6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
At first, backup quarterback Jonathan “Mox” Moxom is nowhere close to being a football star. He’s perfectly content to stay on the bench and out of the win-at-all-cost strategies of coach Bud Kilmer. But when the starting quarterback is injured, Mox is in the game… and in direct conflict with his hotheaded coach and girlfriend. Soon everyone in Mox’s football-crazed community will realize there’s not just a new star quarterback in town, there’s a new kind of hero.
Starring: James Van Der Beek, Jon Voight, Paul Walker, Ron Lester, Scott CaanComedy | 100% |
Sport | 43% |
Teen | 40% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Paramount has released the 1999 football film 'Varsity Blues,' directed by Brian Robbins and starring James Van Der Beek, Jon Voight, and Paul Walker, to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/Dolby Vision video. The UHD disc carries over the same Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack from the 2009 Blu-ray, which is also included here. Likewise, no new extras are included, and all of the bonus features in this set are found on the Blu-ray disc only.
The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.
Paramount releases Varsity Blues to the UHD format with a very good 2160p/Dolby Vision UHD transfer. The image is of a pleasing quality
which is true to its filmic roots. It maintains a light grain veneer and offers healthy, natural detailing that captures the complexities of faces, clothes,
and locations with much more authority and accuracy compared to the aged Blu-ray. This is much more in-line with the original character of the film
and the UHD presentation does not see the image falter in any significant way. Whether football action scenes or casual shots inside homes, schools, or
elsewhere, the UHD maintains a flattering, filmic appearance that proves far superior to the less precise material found on the old Blu-ray.
The Dolby Vision grading brings out the best in colors, with the blue football uniforms and green football field grass standing as the most obvious
beneficiaries. There is an unmistakable add to pop, depth, and accuracy, with the blues bolder and the greens truer to life than the old Blu-ray could
muster. Additionally, skin tones look naturally healthy, whites are crisp, and blacks are deep, though some of the darkest shots can teeter on crush
where fine shadow detail gets lost. Still, this is a very nice image, one that does the film proud. Additionally, there are no print damage concerns or
encode artifacts. Fans are going to find this to be well worth the upgrade.
For this UHD release of Varsity Blues, Paramount has simply repurposed the existing Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack from the original
2011 Blu-ray. Below for convenience is a repurposing of that original audio review:
The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack is sufficient but
unremarkable. It's surprisingly front heavy and none-too-interesting. Football game sequences
don't feature an abundance of atmosphere. Crowd noise is present but not immersive, and various
hits and crunches on the field don't pack more than an average wallop. There are a few decent
atmospherics to be heard in several scenes. Country music is often heard in the background of
convenience stores or Coach Kilmer's office, but the track does little more than simply reproduce the
sound across the front portion of the soundstage. The various music that plays front-and-center
features no discernible problems, but like the rest of the track, there's nothing at all memorable
about the way 'Varsity Blues' handles the material. A few slow-motion game segments with
amped-up
sound effects deliver a decent level of palpable bass, and a few shotgun blasts in chapter 16
send an echoing sensation throughout the soundstage. Such above-average moments are the
exception to the rule; 'Varsity Blues' does feature faultless dialogue reproduction, but the
remainder of the track seems average at best.
This UHD release of Varsity Blues includes all of its extras on the bundled Blu-ray disc, which is identical to the 2009 release. Below is a list of
what's included; please click here for full coverage. This release ships with a digital copy code
and a non-embossed slipcover.
Despite the massive influx of cliché, Varsity Blues delivers a suitably strong emotional core and a somewhat surprising and cathartic ending. Still one of the weaker of the recent mega-crop of football movies, Varsity Blues eschews the more standard inspirational tone in favor of a down-and-dirty, unflinching look at high school football in Texas because, yup, the game is a way of life in the Lone Star State. Paramount's UHD release of Varsity Blues delivers a new 2160p/Dolby Vision video presentation that is of a satisfying quality. Otherwise, it's identical to the old Blu-ray, but the good news is that this new video presentation is well worth the upgrade cost. Recommended!
2009
2009
2000
Choice Collection
2001
2009
2006
2015
1984
1998
2004
2000
1988
2012
2002
30th Anniversary Edition
1985
1986
2006
Unrated and Cream-Filled
2008
1985
2011