A few words about…™ Superman: The Movie — in 4k UHD Blu-ray

One of the all-time fan favorites in the superhero genre, coming from an earlier, far more innocent era, arrives on 4k, and it’s a winner.

While I’d have loved to be able to compare the new 4k to a modern Blu-ray of recent parentage, that can’t be done, as the previous Blu, which is also represented as the Blu along with the new 4k is showing its bottle age. Actually, it’s well past its prime.

The film was always soft. It was shot that way by cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth. His lush grainy textures are the overriding appearance of the project. And it works beautifully.

I had to initial thoughts upon hearing that the film was coming to 4k was “why.” Other than a handful of shots, there isn’t any 4k to to be had.

And then I viewed the Blu-ray, and came to the realization that there is no comparison, simply because there is no high quality Blu-ray available. Presumably a telecine from an IP, the extant Blu-ray looks fine for what it is, but today, one will notice the lack of black, shadow detail, overall resolution.

And then there’s the constantly moving image, and total lack of stability.

So the 4k wins, possibly not because a modern Blu-ray might not appear all that different, but rather, because the extant version doesn’t hold up to today’s parameters.

More detail can be seen in the highly reflective costumes in the opening sequence. HDR has also made blacks and colors pop. It’s all good.

The addition of Dolby Atmos also raises the bar.

My other concern me when I heard about the release was the possibility of the film being shorn of its grain – and a grainy little devil, it is. But the grain has been retained, yielding a lovely velvety appearance.

Fans who do not yet own a 4k setup, and want to run the Blu-ray until they have that capability need not apply, as the included Blu is archaic.

Probably no need to include.

Image – 5

Audio – 5

Pass / Fail – Pass

Upgrade from Blu-ray – Absolutely

Very Highly Recommended

RAH