Oliver! - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

As I’ve mentioned in some reviews, I’m not a big fan of biopics. Just as troublesome for me is my iffy relationship with movie musicals. While there are exceptions and there are a few I legitimately adore, I’m often vexed by the insistence to sing every emotion or key plot beat when a conversation would suffice and move the plot along. I’ve had people flat tell me I’m a crumudgeon about musicals. I accept that. I can live with that. But then we get something like Carol Reed’s Oliver!, and that hard-nosed exterior softens at the opening song about a band of orphaned children wishing for better eats. 

Now, through two Blu-ray releases, the first 4K UHD release, and this solo venture, this will be the fourth time we at HDD have looked at Oliver! on disc. Seeing that I don’t have much to add to the conversation, I’ll link to Mr. Krauss’ Blu-ray reviews and Mr. Duarte’s 4K review. Between the two of them, I find I am square in the middle of my colleagues and their assessments. While I fully understand how Mr. Duarte feels about the song and dance numbers being at odds with the tone of the story, I can’t deny they’re infectiously entertaining in their drab Dickensian manner. 

At the same time, I don’t fully love the film as strongly as Mr. Krauss. Since he saw the film as a child during its original theatrical run, it’s understandable he’d have a stronger pull towards it. I first saw this as a child on a small ten-inch television - hardly the grand scale of a theater screen to leave a truly lasting impression. I have fond memories of Oliver! but I don’t love it. It’s a musical I’ll watch and enjoy, but not one I’d necessarily go out of my way to pull off the shelf. 

It’s with that I’ll leave you to read better, more nuanced thoughts than I have. 

David Krauss' Blu-ray Review

M. Enois Duarte's 4K UHD Review

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray 
Please, sir, can we have another 4K? Carol Reed’s Oliver! grabs another bowlful of 2160p for a single-disc solo title release from Sony. Pressed on a BD100 disc, the disc is housed in a standard black case with identical slipcover artwork. A Movies Anywhere-compatible digital code is included. The Disc loads to a static image main menu with standard navigation options along the bottom and the list of extra features along the right side of the screen.

A little extra spoonful of Dolby Vision flavoring can go a long way. I have to tip my hat for this disc over the previous HDR10-only release from four years ago. Now, in a number of respects, color grading, details, bitrate, and so forth, the two discs are neck and neck. This new release only sees modest enhancements for the color saturation, letting primaries get a little more pop without upending their purposefully drab appearances. The soft and dreamy Oscar-nominated cinematography from Oswald Morris is beautiful, but its nature doesn’t always lend to the most crystal-clear details, but what’s here is lovely. Where this grade takes the edge is in improvements for contrast and black levels. The film loves its soft whites, shadows, and dark spaces, and I felt the Dolby Vision grade was a more dynamic presentation in that regard.

Again, I am left to square this release against the previous one. This is, without hesitation, a stronger, more balanced transfer than four years ago, but it’s not enough of an improvement for me to suggest that fans who bought the Columbia Classics Vol 2 set years ago should go out and buy it one more time. You’d really have to love this film to shell out for an incremental visual improvement when nothing else has been upgraded for audio or the bonus features. 

This edition of Oliver! carries over the same Impressive Dolby Atmos mix, the same solid DTS-HD MA 5.1 track, as well as the excellent DTS-HD MA 2.0 tracks. I’ll give props to the Atmos where it’s due, I think it’s an excellent, spacious, and impactful track - but of the three, my dusty tophat leans towards the 2.0. The 5.1 does sound very good, and it gives a hefty performance, but for a classic like Oliver! I’m not always excited by the flash of a 5.1 track or Atmos when that 2.0 track delivers such an organically authentic experience. But that’s just me. I appreciate that Sony gives fans the option of picking which works best, so click through the tracks, replay your favorite songs, and find the one that works for you. And I will give that Atmos track its due, I replayed many of the songs through that mix and it was a very nicely engaging experience without sounding overworked or out of place. 

The same arrangement of bonus features returns for this release, only they’re all on one disc without a 1080p Blu-ray disc. 

• Audio Commentary features film historian and filmmaker Steven C. Smith
• Jack Wild Screen Test
• Sing-Alongs
• Meeting Oliver! 
• Meeting Fagin! 
• Dance Instructions 
• Dance and Sing-Alongs 
• The Locations of Oliver! 
• Vintage Behind-the-Scenes Featurette 
• Trailers 

And with Oliver!, we’re only one title away from a complete re-release of the films within the Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection Vol 2 (It's a safe bet Criterion will eventually be taking another look at Anatomy of a Murder). In keeping with Sony’s rerelease scheme, Carol Reed’s classic musical adaptation comes home with a new and notably improved Dolby Vision HDR grade. It might not be enough to warrant a double dip if you already have the HDR10-only disc, but if you’re a fan and want to add this to the collection, this is the better option of the two. Especially if you don’t want to pay those hefty gray-market prices. I’m usually a stiff dolt about most musicals, but I can’t deny I watched through this classic again with the biggest and daffiest of smiles on my face. Highly Recommended