Stripes 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Stripes 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Sony has released the fan-favorite 1981 Bill Murray Comedy 'Stripes' to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/HDR video and Dolby Atmos audio. Several new supplements have been included alongside returning extras. The UHD and Blu-ray alike include two cuts of the film: Theatrical and Extended. At time of writing, this disc is only available as part of the second volume in Sony's prestigious six-film 'Columbia Classics Collection' (Volume 1 released to rave reviews in June 2020). Other films in volume 2 include 'Oliver!,' 'Taxi Driver,' 'Anatomy of a Murder,' 'Sense and Sensibility,' and 'The Social Network.' This film has been released twice before to Blu-ray: once in 2012 (Extended Cut only) and again in 2016 (Theatrical Cut only). Note that the Blu-ray has also been remastered.

Stripes 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from the remastered Blu-ray disc.

First, a couple of very quick words on the remastered Blu-ray: it's a very nice presentation that doesn't hold a candle to the UHD. However, as a remastered upgrade over the existing product, it's a revelation: superior color grading, tighter detail, a more organic grain structure, overall a much more impressively filmic look. Note that the Blu-ray and the UHD both see the opening titles changed from white (the original Blu-ray) to pink (also the same color on the TV version).

What a difference a format makes. Stripes has been given new life on UHD with Sony's resplendent 2160p/HDR UHD presentation. The picture appears fully faithful to the original film elements. Grain is beautifully rendered. It's more obvious than it is on the Blu-ray, a bit denser and more pronounced but very organic and film-format faithful. It's the perfect starting point for what is a gem of a UHD presentation of a catalogue favorite. Textures could not be sharper. Whether in dense city environments, military base exteriors or the barracks, there's no shortage of high yield detail delights to be found, all far sharper than anything even the remastered Blu-ray can offer. Viewers will love the complexity and intimacy with which faces are revealed; even the new Blu-ray falls well short of this level of exacting detail to reveal pores, wrinkles, and hairs with surgical precision. The original film elements absolutely thrive on UHD.

The HDR color gamut is a boon for the film, too. Colors are significantly richer throughout the film. The image is brighter, too, without sacrificing low light integrity or oversaturating daytime exteriors. A beautiful natural balance is at work throughout the film. Winger's yellow cab is a standout in the early going while blue skies dazzle at the top of the frame in so many scenes and green army fatigues look straight off the rack in real life at the Army surplus store. Whites are punchier and more alive, black levels are perfectly deep and dark without crushing out low light and shadow detail, and skin tones are natural in a way the Blu-ray cannot touch. Add the absence of print wear and encode faults and there's no fault to be found with Stripes on the UHD format. This is a stunner!

Stripes 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Stripes arrives on the UHD format with a brand-new Dolby Atmos encoded soundtrack. The movie is rich with opportunity to make the most of this configuration and the speakers included in it. While the sound design is not altered, the sense of authentic immersion and perfect fidelity are certainly new to the track. Elmer Bernstein's score is, certainly, the unequivocal highlight here; the buoyant military march theme is a delight as it flows with effortless stage fill and total speaker engagement. The left and right main speakers do most of the heavy lifting, but the perfectly balanced surround content and perfectly defined subwoofer support all work to make this the most faithful presentation ever heard for the home. Additional musical examples are terrific as well, including bass-heavy beats inside a club halfway through the film. There's a bit of muddiness in play, but the sense of perfectly defined atmosphere and location accuracy are second to none. There is some good dynamic audio detail and placement at work. Listen to city din at the beginning and various honking horns and a wreck off to the back side when Winger quits his cab driving job. In the moments to follow, a school bell rings with a prominent back/overhead localization component. Various background sounds at camp, including choppers overhead, men exercising in unison somewhere off in the distance, and the like help create a fully realized base environment. The track offers some seriously good depth as well, including tanks and other heavy vehicles lumbering about, mortar shell explosions heard during a training session partway through, and of course all of the action effects that comprise an action sequence playing out towards film's end. The track integrates the new surround-back and overhead layers very well: discrete usage is irregular but well constructed when implemented and overall clarity and placement are perfect. Dialogue is clear and front-center focused for the duration. Stripes has never sounded better!

Note that the Blu-ray only includes DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless audio; no Atmos track is included.

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

Both discs include two cuts for Stripes: Theatrical (1:46:08) and Extended (2:02:55). New and returning extras are scattered across both discs. See below for reviews of new content, a listing of all content, and please click here for coverage of the carryover content. As it ships in the Columbia Classics Collection, a slipcover and digital copy code are included with purchase.

UHD:

• NEW! 40 Years of Stripes With Bill & Ivan: That's The Fact, Jack! (1080p, 20:30): Murray and Reitman, along with Cinematographer Bill Butler, look back at four decades with the film: its place in their careers, memories from the shoot, the cast, and more.
• NEW! 40 Years of Stripes with Bill & Ivan: Lighten Up, Francis (1080p, 24:18): Part two of the above supplement.
• NEW! Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 3:01).

• Stars and Stripes - Part One (1080i, 28:14): Note that this was a single 55-minute extras on the 2012 disc.
• Stars and Stripes - Part Two (1080i, 27:29): Again, this was part of a single supplement on the 2012 disc.
• NEW! Deleted & Extended Scenes (1080i, 29:10 total runtime): Included are John's Apartment: Part 1, John's Apartment: Part 2, Recruitment Office, Aptitude Test, Bus Depot, Basic Training, Run and Shoot, Grenade, Financial Office, Montage & South America, Stillman's Office, Entering Club, You Two Volunteer, The Chateau, Platoon in Trouble, Toast in RV, and Rewarded After Rescue.
• Audio Commentary: Director Ivan Reitman and Writer/Producer Dan Goldberg.
• NEW! 1983 TV Version of Stripes (1080i, 4x3, DD 2.0, 1:43:58): The edited for television cut.

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

Stripes is a classic 80s Comedy made in a way that they sadly don't make anymore; there's just not the same level of talent on either side of the camera these days, but fans can revisit this classic now anytime looking as pristine as the day it released and, frankly, probably better now four decades after the fact. The UHD has been fine-tuned, visually and aurally alike, and the blend of new and returning supplements make this another must own from the hugely impressive second volume of the Columbia Classics Collection. Stripes on the UHD format earns my highest recommendation.