7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Set in Mexico, a nun called Sara is rescued from three cowboys by Hogan, who is on his way to do some reconnaissance, for a future mission to capture a French fort. The French are chasing Sara, but not for the reasons she tells Hogan, so he decides to help her in return for information about the fort defenses.
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Shirley MacLaine, Manuel Fábregas, Alberto Morin, Armando SilvestreWestern | 100% |
War | 37% |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Romance | Insignificant |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Don Siegel's "Two Mules for Sister Sara" (1970) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include archival interview with Clint Eastwood; recent audio commentary by filmmaker Alex Cox; and vintage promotional materials. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
Kino Lorber's release of Two Mules for Sister Sara is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray disc is Region-Free. However, the Blu-ray disc is Region-A "locked".
The release features two versions of the film, International Version, which is the longer one, and Domestic Cut. Only the International Version is presented in native 4K on the 4K Blu-ray. It can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades.
Please note that some of the screencaptures that appear with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc, including the actual color values of this content.
Screencaptures #1-10 are from the Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #14-33 are from 4K Blu-ray.
Several years ago, Kino Lorber produced this Blu-ray release of Two Mules for Sister Sara. I have it in my library and used it to do various comparisons. I chose to view the native 4K presentation with Dolby Vision.
The overall quality of the native 4K presentation did not change how I feel about the quality of the 4K makeover. There are some quite obvious inconsistencies in the color scheme, and I do not believe that they are intended. For example, in multiple areas, primary blue and blue nuances shift toward green/turquoise, and there are even small surface anomalies suggesting that not everything is managed properly. You can see an example here. The Dolby Vision grade darkens some of these areas and minimizes the impact of the inconsistencies, but they are there, so trained eyes will easily recognize them. Also, the same darkening exacerbates the light crushing that was visible in 1080p, so in some areas there is a bit less to see in native 4K. But there is a lot of material that look very good. For example, the outdoor footage where primary blue and blue nuances are set properly looks terrific. Many close-ups boast outstanding delineation and sharpness as well. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections, so grain exposure is very nice. Ultimately, I feel that certain things should have been done better when the 4K makeover was prepared, so the move to 4K does not offer the upgrade in quality that I think is needed.
There is only standard audio track on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.
Obviously, 2.0 track is the same track that was used on the Blu-ray release of Two Mules for Sister Sara. While revisiting the film in native 4K last night, I did not encounter any encoding anomalies to report in our review. The following comments are from our review of the Blu-ray release:
Ennio Morricone's soundtrack breathes quite easily throughout the film, but in terms of dynamic intensity, there is hardly any material that could make an impression. Perhaps the attack of the fort at the end of the film could excite some viewers, but overall dynamic intensity is modest. The dialog is clean and easy to follow.
4K BLU-RAY DISC - INTERNATIONAL VERSION
It is impossible to place Don Siegel's Two Mules for Sister Sara amongst Clint Eastwood's great westerns because it feels a bit like an experiment that did not quite turn out as it should. Budd Boetticher's screenplay introduces character arcs that I think make it awfully difficult for the two leads to connect the right way, and once you realize that their characters are expected to do very specific things to make each other appear legit, the comedy and romance become a tad too sweet.
This combo pack release offers a native presentation of the 4K restoration of the International Version of Two Mules for Sister Sara. The 4K restoration is the best presentation of the film. However, I think that certain things on it could have been handled better. If you really, really enjoy the film, then consider grabbing the combo pack when it goes on sale. But you can pick a far more impressive 4K Blu-ray release from Kino Lorber's massive catalog.
1970
1970
4K Restoration
1970
1972
1954
1970
1930
1966
1959
1973
Limited Edition
1965
Limited Edition to 3000
1965
Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
1975
Limited Edition to 3000
1924
Warner Archive Collection
1950
1959
1953
1969
1923
1969
1959
1968
50th Anniversary
1961