To Catch a Thief 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		0.0
Audio		2.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

To Catch a Thief 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Paramount has released the classic film 'To Catch a Thief,' directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly, to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/Dolby Vision video. The film had previously been released twice to Blu-ray, once in 2012 and again in 2020, the latter release part of the prestigious 'Paramount Presents' line. That second Blu-ray featured a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack (the original 2012 issue was headlined by a 2.0 TrueHD lossless track). This issue includes the 5.1 track. The 2020 release saw one new extra and several from the original release scrapped; this UHD includes all of the extras from both releases, minus a couple of minor supplements from the 2012 disc. Neither Blu-ray disc is included in this release. All extras are on the UHD disc.

To Catch a Thief 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from the UHD disc output at 1080p. They are not representative of the UHD/Dolby Vision image you will see on your screen.

To say that the 2020 Blu-ray release of To Catch a Thief was controversial would be the understatement of the decade. I have not had the pleasure (or maybe displeasure) to see that disc for myself, but it is very clear from Dr. Larson's written review (not to mention the accompanying screenshots) that reports of the film's heavily DNR'd presentation were accurate. I cede to Dr. Larson's thoughts on that release and, while I do not have the 2020 disc for comparison, there is more than enough evidence, written and visual, to see all but first hand the very low bar that this UHD needed to vault over to be an improvement over that release.

I am happy to report that Paramount's new 2160p/Dolby Vision UHD is indeed a significant improvement over the 2020 Blu-ray, so much so that most fans of the film could simply stop reading here and buy with confidence that they are getting a superior product. But, superior though it may be, this is not a perfect product. Overall, however, the picture looks rock solid. It lacks the clear cut DNR from the Blu-ray, and is actually a rather pleasingly filmic image on the whole. Grain is retained. It's light, but steady, with only a few occurrences of dip and drop. Yet such shots are relatively few and there are some instances where the quality is simply at the mercy of the film elements, composite shots, and the like. But the vast majority is crisp, well defined, and highly advantaged by the increased resolution that the UHD format provides, not to mention the transfer's maintenance of the inherent film quality rather than destroying what's here with needless noise reduction,. Most every scene is a treasure trove of well resolved detail, such as period attire, wooden accents in various offices, and natural elements like leaves and grass. There are some breathtaking shots (look at the establish shot at the 23:04 mark of the marketplace) which see the film looking about as pure, organic, and filmic as can be. Yet it's not quite perfect. There are more than a few occasions where skin details retain a mild pastiness, certainly not to the waxy extent of the 2020 issue but there are slight downturns in sharpness in a few cases. The print does appear free from wear and tear, and the encode is very good, but there is some mild shimmering/aliasing on Robie's white and black horizontally striped shirt.

The Dolby Vision color grading looks marvelous. It appears faithful, offering rich colors that really leap off the screen throughout. That marketplace shot as noted above is a treasure trove of visual delights, with colorful hues that are bold and brilliant but not overly saturated as to look cartoonish. It's a very honest and faithful grading, adjectives that carry over to most every other element in the film. Look at resplendently colorful clothes in a casino in the 34-minute mark (not to mention the green felt on the table) and see some wonderful examples of the Dolby Vision grading's prowess. This extends to rich tuxedo blacks and crisp and practically perfect white dress shirts underneath. Skin tones can at times veer to pasty, but for the most part skin appears accurate and satisfying.

To Catch a Thief 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For this UHD release of To Catch a Thief, Paramount has ported over the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack from the 2020 Blu-ray release. For Dr. Larson's thoughts on the audio track, please click here.

To Catch a Thief 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This UHD release of To Catch a Thief brings over almost all of the extras from the 2012 disc in addition to the new retrospective from the 2020 disc. Absent from the 2012 disc are the extras If You Love 'To Catch a Thief,' You'll Love this Interactive Travelogue and Galleries. Otherwise, everything is included. Please see below for a list of what's included and please click here (2012 disc) and here (2020 disc) for full supplemental content reviews. This release contains neither of those Blu-ray discs; it's UHD only paired with a bundled digital copy voucher. This release is part of the prestigious 'Paramount Presents' line with the fold-open slipover with alternate poster artwork inside. It is labeled as the third in the 'Paramount Presents' line, the same as the 2020 Blu-ray; Paramount is clearly encouraging the upgrade and, it seems, encouraging buyers to ditch the grossly inferior 2020 disc altogether by giving this the same spine number.

• Audio Commentary: Hitchcock Film Historian Drew Casper.
• Filmmaker Focus: Leonard Maltin on To Catch a Thief
• A Night with the Hitchcocks
• Unacceptable Under the Code: Censorship in Hollywood
• Writing and Casting To Catch a Thief
• The Making of To Catch a Thief
• Behind the Gates: Cary Grant and Grace Kelly
• Alfred Hitchcock and To Catch a Thief
• Edith Head: The Paramount Years
• To Catch a Thief Theatrical Trailer

To Catch a Thief 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Paramount's new UHD release of To Catch a Thief is certainly a massive upgrade over the 2020 issue. By and large it looks solid, and often it looks great, but occasionally it shows a few minor blemishes. I've awarded the 4K video a score of "4" but would probably award it a 4.25 were that option available. The retained audio is fine, the supplements are excellent, and the film goes without saying; it a bonafide classic. Recommended.