UHD Review A Few Words About A few words about...™ Platoon -- in 4k UHD Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

I've got to be honest. Seeing what appears to be a representation of one Oliver Stone's Platoon appear on my screen, I began to question my eyes.

I fully expected the Orion logo to be a mess, as they're all taken from the same roll of dupes as the OCN is being conformed.

But this is a new 4k release of a film that I believe won some awards, and I presumed this was a new 4k scan from that aforementioned OCN.

And it could be.

But if it is, a post house most assuredly screwed things up on the way to the 4k disc.

Beginning at the beginning, the smoke and dust which surround the opening is filled with swimming, grain and possibly mating amoebas. Totally digital. Not a trace of film here.

Get into the film proper, and it's all over the place.

Some shots are totally lacking in film grain. Others swim in it. But all of this comes along with an overall lack of resolution.

If I had to guess, and if this wasn't totally screwed up in post, I'd think it's either an old HD master, or an early 4k that had so much garbage baked into it, that there was more sow's ear than silk purse.

A pity, as the majority of Scream Factory's releases tend to be wonderful. There are some decent special features, and I thought for several moments, "what if I just remain silent," and make believe I haven't seen this.

But I have, and the point of these words is to inform, suggest and protect potential buyers.

My take on this is simple. Little to be gained here. Best to purchase the Shout Blu-ray if the film isn't in your library - and it should be.

Bottom line.

The film deserves better. It should be re-scanned properly presented.

Or not at all.

A waste of 4k discs.

Image – 3 (HDR)

Audio – 5 (DTS-HD MA 5.1)

Pass / Fail – Fail

Plays nicely with projectors - Nope

Makes use of and works well in 4k - 2

RAH

 

[Robert Crawford]

I haven’t watched mine yet, but once I do, I’ll keep your comments to mind.

 

[Clinton McClure]

Is the Blu-ray that comes with the UHD the same as the afore mentioned Shout! factory release?

 

[Robert Crawford]

Is the Blu-ray that comes with the UHD the same as the afore mentioned Shout! factory release?

I would imagine so as the previous BD came out in 2018. The HD digital upgraded to 4K about two years ago.

 

[Worth]

I thought the ITunes 4K looked pretty bad - seems as though the disc is no improvement.

 

[Robert Harris]

I have an overriding belief that when a 4k release arrives, allowing certain hiccups for early scans and releases before HDR application was understood, that any new 4k release should blow everything that came before out of the water.

Any new 4k should look precisely akin to its analogue film or digital roots. Which is why seeing things like Platoon, Godfather, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence and a handful of others are totally unnecessary and wasteful of one’s time, funds and the environment.

If a new 4k release isn‘t special, it has no reason to be, except as a money grab.

 

[Clinton McClure]

Believe it or not, I’ve never seen Platoon. I was going to pick up the UHD as a blind buy but I may just punt and get the Shout! Factory steel book Blu-ray.

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

 

[madfloyd]

I agree 100% with Mr. Harris on this. I couldn't believe my eyes, what an atrocity and missed opportunity.

 

[Robert Harris]

Someone forwarded a link to the other site, where it was mentioned that some original Platoon mags were missing.

I just perused the soundeluxe inventory, and rolls of mag are (or were) in storage lest anyone reads this thread, and cares to check. Have no idea what they might be. ID’d as Platoon Hemdale.

 

[Sam Favate]

I recently watched Platoon on blu-ray. I thought it looked the best I'd seen it since the theater in 1986. Of course, I previously also saw it on VHS (one of those lousy tapes - official - that was recorded on the slow speed, so they could save tape) and on DVD. So, naturally, the blu-ray would look best. I had hoped the 4k would be worth it, for the upgrade of one of my favorite films, but it looks like I will be sticking with the blu-ray.

BTW, it seems like reviews of 4ks are more and more important, since many of them seem to be coming with these sorts of problems. I'm glad when something like the recent Star Trek 4ks arrives with pretty much universal acclaim.

 

[DavidJ]

Such disappointing news but appreciated nonetheless.

 

[Chewbabka]

My take on this is simple. Little to be gained here. Best to purchase the Shout Blu-ray if the film isn't in your library - and it should be.

My memory of the Shout BD is that it has the same pitfalls you describe for the 4K. Maybe the new 4K edition amplifies those pitfalls, but I think it’s the same, supposedly Stone-approved master. Perhaps the original MGM disc is the way to go.

 

[Robert Crawford]

My memory of the Shout BD is that it has the same pitfalls you describe for the 4K. Maybe the new 4K edition amplifies those pitfalls, but I think it’s the same, supposedly Stone-approved master. Perhaps the original MGM disc is the way to go.

That makes sense as I don't think a new 4K scan was done for this 4K release.

 

[Brian Husar]

I don’t know what it is with this film and why it can never be gotten right. It’s always been kind of touchy on home video. I bought the 4K, it’s based off of the 4K transfer that was on the Shout Factory blu ray from 2018 that Stone himself supervised, supposedly, but I was questioning what I was seeing on the disc. Going back to the 90’s we had the Pioneer Special Edition Laserdisc that Robert Richardson himself supervised. The notes in the set said they ran out of funds and they couldn’t add as much “black and white” in the timing like they wanted to. Don’t know what that means, but the colors do have a disaturated look on the disc. None of the DVD’s in the 2000’s used that transfer again, and the original blu ray was just OK. I wish I knew why this film is a problem.

 

[madfloyd]

Interestingly enough, I tried going back to my bluray and while I appreciated the film grain, the image felt flat, at least compared to what I thought I experienced with the 4k. So I went back to the 4k and now prefer it. It looks a lot more dimensional (better contrast) and more engaging. Too bad about the DNR but at least it's not severe (no waxy faces etc).

YMMV of course. The disc isn't right, but I like the HDR.

 

[Lord Dalek]

Someone forwarded a link to the other site, where it was mentioned that some original Platoon mags were missing.

I just perused the soundeluxe inventory, and rolls of mag are (or were) in storage lest anyone reads this thread, and cares to check. Have no idea what they might be. ID’d as Platoon Hemdale.

Apparently it only played in 70mm in Europe, however Platoon WAS mixed for 6.

 

[Kyle_D]

Watching this now in Dolby Vision. It looks like it was mastered from a DVR recording of 1080i compressed cable broadcast, with a heap of DNR then added to smooth over the broadcast compression artifacts. Inexcusable.

 

[ghostwind]

MGM Blu-ray is the way to go.

 

[cda1143]

Interestingly enough, I tried going back to my bluray and while I appreciated the film grain, the image felt flat, ...So I went back to the 4k and now prefer it. It looks a lot more dimensional (better contrast) and more engaging....

YMMV of course. The disc isn't right, but I like the HDR.

I recently watched Platoon on blu-ray. I thought it looked the best I'd seen it since the theater in 1986. ... I had hoped the 4k would be worth it ... but it looks like I will be sticking with the blu-ray.
...

My memory of the Shout BD is that it has the same pitfalls you describe for the 4K. Maybe the new 4K edition amplifies those pitfalls, but I think it’s the same... Perhaps the original MGM disc is the way to go.

MGM Blu-ray is the way to go.

Floyd and Sam: As the two blu-rays appear to be different, with so far the MGM being reported as superior, it would be helpful for this discussion if everyone could specify which blu-ray they are referring to.