Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Paramount has released Director Tim Burton's 2007 film 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,' to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/Dolby Vision video and Dolby Atmos audio. At time of writing, the disc is exclusive to Paramount's first volume of its new Paramount Scares collection. A Blu-ray disc is included, and it is identical to the very old VC-1 Blu-ray release.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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

There is no mistaking that there's a gargantuan upgrade here compared to the very old and very dated VC-1 Blu-ray. The opening credits alone are a testament to how the 2160p/Dolby Vision image greatly improves upon things, especially in the color arena: black level depth is wonderfully true and absorbing, whites are brilliant beyond the Blu-ray, and red blood is much more vibrant. The film itself is typically Burton-noir, made of varying shades of blue and gray, as well as black, so the Dolby Vision's main job here is low light clarity, black level depth, and low light stability. The image offers ridiculously impressive dynamics within the core limited range, making the most of both deep shadow and various lighting sources to amplify the, at times, almost grayscale-like appearance. Skin tones are at the mercy of lighting; whether they appear ghostly pale or well-lit and much fuller (there's a stark contrast just in the first six minutes alone), the Dolby Vision grading always appears to present skin at just the right setting. Of course, there are fuller colors here -- vivid clothes and various examples of more flush areas that that veer away from the extreme noir saturation -- and these are handled beautifully as well. The image thrives under any lighting and tonal circumstance, a testament to Dolby Vision's uncompromising excellence in bringing the best out of every color challenge.

Not to be outdone is the exemplary filmic appearance. Here, the UHD absolutely destroys the old Blu-ray for filmic elegance and textural exactness. Grain is healthy and organic. The picture could not look more cinematic if it tried. The high resolution allows audiences to see the extreme makeup and clothing elements with very impressive ease, certainly well beyond the Blu-ray's limited capabilities. Every corner is completely sharp, and the UHD offers a treasure trove of textural excellence to absorb in every shot. Burton's movie is very visually dense, and even in low light, drained color, and so forth, the UHD delivers the textures to a level of extreme clarity and natural film sharpness that has never been seen at home. Add the absolute absence of print wear and compression issues and Sweeney Todd stands as a stalwart of the UHD format. It's one of the best looking movies out there.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Rather than remix for Dolby Atmos, Paramount has returned the old Blu-ray's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack for this release. It's older, but it's still excellent. For a full review, please click here.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

As part of the Paramount Scares collection, this UHD release of Sweeney Todd contains no bonuses. Below are all the extras on the original Blu-ray, which is also included here. Please click here for full supplemental coverage. This release ships with a digital copy code and a non-embossed slipcover.

• Burton+Depp+Carter=Sweeney Todd
• Sweeney Todd Press Conference, November 2007
• Sweeney Todd Is Alive: The Real History of the Demon Barber
• Musical Mayhem: Sondheim's Sweeney Todd
• Sweeney's London
• The Making of Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
• Grand Guignol: A Theatrical Tradition
• Designs for a Demon Barber
• A Bloody Business
• Moviefone Unscripted with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp
• The Razor's Refrain
• Photo Gallery
• Theatrical Trailer

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

What a treat! Love the movie or not, Sweeney Todd looks incredible on the UHD format. The film is worth watching simply to revel in the eye candy on the screen. This one is pristine and it comes highly recommended.