The Money Pit 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

The Money Pit 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Shipping time? Less than two weeks.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III July 8, 2026

An underrated entry in Tom Hanks' run of early career comedy hits, Richard Benjamin's The Money Pit is a remake of the 1948 Cary Grant film Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House. This broader, more slapstick-heavy update is the kind of film that just about any homeowner can relate to (assuming you're old enough to remember when most people could actually afford homes) and, despite a few odd tonal shifts here and there, it still plays pretty well four full decades after its 1986 theatrical release. Shout Factory celebrates with a new 4K/Blu-ray combo pack whose primary selling point is a new 4K scan of the original camera negative... something that was sorely lacking on Universal's 2016 Blu-ray, which it aims to fully replace. As of this review, the included remastered Blu-ray is not sold separately.

For a synopsis and review of The Money Pit, please read Martin Liebman's coverage of the 2016 Blu-ray linked above. As implied by my earlier comments and higher rating, I enjoy this 1986 comedy a bit more but still don't consider it a bulletproof classic. The lead performances by Tom Hanks and Shelley Long (portraying attorney Walter Fielding and his musician girlfriend, Anna Crowley, who walk face-first into a "too good to be true" real estate purchase) carry the load here, each playing wonderfully off of the other as just about everything goes wrong with their new property: electrical fires, plumbing woes, crumbling staircases, and plenty of shady contractors eager to "fix" them.

Less engaging is the ongoing B-plot concerning Anna's former relationship with her ex-boyfriend, renowned conductor Max Beissart (Alexander Godunov, in his first of two 1980s movies using Beethoven's "Ode to Joy"), a detour that really wasn't needed -- it fleshes out her character a bit and gets us out of the house, sure, but the prospect of never-ending repairs and financial debt is already more than enough to fuel The Money Pit's relationship stress. That, combined with the portrayal of various contractors as almost literal sideshow freaks, is the film's only real weak point; otherwise it's got plenty of well-earned laughs, brisk pacing and, perhaps most importantly, a strong foundation, at least enough to earn The Money Pit perpetual replays as a decently delivered slice of 1980s time-capsule comedy.

The Money Pit 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

NOTE: These screenshots are sourced from the included Blu-ray disc, which is not available separately.

The main (perhaps only?) selling point of Shout Factory's UHD edition, as well as its included remastered Blu-ray, is that both come from a new master sourced from a recent 4K scan of the original camera negative. There's been some cleanup done too, as the end result is a very nice and naturally film-like presentation with an organic appearance that's blemish-free but not excessively processed. Fine detail and colors offer a tangible improvement over all previous home video editions; Universal's 2016 Blu-ray looks pretty dated from our screenshots for that release, whose chunky grain and slightly filtered appearance are no longer a problem here. Skin tones benefit from this more revitalized palette, as do other elements like clothes and wide exterior shots, although admittedly The Money Pit is overwhelmingly dominated by muddy earth tones due to the near-endless construction and huge piles of excavated dirt. The Dolby Vision grading is thankfully subtle, aiming for accuracy rather than fake "color pop", benefitting bright whites (strong light sources, in particular) and any colors adjacent to deep blacks. The encoding is generous too, as this 91-minute movie runs at a high and supportive bit rate on this triple-layered disc, which honestly seems like overkill.

The included Blu-ray, sourced from the same new 4K master, reveals improvements over that linked older release in several key areas including fine detail, color, and textures, mostly due to its more organic appearance -- unsurprisingly, Universal's disc shows obvious signs of processing and sharpening that were done to bring out "details" from an older master that just weren't there to begin with. But the encoding on this newer Blu-ray has a little room for improvement, as occasional amounts of macro blocking (mostly competing with some of the heavier grain and noise) can be spotted along the way. It's still a pretty solid improvement in just about every department, which really shouldn't come as much of a surprise, but I doubt that many folks are buying this release strictly for the Blu-ray.

The Money Pit 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Things aren't quite as rosy in audio land, but that's only partially Shout Factory's fault. Inarguably, The Money Pit has never been a sonic tour de force: its sporadically chaotic environment is indeed home to occasional excitement, while the original score and soundtrack have always enjoyed a decently impressive, full-bodied width, whether we're talking about the original theatrical 2.0 track or the more common 5.1 remix that dates back to Universal's 2003 DVD. But the dialogue has always sounded patchy to my ears, as it's occasionally strongly overpowered by various music and sound effects, and that's still very much the case for both lossless tracks included on this 4K UHD and Blu-ray. Coincidentally, Shout Factory has opted for a lower bit rate encoding on both... and while that decision isn't the root cause of these problems, every little bit would've helped. Even so, I'll award it an extra half-point for including the stereo 2.0 mix which, as far as I know, makes its domestic home video debut here... but neither option sounds great.

The Money Pit 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This two-disc released ships in a keepcase with poster-themed cover art and a matching slipcover. The extras are disappointingly thin considering this release's price tag, mirroring those found on Universal's 2016 Blu-ray.

DISC TWO - BLU-RAY MOVIE DISC

• The Making of "The Money Pit" (7:30) - A short vintage archival featurette.

• Theatrical Trailer (1:26)

The Money Pit 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Richard Benjamin's The Money Pit is a bit underrated within Tom Hanks' massive filmography: it's a solid slice of '80s comedy fueled by slapstick and (literal) set pieces, even though a few nagging flaws keep it from true "classic" status. Regardless, this one's always good for an occasional watch and looks better than ever on Shout Factory's new 4K/Blu-ray combo pack, which celebrates The Money Pit's 40th anniversary with a recent high-res scan of the original camera negative. Sadly, though, that's the only real improvement here: not only does the audio run at a much lower bit rate than Universal's 2016 Blu-ray (although the 2.0 option is appreciated), but a serious lack of bonus features doesn't exactly sweeten the pot much either. It's still Recommended to fans, of course, but wait for a price drop.