The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) [4K Ultra HD]

Director: Clint Eastwood

Cast: Clint Eastwood, Chief Dan George, Sondra Locke

Release Date: April 29, 2025

A Review By: Kevin Lovell

Disc Rating: 8.5/10

Synopsis:

Academy Award winner Clint Eastwood stars in and directs this fast-paced Western about the fight for vengeance by a Missouri farmer whose family is murdered in the last days of the United States’ Civil War.

‘The Outlaw Josey Wales’ joins a Missouri farmer who is forced to bear witness to the brutal attack and murder of his family in the final days of the Civil War. After joining with a group of rebels out to find justice and continue fighting, the rest of the group are betrayed and gunned down. Josey then sets out on his own personal quest for revenge and ends up crossing paths with numerous men hunting for him in his journey, along with befriending a couple allies and realizing that one way or another the fight will have to end, although likely in bloody fashion.

‘The Outlaw Josey Wales’ is directed by Clint Eastwood who also portrays the title character within, with Eastwood directing from a screenplay by Phil Kaufman and Sonia Chernus; based on the novel “Gone to Texas” by Forrest Carter and Eastwood does a terrific job guiding along the tense, heartfelt and unforgettable tale. In addition to Eastwood, the film also stars Chief Dan George, Sondra Locke, Bill McKinney, and John Vernon who each provide solid and capable performances as a whole in their respective roles.

‘The Outlaw Josey Wales’ originally debuted theatrically in 1976 and took viewers for a riveting and unforgettable journey through the chaos of a post-Civil war America and one man’s quest for vengeance as well as peace. The film still delivers the goods today, nearly fifty years after it first hit cinema screens and it remains one of Eastwood’s most beloved efforts to many; offering an expansive and spanning adventure that won’t be easily forgotten, rich with excitement, heart and action throughout, all backed by a moving tale with roots in reality. If you’ve somehow never had the pleasure of ‘The Outlaw Josey Wales’ but typically enjoy a quality western with some real elements and a great deal of action, heart and beauty to offer (or perhaps just love a great film starring Eastwood) then I can’t encourage you strongly enough to go out of your way to give this one a whirl because it’s pretty outstanding and probably not to be missed, as well as showcasing Eastwood at his finest both behind and in front of the camera.

‘The Outlaw Josey Wales’ comes home once again, this time in 4K Ultra HD for the first time ever courtesy of Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment. The beloved 1976 film makes its 4K debut alongside the 4K UHD debuts of two other iconic Clint Eastwood films; ‘Dirty Harry’ (you can read my review of that 4K release here) and ‘Pale Rider’ (you can also read my 4K review of that release here).

‘The Outlaw Josey Wales’ rides onto 4K Ultra HD featuring a spectacular new full Ultra High Definition presentation with HDR-10 which looks breathtaking and is only perfectly complemented by a notable new Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible) soundtrack as well as the option to view with the film’s original theatrical presentation (presented here in split mono DTS-HD MA) and the result is surely the best this film has ever looked or sounded at home and by a good margin I would guess, and fans should be absolutely thrilled with what it has to offer. In addition to the marvelous video and audio presentations, the release also features a nice offering of bonus content that includes a couple brand new Featurettes and numerous previously released extras as well. If you’re a fan of ‘The Outlaw Josey Wales’ or of Clint Eastwood in general and are considering a purchase, then this new 4K UHD release is very highly recommended and should have little trouble leaving fans ecstatic.

VIDEO:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of ‘The Outlaw Josey Wales’ features a full 2160p Ultra High Definition presentation with HDR-10 presented in the film’s original 2.39:1 Aspect Ratio. The video presentation looks outstanding across the board and it delivers a clean, sharp and gorgeously detailed presentation from start to finish that’s an absolute treat to behold and never suffers from any notable issues or troubles along the way and always retaining its filmic appearance. Detail is wonderful from character faces and stubble, to clothing, the sprawling landscapes on display and everything else which looks spectacular at every turn. Much of it is nicely boosted by the HDR which offers richer, more lifelike coloring on clothing, nature elements and more (a great example is the vibrant white suit of the elixir salesman who appears around the seventeen minute mark) and black levels and rich, deep and problem free. Overall, this is a phenomenal Ultra High Definition presentation that never loses its way and should easily have fans thrilled.

AUDIO:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release features a Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 channel compatible) soundtrack, as well as including the Original Theatrical Soundtrack which is presented in 2.0 (split mono) DTS-HD Master Audio. Please note that in regard to the Dolby Atmos soundtrack this review pertains solely to the Dolby TrueHD 7.1 audio presentation.

As with the other two Clint Eastwood gems making their 4K debuts simultaneously alongside this one, I tried to check out both audio options to offer a bit of insight on each. The Dolby Atmos/TrueHD 7.1 option again offers an expanded and fairly immersive audio presentation that is remastered and with a few more channel options added in and it sends the score, along with a flurry of gunshots, debris and nature effects, plus a fair bit more whipping throughout the various speakers regularly while never negatively affecting any simultaneously occurring audio elements. It offers a more expansive option that stays true to the heart of the film for the most part while updating into a more modern style. The Original Theatrical presentation (presented in dual mono DTS-HD 2.0) is also pretty terrific in its own right and finally brings home the option to hear the film as it was originally presented which should thrill purists. Overall, these are once again both very nice soundtrack presentations and both should easily please viewers while it will merely be up to which option each individual prefers, yet both certainly deliver admirably to say the least.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of ‘The Outlaw Josey Wales’ features a nice helping of bonus content including a couple brand new Featurettes and various previously released extras. Included on the release is an ‘Audio Commentary by Richard Schickel’, along with the two new Featurettes ‘An Outlaw and an Antihero’ (running approximately 7 minutes in length), and ‘The Cinematography of an Outlaw: Crafting Josey Wales’ (running approximately 8 minutes). We are also treated to some previously released Featurettes and a Documentary including ‘Clint Eastwood’s West’ (approximately 29 minutes), ‘Eastwood in Action’ (8 minutes), ‘Hell Hath No Fury – The Making of The Outlaw Josey Wales’ (29 minutes) and ‘Clint Eastwood: A Cinematic Legacy – Reinventing Westerns’ (17 minutes).

*Please note: The above images are taken from the film’s Remastered Trailer and are not reflective of the actual 4K Ultra HD release or its quality. A standard Blu-ray copy of the film was not included in the release that could be used for screenshots therefore the above images were utilized. All content and images from the film are the property of their respective owners.

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Disc Rating: 8.5/10

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‘The Outlaw Josey Wales’ is Now Available to Own on 4K Ultra HD & Digital from Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment

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You can Purchase ‘The Outlaw Josey Wales’ on 4K UHD at Amazon HERE!

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