Sixteen Candles Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Sixteen Candles Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Randy Miller III May 12, 2019

John Hughes' landmark teen comedy Sixteen Candles (1984) is slowly approaching middle age, and Universal celebrates with a 35th Anniversary Limited Edition release of the film with attractive Digibook packaging. This is a wide release, not a store exclusive, and though readily available at most brick-and-mortar and online outlets as of this writing, will only be available for a short time. Unfortunately, the disc inside is identical to the previous 2012 Blu-ray edition (right down to the copyright) and includes a Movies Anywhere digital code but omits the DVD copy. Still, this is a very nice keepsake that packaging junkies should enjoy, especially if they don't own the film on Blu-ray yet.

The late Hughes never directed a film he didn't also write; that only encompasses nine productions in all, but this remarkably consistent group was released during a period of seven years and includes some of the decade's most iconic comedies: The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, the underrated Uncle Buck, and more. (Hell, even Curly Sue is decent....and it even features the first on-screen role for some guy named Steve Carell.) First-time director Hughes, who also wrote the film, already had several excellent screenplays to his name (including National Lampoon's Vacation and Mr. Mom) but Sixteen Candles, much like the bulk of his work behind the camera, is on another level entirely. Featuring wonderful performances, iconic quotes, and a truly memorable soundtrack, it's obvious that Sixteen Candles was crafted with a lot of love and care.

To read my colleague Brian Orndorf's take on the film, please refer to his review of Universal's 2012 Blu-ray edition, which includes a more in-depth overview of the plot, A/V presentation, and extras. Please note that I've kept the disc ratings the same on this review because both discs are identical. (I'd probably score them a quite a bit lower if this was a brand-new disc, but only because technical expectations have increased during the last seven years.)

Sixteen Candles Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For an evaluation of the video presentation, please refer to the 2012 Blu-ray review.

Sixteen Candles Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For an evaluation of the audio presentation, please refer to the 2012 Blu-ray review.

Sixteen Candles Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Unlike the 2012 release, this 35th Anniversary Limited Edition is given a rather nice Digibook packaging treatment that features an eye-catching 1980s magazine aesthetic. All on-disc bonus content, on the other hand, remains exactly the same and is far from comprehensive. For a full description of the extras, please refer to the 2012 Blu-ray review.

• Digibook Packaging - This includes a short but sweet 24-page booklet with brief write-ups about several aspects of the film's production and lasting influence including "The Legacy of Sixteen Candles", "The Music" , separate features on key cast and crew members, film trivia, quotes, production photos, and then-current events and factoids from "The Year 1984". The disc itself sits on a plastic tray -- not a sleeve, thank goodness -- and the total package is marginally thinner than a standard Blu-ray keepcase. A few more pages (or an overlapping disc tray with a DVD copy) wouldn't have hurt, but this checks most of the boxes for what I love about Digibook packaging: durability, attractiveness, and a slightly glossy finish that doesn't show a lot of fingerprints.

Sixteen Candles Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

John Hughes' Sixteen Candles is a landmark teen comedy that is firmly stuck in 1984 but can still be enjoyed by teenagers and adults alike. It's got great performances, solid direction, a memorable soundtrack, and a lot of heart; almost all of these strengths are continued in Hughes' later 1980s hits, but this was his first. Universal's 35th Anniversary Limited Edition, sadly, is little more than a repackaging job...but hey, at least the packaging is nice. Still, Sixteen Candles is long overdue for a proper upgrade, as this Blu-ray's A/V presentation and bonus features were already starting to show their age in 2012. Packaging junkies and new fans may want to indulge, but everyone else should probably hold off for a real Blu-ray upgrade or future 4K edition. How about it, Criterion?