7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Kermit and his friends go to New York City to get their musical on Broadway, only to find that it's a more difficult task than they anticipated.
Starring: Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Richard HuntFamily | 100% |
Comedy | 77% |
Musical | 42% |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 16-bit)
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 16-bit)
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Come back with me... past 2023's surprisingly funny mockumentary The Muppets Mayhem and 2020's surprisingly unfunny Muppets Now. Past 2015's ABC revival The Muppets (a hit or miss spin on The Office), 2014's solid feature Muppets Most Wanted and, perhaps the only true spiritual successor to the original Muppet films, 2011's excellent film The Muppets (still a personal favorite). Now go even farther back. Past space adventures, treasure hunts and Christmas Carol adaptations. (The Muppets Christmas Carol being a perfect film. Don't argue. It's objective fact. And I will fight you.) That's right, let's journey all the way back to the Big Three: The Muppet Movie (1979), The Great Muppet Caper (1981) and, the classic you've been waiting for this to lead to, The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), a genuinely sharp and sharply amusing comedy that rounds out a trio of the Peak Muppets Era. "God bless us every one." Erm... I mean, "Just because the whole thing is crazy doesn't mean it won't make it on Broadway!"
It's possible I'm about to be a touch glowing, maybe even a half-point too generous. But I was thoroughly -- scratch that -- joyously pleased with Sony's 2160p 4K remaster and video presentation. Grain is present and noticeably more consistent than in its 2011 standard Blu-ray predecessor, and while certain refining/noise altering techniques have most definitely been implemented, the image rarely, if ever, appears artificial. Instead the picture is colorful, refined and downright vibrant. Primaries pop, black levels are deep and contrast is strong without betraying the bouncy, bright but always filmic nature of the original photography. Likewise, detail is exciting, with plenty of fine textures and crisp edges to report. The fur of Muppet felt and the smallest hints of personality found in the muppetry clothing and props is intact and looks better than ever, and it all represents a relatively minimal yet obvious boost in quality compared to the encode featured on the previously released Blu-ray. There is some softness to some scenes (tied to the original photography), and a handful of unsightly instances of red crush, so-so delineation and other blips also pop up here and there. Thankfully, these are infrequent and very easy to miss and, as far as my eyes can tell, they're always things that trace back to the original cinematography; never a weaknesses in Sony's remastering efforts or 4K encode. Muppets fans will not be disappointed.
Overkill? Probably. But who am I to complain about the inclusion of a Dolby Atmos track? I'm not sure an early '80s theatrical Muppets release is what the audiophiles in the crowd were clamoring for, but Sony has delivered anyway; remastering the original sound design and elements and producing a well-rounded, fairly immersive Atmos mix that can't conceivably capture the zaniness of the movie any more, well, immersively zany. Voices are clean and clear throughout thanks to smart prioritization and notable dynamics. A few glaring ADR anomalies stand out (products of the era rather than real issues) but it hardly amounts to a concern. The surrounds are decently engaging, though a touch of age and tinniness can still be detected, and chaotic scenes, bustling crowds of Muppets, busy New York streets and noisy board rooms sound convincing and inhabitable. Moreover, low-end output lends welcome weight to the proceedings, without trying to transform the experience into a chest-thumping powerhouse (which would certainly be overkill). Is it a standout track that lives up the four stars at the top of this review? Eh, debatable. Some folks would probably go 3.5. But for a film produced in 1984, it's remarkable enough to warrant high marks from me. Vintage Muppets films have rarely sounded so good.
If the 4K Blu-ray release of The Muppets Take Manhattan is any indication of what can be accomplished when properly bringing the Muppets films into the future, complete with 2160p video and Dolby Atmos audio, then this super fan of Henson's creations is one happy puppy. Manhattan looks great, sounds great and even offers a new Frank Oz audio commentary. A few additional behind-the-scenes materials or newly produced retrospectives would've been nice, sure. But snatch this one up in time for Christmas. You -- or the Muppet nut in your house -- won't be sorry you did.
2011
1981
1999
1979
2014
The Unnecessarily Extended Edition
2014
1996
Extended Edition
2007
2008
1968
50th Anniversary Edition
1964
1992
Movie-Only
2011
2018
2009
35th Anniversary Collector's Edition
1983-1987
2007
2008
2006
1998