs, one UHD and one Blu-ray, are situated on the right in staggered-stacked formation. The inner print is a two-panel spread that features Rudy in a Notre Dame football uniform jogging on the field on the left. A blurred crowd fills both panel backgrounds.

UHD:

• NEW! Audio Commentary: Director David Anspaugh and Writer Angelo Pizzo reflect on the film in this new commentary. It is very heavy on anecdotal comments but also offers insight into technical details, cast and performances, Goldsmith's legendary score, and more.
• NEW! Deleted Scenes (1080p, 3:14 total runtime): Additional scenes beyond those included on the Blu-ray. Included are Spaghetti, Game's On, Stadium (no audio), This Story, and Train Tracks.
• Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 1:59).

• Rudy: The Real Story
• Production Featurette
• First Down with Sean Astin
• Previews

Rudy 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Sony's new UHD release of Rudy puts the old Blu-ray to shame. This is a magnificent presentation from start to finish. The new 2160p/Dolby Vision video is a thing of beauty. The Atmos track is effective, the new director's cut is most welcome, and the new extras are a delightful addition, especially the commentary. The SteelBook packaging is wonderful, too, and this release earns my highest recommendation.