The Maltese Falcon 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

The Maltese Falcon 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

The stuff that dreams are made of.

Part of a surprise April flurry of catalog releases that also includes Stuart Rosenberg's Cool Hand Luke and Nicholas Ray's Rebel Without a Cause, John Huston's film noir classic The Maltese Falcon finally debuts on 4K UHD courtesy of Warner Bros., despite the fact that it isn't celebrating an anniversary ending with a "0" or "5". This new restoration replaces the one seen on WB's 13 year-old Blu-ray (despite that much older disc being included in this combo pack, unfortunately), and it's an outstanding effort that truly makes The Maltese Falcon sparkle like new.

The Maltese Falcon 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

NOTE: This review's screenshots are sourced from the included Blu-ray, which is identical to WB's 2010 release.

Although I'd normally lament the lack of a new Blu-ray to match WB's stunning 4K restoration, the silver lining in that cloud is that it's even easier to see so many tangible improvements on the superior format -- I hadn't popped in WB's VC-1 encoded Blu-ray in years and immediately noticed the visual differences.

From its moody opening moments onward, Warner Bros.' new 4K restoration of The Maltese Falcon is a sight to behold; one that leaves a very strong first impression but also stands up to scrutiny from almost every angle. Far and away, the biggest upgrade here is in the area of mid-ranges and shadow detail; while the old Blu-ray invariably favored harsher tones and, in some cases, clearly boosted contrast levels, the UHD disc reveals a much more silvery and finely-detailed picture, one where many "new" background elements and small details can more easily be picked out. Textures are also granted new life, especially in tight close-ups, costumes, and elements of the production design. Black levels remain consistently deep with no perceivable crush or posterization, while the tasteful HDR10 enhancement revitalizes light sources and background signage without compromising any of its darker sections. Film grain is also very finely resolved but consistently present, never intruding but staying to to its nitrate roots. Disc encoding is very good as well; while not quite perfect (see below) there are no flagrant issues to report, and in any case the situation is far better than Warner Bros.' much less efficient VC-1 encoding on the Blu-ray. From scene to scene, The Maltese Falcon's new 2160p transfer proves itself consistently up to the challenge of presenting this film in a near-definitive presentation.

So, why not a perfect score? Trace compression artifacts could be picked out at certain moments, most particularly in some of the deeper grays and even at the higher end. These are few and far between, though, and likely may not even be noticed by anyone actively looking for them or poring over still images. Additionally, a couple of the darkest scenes showed brief amounts of flicker; again, this isn't necessarily a cause for concern. (Some baked-in issues remain, such as the shaky camera movement during The Maltese Falcon's opening San Francisco montage, but these have always been part of the viewing experience.) Overall, I'm extremely happy with the film's appearance on 4K, although again it's disappointing that a newly-remastered Blu-ray isn't included to bridge the gap for those who haven't moved on to UHD yet. On the incredibly rare occasions that the studio has bothered to upgrade the Blu-ray in a new combo pack, they're been very much appreciated and likely led to stronger sales among non-4K adopters.

The Maltese Falcon 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Likewise, the DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix is a split two-channel mono presentation that similarly advances on the older Blu-ray's lossless track due to the benefits of its new restoration. Jeffrey Kauffman's comments about The Maltese Falcon's overall sonic aesthetic (seen in the linked review here) still apply here, and the short version is that the old Blu-ray's already-solid mix has been slightly refreshed and tightened, with much of the persistent hiss either reduced or eliminated. Dialogue remains crystal clear -- even Bogart's unmistakably gauzy vocal tones -- with suitable balance levels and more than enough room left over for Adolph Deutsch's original score. It's a fine effort overall and, similar to the excellent video presentation, there's really not all that much room for improvement here.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature and all applicable extras.

The Maltese Falcon 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This two-disc release ships in a dual-hubbed keepcase with attractive cover art, a handsome matching slipcover, and a Digital Copy redemption code tucked inside. Since the included Blu-ray is identical to WB's 2010 release, please see the linked review for more details. (One extra is thoughtfully included on both discs, as seen below.)

4K DISC

• Audio Commentary by Bogart biographer Eric Lax

BLU-RAY DISC

• Audio Commentary by Bogart biographer Eric Lax

• The Maltese Falcon: One Magnificent Bird (32:05)

• Breakdowns of 1941 (12:53)

• Makeup Tests (1:16)

• Becoming Attractions: The Trailers of Humphrey Bogart (44:45)

• Warner Night at the Movies (38:14)

• Radio Show Adaptations (3 clips)

The Maltese Falcon 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Led by one of Humphrey Bogart's most iconic roles, John Huston's film noir classic The Maltese Falcon still holds up more than 80 years after its theatrical release. It's at or near the top of most genre lists, with a true "total package" weight that has all but cemented its legacy for decades to come. Warner Bros.' long-overdue 4K combo pack makes its case with a beautiful new restoration (which includes lossless audio that's never sounded better) and a decent little handful of legacy extras. The lack of a matching remastered Blu-ray and a few exclusive bonus features are the only mild disappointments for what's otherwise a near-perfect home video release. Highly Recommended.