Tootsie 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Tootsie 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown November 14, 2024

Dustin Hoffman still slays forty-plus years later in the domestic 4K debut of Tootsie, available courtesy of the Volume 5 box set of the Columbia Classics Collection, a terrific release that also features 4K versions of Robert Rossen's All the King's Men (1949), an unforgettable Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront (1954), Best Picture biopic A Man for All Seasons (1966), the sumptuous Daniel Day Lewis-led The Age of Innocence (1993), and Greta Gerwig's masterful adaptation of Little Women (2019). Each volume in Sony's ongoing collection not only highlights a spread of the best of the best of the decades, it gives each film a high quality video presentation, (when necessary) a striking remaster or restoration, cutting edge audio (typically an Atmos upgrade), and often new extras.

Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman) is convinced that he's the best character actor in New York City, but his cynical agent, George Fields (Sydney Pollack), tells him that he is unemployable. Irritated, he decides to prove to him, and everyone else that has rejected him during the years, that he has what it takes to be a star... a very, very big star. He becomes Dorothy Michaels, an old-fashioned actress with an attitude who speaks up her mind. The ambitious actress then promptly auditions for the soap opera "Southwest General" and quickly becomes its star. She also routinely confronts its pretentious director, Ron (Dabney Coleman), who calls her Tootsie and begins cheating on his girlfriend, Julie (Jessica Lange), with whom the male part of Tootsie has fallen in love with. Tootsie's newly acquired fame seriously complicates her personal life -- the one in which she is still a he and in a relationship with Sandy (Teri Garr), a beautiful but insecure actress from California who has been having a terrible time adapting to life in New York City. Tootsie's busy schedule also introduces some unexpected changes to the daily routine of her free-spirited roommate (Bill Murray).

Click here to read the rest of Dr. Svet Atanasov's review of the film, which he warns "unquestionably looks and feels dated." Adding, though, that "the chemistry between Hoffman and Lange is excellent, and Pollack is simply terrific as the cynical agent."

Tootsie 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sony goes above and beyond with classic comedy Tootsie, granting it the sort of restoration you'd assume would be reserved for a more timeless film. Yet its 4K/2160p presentation stuns, again and again and again, making the movie look as if it were shot yesterday. (Early '80s touches aside.) Colors are dialed in nicely, with convincing skintones, rich hues, and punchy primaries aplenty. The HDR upgrade is noticeable from the jump, particularly if you hop over from the standard Blu-ray, and contrast leveling is altogether satisfying and striking. The soap opera sets, dressing rooms, cluttered apartments, and the occasional toy-strewn nursery is awash with color and detail, bringing each scene to life. Edges are crisp and clean, and fine textures are so revealing that they lend depth and dimensionality to even the most random objects; the only clarity issues being in a handful of softer shots that trace back to the film negative and original photography. Grain is certainly lively at times, but remains filmic throughout, adding yet another layer of excellence to an already excellent remastering effort. Add to that a complete lack of blocking or banding, not to mention any other conceivable encoding issue, and you have a presentation that's as precise as it is efficient. Tootsie has, quite simply, never looked better. And I can't imagine it could ever look better than it does here.

Tootsie 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Less impressive is Tootsie's Dolby Atmos track, which isn't average by any means but nevertheless fails to grab hold of the listener like some of the more resounding Atmos mixes in the Columbia Classics Collection. Dialogue is clean and clear, neatly centered, and carefully prioritized. Rear and side speaker support also do a fine job of crafting a soundfield that makes each interior and exterior fairly believable, with smooth pans and solid directionality. Scenes aren't quite as immersive as I would have preferred, particularly when the camera ventures outdoors, but it isn't flat either, residing somewhere in between in a place that makes the entire production sound a bit too much like what you'd expect on a soap opera sound stage. LFE output holds its own, though there aren't many elements in the chatty comedy that take advantage, and dynamics are decidedly decent, and still a clear boost from previous releases. If it sounds like I'm being hard on Tootsie's Atmos outing, I'm not. It just doesn't have the impact of the other '80s-era tracks featured in Volume 5 of Sony's ongoing collection.

Tootsie 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary - Film critic Cerise Howard and filmmaker Rohan Spong

• A Better Man (HD, 69 minutes) - This comprehensive, previously released "Making of Tootsie" documentary is divided into three parts: "Good Friends," "A Better Man" and "Keep It Real."

• Deleted Scenes (SD, 9 minutes) - "What a Surprise," "I Made You Some Soup," "Anybody Home," "Amy Let Go," "Your Own Character," "You Can't Play an Animal, "I'm a Virgin," "Wrong Door" and "Signing an Autograph."

• Dustin Hoffman Interview (HD, 18 minutes) - A fun look back with Hoffman.

• Screen Test Footage (SD, 3 minutes) - The footage from the beginning of Hoffman's interview, in full.

• Theatrical Trailer (SD, 1 minute)

Tootsie 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Tootsie is a bonafide classic, albeit one that hasn't exactly withstood the test of time and cultural progression. Still, there are plenty of laughs to be had, along with a wholly likeable turn from, well, just about everyone on screen. Sony's 4K release is a bit of a mixed bag, hopping from a stunning remastered 4K video presentation to a solid Dolby Atmos track to a rather disappointing supplemental package. But it's nevertheless worthy of your time. Recommended, with an asterisx.