The Blues Brothers 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.5

The Blues Brothers 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Universal has released Director John Landis' classic 1980 film 'The Blues Brothers' to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/HDR video and DTS:X audio. No new supplements are included but the UHD houses most of it and the bundled Blu-ray, identical to that released in 2011, brings over all legacy content.

The Blues Brothers 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray Disc. Note that the extended cut scenes don't hold to the same quality.

From the very first exterior establishing shots of the prison, there's no mistaking that viewers are in for a treat: fine grain, sharp detail, and a true film-like experience. it's just exceptional, which defines the entirety of Universal's 2160p/HDR UHD presentation. Crude city details sparkle and often serve as the finest visual elements throughout the film. Look at a shot of an old alleyway, littered with debris, at the 10:30 mark. The clarity of the unshapely roadway, the bricks, and the trash is beyond reproach. The shot boasts perfect film-source quality, even along the high contrast areas where bright blue sky suddenly breaks up the depressed earthen tones filling most of the frame. And indeed it's often some of the more mundane shots that really leap off the screen. Look at a nighttime shot of a traffic light changing from green to yellow at the 25:17 mark, or colorfully neon exteriors of the Country-Western bar midway through the film. Not only are the fine details more crisp even in darkness but black level depth is significantly improved, as are the lights which are both more finely tuned and precise as well as much deeper and accurate. These are breathtaking, as is the majority of the picture. There are certainly some softer elements in play that seem to primarily center around extended cut footage, but the bulk exhibits perfect clarity, natural film source sharpness, and a level of clarity well beyond what the dated Blu-ray can offer. Look for countless examples of greatly improved facial definition on hairs and pores, environmental textures, and even the Blues black suits.

The HDR color presentation boasts the above mentioned black level depth that sells not only nighttime shots but also the larger palette. It's clean, contrast is always tuned to perfection, and primaries dazzle in daylight. The color timing is significantly more stable compared to the Blu-ray, finding far greater depth and accuracy. Look at the scene when Jake receives his confiscated items before leaving prison for an example of the more finely arranged color timing. See chapter eight, the red Nazi flags, for an example of the greatly improved accuracy and depth, which also serves as one of the finest examples of the UHD's crispness, clarity, and perfect film-quality accuracy. Despite those scattered softer shots and some occasional examples of imperfect color grading (again mostly stuck to the extended scenes), the movie absolutely thrives on this format. Fans are going to be head over heels for this one.

The Blues Brothers 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The DTS:X Master Audio soundtrack is an absolute delight. Music is exceptional and the unquestionable highlight, as it should be. The tune that plays when Jake and Elwood are reunited at film's start just sings. Instrumental detail is terrific, total fidelity is phenomenal, and the sense of balanced immersion and low end essentials can't be beat. The life and clarity hold for the duration. Spacial immersion inside the church in chapter three brings the lively notes and chanting crowds to life with a location richness and reality that breathes new life into the scene. The liveliness, the detail, the immersion, and the low end support are unreal. Ditto the diner rendition of Think in chapter nine. Overheads add complimentary support but don't engage discretely. Environmental details prove nicely engaging, too, across various city street exteriors, whether light pedestrian chatter and traffic or heavy, rumbling trains booming past Elwood's crummy motel room. Add perfect dialogue and the track might actually surpass the video for sheer excellence, which is really saying something.

The Blues Brothers 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The UHD disc includes two cuts of the film: Theatrical (2:12:48) and Extended (2:27:44). There are no new supplements with the UHD disc, but it does port over a few extras from the old Blu-ray, which is also included. See below for a breakdown of what's included and please click here for full coverage. This release ships with a Movies Anywhere digital copy code and an embossed slipcover.

• Stories Behind the Making of The Blues Brothers (UHD/BD, 1080p, 56:21).
• Transposing the Music (UHD/BD, 1080p, 15:18)
• Remembering John (UHD/BD, 1080p, 9:41)
• Theatrical Trailer (BD only, 480i, 4:25)

The Blues Brothers 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

What an experience! It's no surprise that this classic still holds up well today, but paired with practically perfect video and reference quality audio? It's The Blues Brothers like it was always meant to be. A shame no new extras are included, but the picture and sound quality, and of course the movie, are well worth the price of admission. Very highly recommended.