Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Varsity Blues 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

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.

Varsity Blues 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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.

Varsity Blues 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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.

Varsity Blues 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

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.

• Audio Commentary: Director Brian Robbins and Producers Tova Laiter and Mike Tollin.
• Football is a Way of Life: The Making of Varsity Blues
• Two-A-Days: The Ellis Way
• QB Game Analysis
• Billy Bob with No Bacon
• Theatrical Trailer

Varsity Blues 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

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!