Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (Steelbook) [4K Ultra HD]

Director: John Hughes

Cast: Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, Alan Ruck

Release Date: August 1, 2023

A Review By: Kevin Lovell

Disc Rating: 8/10

Synopsis:

“Bueller… Bueller…?” Sorry, not here! Instead, high-schooler Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick), his girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara), and his best bud Cameron (Alan Ruck) are off on the spontaneous romp through Chicago known as FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF. So, barf up a lung, forge a “sick note” from the parents, and tag along on the funniest adventure to ever sweep through the Windy City.

Please Note: Paramount Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray I reviewed in this Post. The opinions I share are my own.

The comedy classic ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ joins popular and troublemaking high-school student Ferris Bueller as he tries to cleverly pull off a day away from school in order to head out into Chicago and live it up with his girlfriend Sloane and best buddy Cameron, because who could be expected to worry about a school on a day as beautiful as this? Unfortunately in order to get away with it and live the day to the fullest he’ll have to trick his parents with elaborate setups at home, convince his buddy to take his dad’s car and head out with him, as well as pick up his girlfriend from school without being recognized. Not to mention avoiding those who are intent to prove that he’s not sick after all. Fortunately, if anyone is up to the challenge, it’s definitely Ferris.

The beloved coming of age comedy classic ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ was Produced, Written and Directed by iconic filmmaker John Hughes who does a great job of guiding along the humorous fun and excitement throughout. The film’s cast includes Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, Alan Ruck, Jeffrey Jones, Jennifer Grey and more, with each offering fitting and generally solid performances for the most part in their respective roles and the majority doing their part to help make this comedic ride work as well as it does.

‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ was first unleashed upon moviegoers in June of 1986 and it still holds up as a beloved comedy classic for fans of all ages, delivering a generally enjoyable, light-hearted and amusingly goofy good time more than thirty-five years after it was first released. Loaded with hilariously over the top characters, a shockingly simple general premise and one enjoyable twist, turn and unexpected moment after another, not to mention featuring talented star Matthew Broderick in one of his most memorable roles of all time, and a great supporting cast to back him up. Plus of course the rewarding direction and script from the legendary John Hughes on top of everything else which certainly never hurts. If you’ve somehow never had the privilege of checking out ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ but tend to enjoy similar comedy films or the work of John Hughes in general, then you’ll almost surely want to get your hands on a copy (or streaming/digital provider with it available) of this one and rectify that whenever possible.

‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ comes home once again from Paramount Home Entertainment, this time around in 4K Ultra HD for the first time ever which will surely have diehard fans of this popular comedy classic and John Hughes’ work in general celebrating. The new 4K UHD release features a new Ultra High Definition video presentation of the film with Dolby Vision and HDR-10 which looks outstanding as a whole and is only splendidly complemented by a new Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 channel compatible) soundtrack which both come together to deliver the ‘80s comedy gem with some new life, looking and sounding noticeably better than it ever has before. The release is absent of any new or exclusive bonus inclusions, although it does include numerous previously released extras from the Save Ferris! edition. Even without any brand new extras to offer, the great new video and audio presentations alone should make this one well worth upgrading for any fully 4K capable fans. If you’re already considering a purchase but haven’t yet picked up a copy, this new 4K Ultra HD release of ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ is definitely recommended!

VIDEO:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ features a full 2160p Ultra High-Definition presentation with Dolby Vision and HDR-10, presented in its original 2.39:1 Aspect Ratio. The video presentation looks magnificent as a whole and provides a beautifully filmic, sharp and marvelously detailed presentation from start to finish that’s absent of any noticeable faults or issues arising along the way. It showcases impressive upgrades in detail and clarity in nearly every department including character faces, clothing and other up close details, along with the expansive city streets, the ballpark and even the school hallways; even background characters within those moments all looking sharper and more precise than ever before. The Dolby Vision HDR addition only improves upon all of it and delivers a great color palette that offers richer, more realistic colors in clothing, the bright red of the car, along with a whole lot more appearing onscreen along the way and all splendidly complemented by clean, rich black levels. Overall, this is a wonderful new Ultra High Definition video presentation that breathes new life into this beloved comedy classic and it should have fans thrilled.

AUDIO:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release features a Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 channel compatible) soundtrack. Please note that this review pertains solely to the Dolby TrueHD 7.1 audio presentation. This new multichannel soundtrack also contributes some slightly more immersive fun to the classic film and provides a sharp, clean and crisp audio presentation throughout. It doesn’t ever get overly aggressive or carried away with the use of the additional channels although does utilize them on many occasions in order to send some auditory content throughout the various speakers such as the music, along with some vehicle effects such as the car jumping over the hill around the 54 minute, 30 second mark which is noticeable as it moves from behind the viewer to the front. The additional surround element is also beneficial during crowd noise and more throughout its duration while never conflicting with any dialogue or other audio elements that might be occurring simultaneously. Overall, this is a very nice new Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible) soundtrack that may not be revolutionary, but still makes for a nice little upgrade that certainly doesn’t go entirely unnoticed or unappreciated.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ features various previously released extras including an ‘Audio Commentary by Director John Hughes’, along with ‘Getting the Class Together – The Cast of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ (running approximately 28 minutes in length). Also included is ‘The Making of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ (running approximately 15 minutes), ‘Who is Ferris Bueller?’ (approximately 9 minutes) and ‘The World According to Ben Stein’ (11 minutes). ‘Vintage Ferris Bueller: The Lost Tapes’ (10 minutes) is also included.

The Limited Edition Steelbook release (which is the version Paramount sent over for review) also features some nice, expansive artwork that overtakes the entire exterior and interior of the case if opened up, packaged with the 4K UHD disc and a digital code sheet included within the sturdy, mildly glossy steelbook case. You can view a beauty shot of the case below for a better idea of what to expect.

*Please note that the above images are taken from a previously released Blu-Ray disc and resized. They do not represent the quality of the 4K Ultra HD disc itself and will additionally suffer quality loss as a result of .jpg compression. Larger versions of each image can be viewed by clicking on the image. All images and content included on the 4K UHD & Blu-Ray release are the property of their respective owners.

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Disc Rating: 8/10

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‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ is Now Available to Own on 4K Ultra HD & Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD Steelbook from Paramount Home Entertainment

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