To Kill a Mockingbird Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

To Kill a Mockingbird Blu-ray Movie Review

Universal has re-released the timeless 1962 film 'To Kill a Mockingbird' to Blu-ray. This disc replaces the legacy 2012 Blu-ray. The 1080p video presentation has been sourced from a new 4K restoration, and the film has also been released to the UHD format. No new audio tracks are included; Universal has simply repurposed the existing English 5.1 and 2.0 lossless tracks. All of the legacy supplements from the 2012 disc are included, and the studio has also added a new retrospective feature.

To Kill a Mockingbird Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Univeral brings To Kill a Mockingbird to Blu-ray with a newly remastered 1080p transfer. On the technical side of the ledger, this new release is encoded in MPEG-4 whereas the previous disc was presented with the VC-1 encode. This is a vastly superior image compared to the 2012 Blu-ray. The picture is more fluidly organic, offering a superior filmic presentation with fine grain intact. Grain is pleasantly light but critical for its faithful structure that does not betray the film's roots. Details are very high. Look around the 9:50 mark. Trees are nicely defined for tactile roughness and density. Period clothes throughout are delightfully sharp. Facial textures enjoy a satisfying boost for clarity, here resolved with superior complexity and natural texturing compared to the previous edition. Texturally, this is certainly a breath of fresh air and new life for the film. It looks great, still a hair on the soft side at times, but there is no mistaking this release's significant superiority over the decade-old VC-1 disc.

The grayscale is handled well. Gradations are fine and stability is consistent from white to black. Whites aren't too creamy on the brighter end of the ledger, but blacks push towards crush in dark exteriors, though the net impact here is not overtly debilitating for the image in low light shots and dark corners. Everything in between appears true to form, offering splendid tonal accuracy within the limited grayscale range. Bright scenes (breakfast at the 34 minute mark, for example), is a sheer delight with contrast handled well across bright white shirts and a pitcher of milk, darker vests and neckties, and the shadowy blacks below the kitchen table.

The encode is in very good shape, as is the print; there are only a handful of extremely insignificant pops and speckles here and there. Universal has done good work on this remaster.

To Kill a Mockingbird Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Rather than re-encode for Dolby Atmos or DTS:X for this Blu-ray re-release, Universal has chosen to simply port over the existing DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 soundtracks from the 2012 Blu-ray (note that these tracks are also found on the concurrently released UHD disc). For full audio reviews, please click here.

To Kill a Mockingbird Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of To Kill a Mockingbird carries over all of the legacy supplemental content from the 2012 Blu-ray and adds a new supplement on top. That new extra is marked below and reviewed. Also included, for convenience, is a list of the legacy extras, reviews of which may be found by clicking here. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code is included with purchase. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

• NEW! To Kill a Mockingbird: All Points of View (1080p, 25:06): A terrific, newly crafted piece which explores the original novel, the story's timeless message, its cinematic legacy, cast and performances, the film's narrative complexity and applicability, and much more.
• Fearful Symmetry
• A Conversation with Gregory Peck
• Academy Award Best Actor Acceptance Speech
• American Film Institute Life Achievement Award
• Excerpt from Tribute to Gregory Peck
• Scout Remembers
• Theatrical Trailer
• 100 Years of Universal: Restoring the Classics
• Audio Commentary: Director Robert Mulligan and Producer Alan Pakula.

To Kill a Mockingbird Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This timeless classic earns a sparkling new picture quality that is a clear step forward for the film's home video presentation. While the UHD certainly does best it, there is no mistaking that this Blu-ray is a very handsome representation of the film from its natural state. It's gorgeously presented and will delight fans. The existing audio tracks carry over, and are fine, and this set includes a healthy allotment of bonus content, headlined by a brand new 25-minute retrospective. Of course, the film itself is one of the great classics of cinema and is a must-own in every serious film library. This release earns my highest recommendation.