It's a Wonderful Life (UHD Blu-ray Steelbook) review

[David Vaughn]

Studio: Paramount
Release Date: November 3, 2019
Rating: PG
Film: 5/5
 
Plot
George Bailey is a small-town man whose life seems so desperate he contemplates suicide. He had always wanted to leave Bedford Falls to see the world, but circumstances and his own good heart have led him to stay. He sacrificed his education for his brother's, kept the family-run savings and loan afloat, protected the town from the avarice of the greedy banker Mr. Potter, and married his childhood sweetheart. As he prepares to jump from a bridge, his guardian angel intercedes, showing him what life would have become for the residents of Bedford Falls if he had never lived.
 
My Thoughts
I’m not sure a movie with such spiritual messages could be made today for a mass audience like this was back in 1946. While receiving good reviews when it debuted seventy years ago, I’m not sure anyone would have predicted that it would become one of the most beloved films of all-time. One that I hadn’t watched myself until just a couple of years ago when I reviewed the Blu-ray. Seriously, how could I have missed this gem for so many years?  Needless to say, my wife and I really enjoyed the message as well as the fabulous casting starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. While it received three Oscar nominations—Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director—it won none.
 
Paramount says they spent well over a year restoring this treasured film, using the original nitrate negative along with two fine grain masters made in the 1940s. Each element was carefully scanned using the latest technology to both preserve the delicate negative and create the best possible digital image. Fortunately, 13 of the 14 reels of the original negatives survived, but portions had begun to deteriorate so the best image was selected from one of the three original sources on a shot-by-shot basis. The result is a more vibrant and detail-rich picture that really comes alive in 4K. Although I only have the original Blu-ray to compare it to, this is by far the superior way to watch the film.
 
This is the second release on 4K of the film, but you can now find it in a beautiful steelbook package. If you’re not into that type of thing, then save a few bucks and buy the original.
 
The audio track is about what you’d expect from a film from the 1940s, but the dialog is always intelligible and while there aren’t any explosions or blow you out of your seat dynamics, it sounds great.
 
Video 10/10
 
Audio 7/10 (Dolby TrueHD Mono)
 
Special Features (Housed on Blu-ray):
 

• Restoring a Beloved Classic Featurette
• Secrets from the Vault Featurette
• It’s a Wonderful Life Wrap Party
• It’s a Wonderful Life Blu-ray (Colorized Version) + Digital Copy

 
 

 
Conclusion
Although we are two months from Christmas, rewatching this film has put me in the holiday spirit and its time to take out some of our other old classics and add them to the viewing queue. The 4K restoration is outstanding and I really like the steelbook packaging.  
 
 

Reference Review System:
 JVC DLA-RS2000 4K Ultra High Definition Front Projector
 (Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
 Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 88” 16x9 Fixed Screen
 Anthem AVM60 Audio/Video Processor 
 ATI AT527NC Powering Bed ChannelsATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
 Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player 
 System Controller: URC MX-980M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
 Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
 SVS PC-Ultra Cylinder Subwoofer
 HSU VTF-15H MK2 Subwoofer
 SVS SB-3000 SubwooferJL Audio Dominion D110 Subwoofer x 2 (configured as tandem mid bass modules)Mini DSP controlling all subwoofers
 Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
 PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner