This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Academy Award nominee Robert Downey, Jr. gives a stellar performance in this irresistible blend of roaringly funny and deeply touching episodes in this magical romantic comedy. An incredible cast including Charles Grodin, Kyra Sedgwick, Alfre Woodard, Tom Sizemore, and Elisabeth Shue also star in this story of a fateful night in 1959, in which four souls become eternally entwined into the life of a newborn.

For thoughts on Heart and Souls, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/tcevstdnyV0?t=741]

Video Quality

Heart and Souls comes to Blu-Ray with a 1080p transfer in its original 2.39:1 that is pretty solid from Universal Pictures. There is no indication that this transfer is derived from a new master, but even this older master provides a pleasant enough experience. The movie has since been released again on Blu-Ray by Mill Creek Entertainment, which is almost assuredly from the same master. That label has a bad track record with compression artifacts, so this Universal release is likely marginally better. This transfer holds up with minimal signs of damage or digital tinkering. The source appears to be in good shape with only slight speckling of debris so mild that it is unlikely to impede upon anyone’s experience.

Colors are well saturated with a natural vibrancy to them. Black levels are acceptable in their depth, even if a few moments struggle with delineation and crush. The transfer looks fairly clear and detailed for the majority of the runtime with only intermittent moments exhibiting density fluctuations in the grain field. Image quality is stable with some welcome detail in the production design and texture of clothing. Compression artifacts and other digital anomalies are kept to a minimum. The presentation is one that holds up fairly well given the age of the master.

Audio Quality

Universal brings us this new Blu-Ray with a lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix that gets the job done capably. Dialogue holds up favorably, coming through clearly without being overshadowed by the music or sound effects. The environmental elements are not implemented in a showy manner, but they are delineated nicely within the speakers. There are a handful of scenes that make an impression when it comes to sound design, but this is not a standout in that regard. The sounds of certain kinetic moments bring some texture to the low end. The Marc Shaiman score sets the tone of the narrative and you do not hear any weakness when it comes to fidelity. Universal has delivered a mighty fine track here. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.

Special Features

There are no special features provided on this disc.

Final Thoughts

Heart and Souls is a predictable crowd pleaser, but sometimes you need such a film in your cinematic diet. While we wish that some of the characters were not so narrowly boxed into archetypes, this journey provides a heartwarming experience filled with a decent amount of laughs and some genuinely touching moments. Robert Downey Jr. delivers a very versatile performance that always keeps you glued to the screen, and the rest of the ensemble supports him very well. If you are in the mood for a comfort film, this one should do the trick. Universal Picture Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray that sports a good A/V presentation but nothing in the way of special features. Recommended

Heart and Souls can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or through various other online retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Universal Pictures 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.