Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Uncle Buck Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 20, 2025

John Hughes' "Uncle Buck" (1989) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include new program with actress Jean Louisa Kelly; new audio commentary by critic Joe Ramoni; new audio commentary by critics Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson; and vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

It is not a mystery why John Hughes’ films are so popular. They have great characters who easily connect with people of all ages. However, while Hughes was an exceptionally talented writer, these great characters do not exist because he spent countless hours polishing them and their stories. They are not famous because Hughes shot them like glamorous stars, either. Whether they were kids, teenagers, or adults, Hughes always treated them as if they were his best friends or favorite relatives. He shot them the same way, too. And, perhaps most importantly, he told their stories like a true friend would -- while genuinely caring about them, exposing their insecurities and imperfections but cheering the good reshaping their lives, helping them recover and learn from the bad. It is why people have been embracing these great characters for decades and will continue to do so. In the stories Hughes placed them in, some recognize bits of their stories, and some even identify with them.

In Uncle Buck, an unexpected phone call unites several characters, most related and all based in the Chicagoland area, who have been drifting apart for a long time. Bob (Garrett Brown) and his wife, Cindy (Elaine Bromka), ask the former’s brother, Buck (John Candy), to look after their rebellious teenage daughter, Tia (Jean Louisa Kelly), and her younger brother, Miles (Macaulay Culkin), and sister, Maizy (Gaby Hoffmann), while they are away for a week, possibly even longer. Bob and Cindy must drive down to Indianapolis to see the latter’s father, who has had a heart attack. Buck, who is not Bob and Cindy’s first choice for the favor, has not talked to his brother in years, but immediately agrees to help and packs his bags. Then he jumps in his clunker and drives from Chicago to a suburb on the North Side.

But just hours after Buck enters Bob and Cindy’s fancy home and gets called Uncle Buck, it becomes painfully obvious that coexisting with Tia, Miles, and Maizy will not be easy. Tia can barely stand him, while Miles and Maizy routinely look at him as if he is an alien creature from another dimension. On top of this, Buck is forced to defend his trip to the North Side before his seemingly perpetually suspicious and as of late frequently frustrated girlfriend, Chanice (Amy Madigan), who expects him to be a man, not a boy trapped in a man’s body. However, despite a series of major setbacks, one of them involving even a stubborn washing machine, Buck slowly takes control of the fluid situation. Then, suddenly, but not unexpectedly, after Chanice sees him dancing with another woman, and Tia disappears, Buck’s progress is wiped out. To prevent an utter disaster, Buck then begins improvising, trusting his boyish instincts, and assuming that in any challenging situation, the worst possible outcome is always the most likely.

The simplicity of the narrative is quite deceiving. Indeed, while it produces seemingly endless hilarious moments, the humor is routinely attached to educational messaging that will always be relevant. For example, the brittle relationship between Buck and Tia is dramatically transformed only after both discover that listening and hearing what the other has to say are different things. Also, as the chaos intensifies, the narrative provides plenty of material supporting the rationality of the ethic of reciprocity, also known as the ‘golden rule’. (Treat others as you like to be treated).

However, even if one completely ignores the serious that is placed next to the unserious, Uncle Buck is still a very entertaining film. Candy is terrific and easily makes everyone else around him better, too. As is the case with all films Hughes directed, there are absolutely no filters in the narrative either, so if an opportunity emerges to crack a good joke, someone takes advantage of it.

There is one relationship in Uncle Buck that could and should have been developed better. Hughes’ best films always gather great tracks that create special scenes. In Uncle Buck, there is only one such scene that uses bits of Tone Loc’s classic track “Wild Thing”.

Uncle Buck Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Uncle Buck arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release introduces an exclusive new 4K makeover of Uncle Buck, recently completed at Universal. The 4K makeover is also available on 4K Blu-ray in this combo pack.

The 4K makeover is outstanding. I pulled out my old Blu-ray release of Uncle Buck that Universal produced more than a decade ago and did only a few quick comparisons. The new 4K makeover offers dramatic improvements in all areas we scrutinize in our reviews. Delineation, clarity, depth, fluidity, and especially color reproduction are much, much better, and as a result the dynamic range of the visuals is quite different now. While on the previous Blu-ray release the visuals routinely displayed video-ish qualities, now they have an enormously attractive organic appearance. On a big screen, this discrepancy can be quite striking. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. The entire film looks immaculate as well. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Uncle Buck Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I viewed Uncle Buck in its entirety on 4K Blu-ray and later spent time with the 1080p presentation of it on the Blu-ray. The comments below are from our review of the 4K Blu-ray release.

I viewed the entire film with the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. In a few areas, I switched to the 2.0 track, but did not spend too much time with it. I think that the lossless 5.1 track is outstanding. Even though Uncle Buck lacks serious action material, the 5.1 track has an excellent dynamic range. All dialog was very clear, sharp, always stable. The upper register could not be healthier, either.

Uncle Buck Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary One - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson. The commentators cover a wide range of topics, from the conception and production of Uncle Buck to its placement in John Hughes' body of work and the various serious themes that are part of the film's narrative.

• Commentary Two - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critic Joe Ramoni. This commentary has more comments addressing the narrative structure and visual composition of Uncle Buck, with some interesting comments about different transition choices. Also, there is plenty of good information about John Hughes' writing and directing styles, as well as John Candy and his hillarious character.

• Sixteen Going on Seventeen - in this new program, Jean Louisa Kelly explains why she became an actress and how she became involved with Uncle Buck, where she plays the character of Tia. Kelly also comments on her interactions with John Hughes, John Candy, and other cast members, and reveals that all these years later she still gets fan mail. In English, not subtitled. (20 min).

• Macaulay Culkin Audition - in English, not subtitled. (1 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for Uncle Buck. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

Uncle Buck Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Explaining why John Hughes' films are liked so much is an exercise in repetition. They do not always tell great stories, but virtually all of them have great characters, and they are great because Hughes always treated them as if they were his best friends or favorite relatives. Everything else in Hughes' films is ornamentation. However, what Hughes did is not as simple as it sounds, which is why pretty much all of his films remain in a category of their own. Kino Lorber's combo pack introduces a spectacular new 4K makeover of Uncle Buck, prepared at Universal, that looks terrific on Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.