The 4:30 Movie - Amazon Exclusive 4K UHD SteelBook

Kevin Smith is known for many things. His cult-status comedy films, the iconic characters he has created that live in a cinematic universe that rivals the MCU, his global stand-up comedy and Q&As, comic book stores, and his presence on social media. His name may not be synonymous with coming-of-age movies, however, most of his films from Clerks to his latest film titled The 4:30 Movie are a love letter to the genre. It's just that in the past, it's centered on 30-something men still looking for romance in all of the wrong places while finding their true selves through a myriad of hilarious poop jokes and genuine heartfelt moments. With this latest effort, Smith has allowed himself to tell a similar story, but now with teenagers set in the '80s which acts as a wink to his childhood and first relationships. The result is a sweet-as-American-pie movie about friends who love movies and are on that last page of childhood before they move on to adulthood.

Set in 1986, Smith explores distant memories of when kids were allowed to be kids. Before mobile phones, online chatrooms, the internet, and social media, kids and teenagers went out into the world and figured out the meaning of life by doing, not by what some influencer on a small screen said. This sets the stage for The 4:30 Movie where a teenager named Brian David (Austin Zajur) is obsessed with movies and having around with his two best friends in Jersey named Burny (Nicholas Cirillo) and Belly (Reed Northrup). Creeping over Brian's shoulder is the opposite sex, specifically a girl named Melody (Siena Agudong) who he has a crush on. Lucky for Brian, she is into the same nerdy movies and comics that he is and they make a date to see The 4:30 Movie playing at their local theater. But before that amazing date, Brian, Burny, and Belly talk about the facets of life that are only important to that age in a time when life is still in front of these teenagers.

Throughout their discussions and sneaking into movies throughout the day they realize that life is not just about getting laid but rather about growing the confidence to be themselves and go out and seek what they love. This is not the same old conversation and witty banter between the stoner Jay and Silent Bob characters. The dialogue feels more realistic and genuine through the eyes of these teenagers who haven't transformed into the cynical commuters that adults are. It has a lighter feel to the conversations that took place in Stand By Me than it does in any Kevin Smith film and that's a great thing. Through laughs, fights, and misadventures, The 4:30 Movie lives in its own coming-of-age narrative rather than a stoner comedy that only relies on smart dirty jokes in the View Askew universe. There are more layers underneath here that Smith is telling from his own life and it feels very relatable as the kids react to their surroundings of being told "no" and discovering what makes them all happy.

The performances from the four main teenagers and Ken Jeong are stunning and comical with a ton of cameos (kept secret here for surprises) from Smith's previous movies. Smith isn't known for his iconic camerawork, however, he utilizes the '80s in a great way by transporting all of the props and wardrobe to their location which feels like a time warp to a better time. But his strength lies in his writing and being able to allow his actors to perform in a realistic way that mirrors the viewer's teenage days. The 4:30 Movie is a wonderful movie that appeals to anyone who went through those teenage years with good friends and who loved movies in the '80s. Even though Smith's films always have heart and soul to their wacky surfaces, this one takes the cake and will leave anyone watching it with a big golden smile.

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray 
The 4:30 Movie pops its way to 4K + Blu-ray + Digital Code via Lionsgate. The two discs are housed inside a beautiful Steelbook with a clear plastic sleeve. The sleeve artwork features an '80s homage to sci-fi films with the characters of the film against a purple and orange background with spaceships and cars. The Steelbook itself is made to look like an old-school VHS tape. The discs themselves look like reel-to-reels and there is an insert for a digital code. NOTE: Artwork on the packaging and discs indicate Dolby Vision HDR is present, that is a misprint. Portions of this review have been updated. 

The 4:30 Movie comes with a 2160p 4K UHD SDR transfer. The film is set in the '80s and Smith makes sure that it looks like it with the right amount of film grain and color palettes that go along with those Reagan years of nostalgia. The color palette of the first sequence brings in those yellow and brown tones of kitchen wallpaper and cabinets that look amazing. Exterior shots of Jersey look great with green grass, light blue skies, and those brick-colored buildings of a small downtown neighborhood. Inside the movie theater, even with SDR, illuminates the neon lights where colors run rampant with purples, pinks, and blues that go nicely with the yellow popcorn machine. Black levels are inky and rich without any big crush or murky shadows while the skin tones are natural throughout. The detail is sharp and vivid too with great closeups that reveal facial pores, makeup applications, pimples, acne, freckles, individual hairs, and more. Textures in the '80s clothing look amazing and the vintage props and theater seats show exquisite detail. Background items and the small city landmarks look wonderful. The great layer of grain makes the movie feel like it was released in 1986. The faux trailers throughout the film have an extra Grindhouse feel with more grain and swarms of issues to make it feel like 40 years ago. There are no major problems with banding or heavy noise either. This is a great-looking video presentation in 4K even in SDR. - Portions of this section have been corrected after some confusion over the presence of HDR on this disc. It is in fact an SDR disc, no HDR grading is present.  

This release comes with a Dolby Atmos track that sounds great, although there isn't much in the way of big action or gun blasts here. Like most of Smith's films, this one too is dialogue-heavy, mostly centered on the front speakers. Sound effects of the movie theater, small-town life, vehicles, and other ambient settings sound wonderful. The big bursts of sound that utilize most of the sound system are when people are waiting to watch movies, when people standing in lines for the films to start, and when the song cues turn up. The bass kicks in with the fake movie trailers and when the score heightens the comedy and drama, but that's as far as the bass goes. The dialogue is clean, clear, and easy to understand without any audio problems. Again, this is not a booming audio mix meant for the complexities of a Dolby Atmos track, however, it still sounds nostalgically great. 

There are only 26 minutes of extras here but they are worth watching. Smith's commentary track is well worth the listen too. 

• Audio Commentary - Kevin Smith once again delivered a fantastic commentary track where he talks about making the film, casting the roles, the cameos, and how the story mimics his real life. He even gets choked up a few times through. One funny bit that happens a few times is that his sweet puppy dog can be heard barking at people outside in the yard where Kevin has a wonderful time trying to get his pup to stop barking. I feel those moments deeply. 
• Going Home Again (HD, 23 Mins.) - Cast and crew interviews discuss making the film with some onset footage. This is longer than the normal EPK featurettes and provides some fun anecdotes and information on how the movie was made.
• Trailer (HD, 3 Mins.) - The trailer for the film. 

The 4:30 Movie is a bright, genuine story about teenagers figuring it all out through friendship and first romances at a movie theater in the '80s. This little piece of Kevin Smith's life is an endearing and funny narrative that most people will relate to without the wacky antics of Jay and Silent Bob. The 4K image even in SDR looks amazing and nostalgic while the Dolby Atmos track sounds good. The bonus features are light but well worth the watch. Highly Recommended!