Nick Nolte is unforgettable as Jack Cates, a rough-edged Inspector on the hunt for two vicious cop-killers. Unlikely ride-along con Reggie Hammond (Eddie Murphy), is given 48-hour leave from prison to help Cates on the case. The laughs fly almost as much as the punches, as both men pursue two very different goals in a short amount of time.
48 Hrs. was reviewed previously on Blu-Ray as a part of the Paramount Presents collection which you can read about here.
Video Quality
48 Hrs. debuts on 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a mixed bag of a 2160p/Dolby Vision transfer that serves as a major upgrade in certain respects and a step back in others. This release does come with the Paramount Presents remastered Blu-Ray disc of the feature film, which makes it easy to see how this new presentation stacks up. The Dolby Vision HDR may disappoint some as it does not provide a dazzling array of colors, but it accomplishes precisely what it is supposed to by showcasing the grim and dark aesthetic intended by Walter Hill. That does not mean it does not improve the palette, though, as colors are indeed more robust and true to their source as the Dolby Vision finds all of the nuances within. The stylistic intention is rendered with precision as each setting looks more saturated and immediate than ever before. Skin tones look completely natural and detailed. White levels are more ambitious without veering into blooming. Black levels are not aiming to be particularly deep, but the HDR does add a bit more depth all the same.
There are thankfully no major signs that any grain reduction has been applied, as you get a much improved experience to what previously seemed like a great Blu-Ray experience. The 4K UHD Blu-Ray truly captures the gritty look of the film with a forthright grain structure that resolves well and brings out so much more detail in the picture. The texture revealed in the production design and costumes is so much more pronounced. Facial details such as bloody noses and perspiration present with unparalleled clarity. Even some of the damage previously overlooked on the remastered Blu-Ray has been further cleaned up here. Detail and clarity is much improved in a way we didn’t think possible.
Where things start to go more awry in this transfer is in the very poor encoding. The presentation is salvaged a bit by Dolby Vision, but there is still meaningful room for improvement beyond what we actually get. From the bright opening moments, the encoding falls apart into a blocky mess. This is not quite as apparent in the remainder of the film with so much taking place in darker moments, but you can still spot it against brighter backgrounds or in smoky environments. This fares far worse in HDR10 compared to the Dolby Vision, but both are far from perfect. This is a particular shame as the benefits in all of the other areas have the makings of a reference quality disc. Some will not be as sensitive to this situation, as a lot will depend on screen size and viewing distance, but it is clear that Paramount needs to take better care of their encoding where they do not fumble things at the finish line.
Audio Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc contains the same Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track featured on the previously-released Blu-Ray. The assessment of the audio quality can be found below:
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray comes with a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack that sonically represents the film quite wonderfully. The activity focuses heavily on the front channels with the stellar score from James Horner filling the room appropriately. Music is used skillfully throughout the presentation, but it never overpowers the dialogue or other important information. The witty dialogue comes through clearly and never falls victim to any digital anomalies. Rear speakers get some consistent activity with ambient sounds including the din of the city and chatter in crowded locations. There is a substantial amount of low-end support when the scene calls for it including some forceful gunshots. This track accomplishes everything it needs to do with great ease.
Special Features
- Filmmaker Focus – Director Walter Hill on 48 Hrs.: A nineteen-minute conversation with Hill in which he discusses how he came to the project, why Clint Eastwood passed on the project, the film being used as counterprogramming during the holiday season, his philosophy on humor in the film, crafting the “movie reality”, the shooting locations and more.
- Isolated Score: An option to view the film exclusively with the James Horner score is provided here.
- Theatrical Trailer: A three-minute trailer is provided for the film.
- Space Kid – Original 1966 Animated Short: A five-and-a-half-minute Noveltoon short briefly featured in the film is provided in HD in which a young space kid is sent to go “play in space” by his mother and he gets into some hijinks on Earth. This is a delightful surprise to find on the disc.
Final Thoughts
48 Hrs. is one the earliest successes in the buddy cop genre and it remains one the most entertaining after all of these years. The dynamic between Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy is the perfect balancing act that delivers hilarious moments but can be deadly serious when it needs to be. Director Walter Hill allows the action to really pack a punch with some truly impressive set pieces that shows the gift that used to be practical stunt work. Paramount Home Entertainment has released a new 4K UHD Blu-Ray that is not as good as it should be. The picture could be really amazing, but the encode does not allow it to fulfill its potential. The release includes the previous remastered Blu-Ray with the special features. Some viewers may be less sensitive to the shortcomings, but those who have the previous Paramount Presents Blu-Ray may want to heavily weigh if the pros outweigh the cons.
48 Hrs. is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Paramount Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.