Scream 2 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Scream 2 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman October 1, 2022

Paramount has released the hit 1997 Horror sequel film 'Scream 2' to the UHD format, following on the heels of the studio's October 2021 UHD release of the original 'Scream' on the same format. New specifications include 2160p/Dolby Vision video. No new audio track and no new supplements are included. The included Blu-ray is identical to the Lionsgate disc released in 2011; it still includes promos with the Lionsgate website and Lionsgate-specific legalese.

For a full film review, please see Jeffrey Kauffman's writing accompanying the 2011 Lionsgate Blu-ray release by clicking here.

Scream 2 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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

To call this a vast improvement over the 2011 Blu-ray would be a gross understatement. Paramount's new 2160p/Dolby Vision UHD release is stellar, offering a practically perfect filmic appearance that boasts a very fine grain structure, unlike the previous Blu-ray which was defined by a morass of digital processing artifacts and residue. Here, the picture is faithful to its cinematic roots. The grain is even and consistent and details are naturally occurring rather than artificially sharped and actually made to look worse. At this resolution, and with this master, the image capably reveals exact textures and fine point details inherent to the original material; faces, clothes, buildings and natural elements around campus, as well as odds and ends inside homes, all push to the maximum capability of the natural film source. Viewers will literally be able to pause and count pores, freckles, and hairs and identify individual blades of grass, unique wooden textures, imperfections on clothes and bricks, and so on and so forth. It looks great all around.

The Dolby Vision color grading brings new life to the image with a natural and eye-catching color grading which is far more exact, nuanced, and bold compared to the overengineered Blu-ray. Hair colors dazzle, natural greens leap off the screen, and all variety of colors are solidly grounded in reality. This means a dramatic step up from the Blu-ray, where colors are vivid but lifeless, where they are bold but lacking nuance. There is an artificiality to the old Blu-ray palette, but here, the colors breathe in natural beauty and firm command of tonal accuracy. More than that, the extremes are handled very well, too. Whites dazzle with newfound brilliance and blacks delight with extraordinarily deep and pure stability. Flesh tones look perfectly natural as well.

Additionally, extensive clean-up work has been performed as well to all but eliminate the troubling pops and speckles that infiltrated the 2011 Blu-ray. There are no other source or encode issues to report. This is an A-grade catalogue UHD release from Paramount. Fans are going to be beyond thrilled, and there are few UHDs that prove so drastically better than their Blu-ray counterparts as this. Sadly, that speaks to the bad state in which the original Blu-ray exists, but it should also speak to the overall excellence on display here.

Scream 2 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For this UHD release of Scream 2, Paramount has simply repurposed the existing, and still very good, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack from the 2011 Blu-ray which capably captures the amped up sound effects inherent to the film's original audio engineering. For a full audio review, please click here.

Scream 2 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This UHD release of Scream 2 contains no new extras. The bundled Blu-ray, which is identical to Lionsgate's 2011 issue, houses all of the legacy extras. See below for a list of what's included and please click here for full coverage. A digital copy code is included with purchase.

• Audio Commentary: Director Wes Craven, Producer Marianne Maddalena, and Editor Patrick Lussier. Note that this commentary track is also included on the UHD disc.
• Deleted Scenes
• Outtakes
• Featurette
• Music Videos
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spots

Scream 2 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Scream 2 is not as good as the original -- few sequels ever are -- but this sequel to the Blu-ray for Scream 2 blows the original out of the water. Few UHDs are as transformational as this one. Part of the reason is that the old Blu-ray was not in the best of condition, clearly sourced from a master prepared for some long-ago DVD release, but here the film enjoys a proper resurrection with stellar 2160p/Doby Vision video that captures the look and feel of the natural film elements with grace and dignity. No new audio track is included, but the very active 90s mix as it is presented in the 5.1 lossless configuration is just fine. No new extras are included, either, but the legacy material is fine. Recommended, and packaging collectors will want to splurge on the attractive SteelBook packaging alternative.