Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Stand by Me 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 22, 2023

Sony has re-released Director Rob Reiner's 1986 classic 'Stand By Me' to the UHD format. The new UHD disc includes 2160p/Dolby Vision video (as opposed to the previous issue's HDR color grading), Dolby Atmos audio, and a collection of deleted and alternate scenes presented in 1080p. The bundled Blu-ray, which is identical to that which Sony released in 2011, carries over all of the legacy BD supplemental content.

The big news in the small town of Castle Rock, Oregon is of the disappearance of a young local named Ray Brower. Officials are stumped as to his whereabouts, and it's not clear whether he's dead or alive. A young boy, Vern Tessio (Jerry O'Connell), overhears his older brother speaking about the case; Vern's brother, it would seem, has come into a reliable and juicy bit of Brower information: the boy was apparently struck by a train and killed while picking berries outside of town. Vern hurriedly tells his three best friends: Teddy Duchamp (Corey Feldman), Chris Chambers (River Phoenix), and Gordie Lachance (Wil Wheaton). The quartet chooses to make a go of finding young Brower's body in hopes of becoming local heroes; they concoct a story that will satisfy their parents and set out on their journey. Of course it proves a bit more challenging than they anticipated, not in terms of physical exertion but instead the sudden onset of life realities, the kind of which they had never before experienced nor anticipated; theirs is a quest that will reveal what it means to be alive, even as they willfully seek out death.

For a full film review, please click here.

Stand by Me 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sony's previous UHD release was a stunner, but this new Dolby Vision-graded presentation amplifies even a great UHD to offer what is now the definitive presentation of the film. "Amplifies" and "definitive" are used here not in way that conveys a grand new scale for the film's appearance but rather a mildly fine-tuned experience, though both words do hold true.

First, the core textural elements appear nearly identical, if not fully identical. The image maintains a handsomely filmic appearance with perfectly defined cinematic textures. The text from the previous review suffices here: The 2160p resolution brings a new dimension to the movie's sharpness and textural presentation as well. Clarity of rocks along the tracks, period attire, grasses and weeds, rusty old odds and ends around the junkyard, everything finds a more agreeable, organic feel for tactical definition. Facial textures enjoy more agreeable clarity and visibility of various prosthetics, like Teddy's burned ear or a scar around the eye belonging to one of Ace's friends. There's a depth to the picture that's missing on the Blu-ray (particularly evident in long, expansive shots along the boys' journey), a natural, filmic sharpness that is accentuated by the added resolution. Grain is maintained for the duration, admittedly a bit dense and noisy at times but largely healthy and flattering to the production.

The Dolby Vision color grading offers a modest gain to color depth and accuracy, with modest being another key word. Blue skies are slightly bolder, natural greens a touch fuller, and white clothing a hair brighter. Blacks are slightly deeper and skin is mildly more lifelike, but the changes here are fairly miniscule all things considered. The previous issue's HDR grading remains excellent, and even if side-by-side comparisons do reveal some tweaks for the better for this issue, this Dolby Vision grading cannot be said to offer anything dramatic in terms of sweeping changes; this is a fine-tuning if it is anything. It looks absolutely marvelous, but it's not enough to entice buyers by itself to upgrade from the excellent HDR-only disc.

Stand by Me 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

This new UHD release of Stand By Me contains the same Dolby Atmos soundtrack from the previously issued UHD. See below for a reproduction of that review, for convenience:

Stand by Me features a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, which one might consider to be overkill for a film with few opportunities to sonically shine, but it's actually quite a nice and well-rounded complimentary presentation. The first notes of Jack Nitzsche's score, the theme arranged from the song from which the film derives its title, are wonderfully detailed and gently immersive, folding in rear and overhead usage in a tasteful manner that adds to the airy quality rather than overwhelming it. The track is without many opportunities for major stage expansion or detailed, low end effects. A train rumbles by in chapter four, the one Teddy is eager to dodge. There's not a feel of massive weight but there is good movement through the stage as it approaches, rushes by, and fades off to the right, an effect that is essentially recreated in chapter seven. There is not a mammoth subwoofer engagement here, but there's enough low end push to enhance the drama in both instances. The Atmos configuration helps to better define the various environmental effects -- singing birds, rustling leaves, crackling fires at night, light blowing winds as the boys cross the train track bridge in chapter seven -- that give a critical feel for the wooded environments through which the boys travel. There are few truly distinct overhead components but the added opportunity to expand the stage helps to subtly, gently draw the listener into the surrounding serenity. Dialogue is the sonic driver; it's true to its natural front-center position. Clarity and prioritization delver without flaw or failure.

Stand by Me 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Stand by Me's UHD disc includes several deleted and alternate scenes, the same as on the previous UHD issue. The bundled Blu-ray is identical to that which Sony released in 2011. Below is a listing of everything included on both discs. No new extras are included for this Dolby Vision/SteelBook UHD release. For full Blu-ray supplemental coverage, please click here. No digital copy code is included with purchase.

UHD:

• Deleted & Alternate Scenes (1080p): Included are End of Scene 6 'Through the Fence' (0:18), Scenes 8-12 'Boys Get Ready to Leave' (2:36), Scene 40 'Am I Weird?' (0:42), Scene 40 'Chris' Final Speech' (0:31), Scene 45 'Train Trestle' (1:25), Scene 49 'Smell Hit the Crowd' (0:11), Scene 94 'Goodbye Looks' (0:26), and Scene 98 'Ending' (0:47).

Blu-ray:

• 25 Years Later: A Picture-in-Picture Commentary Retrospective
• Audio Commentary
• Walking the Tracks: The Summer of Stand By Me
• Stand By Me Music Video
• Previews

Presently, this new UHD issue of Stand by Me only ships in collectible SteelBook packaging. The minimalist presentation is elegant and one of the nicest SteelBooks on the market. The front panel depicts a serene natural scene of a fading blue sky against silhouetted land formations with a river cutting through the middle, against which are the four children walking to find the body. The film's title appears in white top center, below several key cast names. The rear panel depicts a classic shot from the film, blue tinted to match the front, depicting the train hurtling towards Gordie and Vern. The spine is black with the film's title in white, center, with a white UltraHD logo at the top and a white Columbia logo at the bottom. The interior depicts the boys walking along the train tracks, four abreast. Colors are faded. The discs are staggered-stacked on the right-hand side.

Stand by Me 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Stand By Me stands as one of the giants of the 1980s, a quintessential coming-of-age classic that is also one of the rare examples of a film besting the source story, a particularly noteworthy accomplishment considering it comes from the mind and pen of Stephen King. Sony's new UHD is terrific, delivering stellar 2160p/Dolby Vision video, which improves upon the previous UHD (albeit by a marginal degree), and a quality Dolby Atmos soundtrack. The UHD disc includes a few deleted and alternate scenes on top of the carryover extras found on the bundled Blu-ray, which is identical to the 2011 disc. This new UHD release of Stand By Me earns my highest recommendation for new buyers of the film on the UHD format and for SteelBook collectors (this is one of my favorite designs of the year). However, those just looking to upgrade for the new video presentation won't find this to be worth the (at time of publication) hefty investment.