Based on the fantastical illustrated magazine HEAVY METAL, producer Ivan Reitman enlists the help of some of Hollywood’s animation masters to create the otherworldly tale of a glowing green orb from outer space that spreads destruction throughout the galaxy. Only when encountered by its one true enemy, to whom it is inexplicably drawn, will goodness prevail throughout the universe. Richly and lavishly drawn, the vignettes of the orb’s dark victories include the character voices of John Candy, Harold Ramis and a pounding soundtrack by Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, Cheap Trick, Devo, Donald Fagen, Don Felder, Grand Funk Railroad, Sammy Hagar, Journey, Nazareth, Stevie Nicks, Riggs, and Trust. Highly imaginative and full of surprising special effects, HEAVY METAL set the standard for alternative contemporary animation. An intoxicating experience not to be missed!
For thoughts on Heavy Metal and Heavy Metal 2000, please check out my piece on The Video Attic:
[youtube https://youtu.be/x79OWdocURQ]
Video Quality
Heavy Metal comes to 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a 2160p/Dolby Vision transfer reviewed and approved by Ivan Reitman that is incredibly bold with an amazing amount of depth. This disc provides some substantial improvements over the older Blu-Ray in almost all areas including more vivid, natural colors, deeper black levels and the elimination of any digital artifacting. The Blu-Ray artificially boosted some of the darker moments, but the 4K disc makes things a bit darker and in line with the original source material as intended. This feature is less bubblegum bright than films from other studios like Disney, but visits to certain planets or articles of clothing make for a colorful time. This presentation handles the subtle gradients of the artwork in a way that is just excellent. This disc provides excellent line detail and more distinct shading, which gives the characters greater definition.
The use of Dolby Vision yields some very pleasing enhancements to the dynamic colors on display such as in the costumes or explosions, and the disc provides much deeper black levels for a cleaner viewing experience free of black crush. The source elements have also been cleaned up immensely with print damage or dust basically eradicated leaving nothing but the beautiful natural grain on the screen over the flawless artwork. The Blu-Ray had numerous problems that most probably believed would never be corrected, but the good folks at Sony Pictures Home Entertainment have saved the day with this one.
Heavy Metal 2000 honestly looks really strong on Blu-Ray with its newly remastered 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. If your only exposure to this film is the DVD version, you will be knocked out by the jump in quality. This Blu-Ray helps clean up the image by eliminating damage, nasty compression artifacts and digital nuisances of that nature. The worst that pops up is a slight bit of banding in some of the background. Colors are incredibly vibrant and bold throughout the entire run. The animation style lends itself to clean character outlines brought to life with thin lines, along with some very expressive backgrounds that look wonderful in high definition. The only major knock against this feature is the extremely dated digital animation that is peppered throughout which looks rough after all of these years. Other than this, the presentation really delivers how you would want it to.
Audio Quality
This 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with a boisterous Dolby Atmos soundtrack that features enhanced sound effects and more supervised by producer Ivan Reitman. This track gives an impressive amount of life to the world that is respectful to the artistic intent while really pushing the limits of your sound system. For those who want something artistically pure, Sony also provides the original 1981 theatrical Dolby Stereo audio along with a DTS-HD 5.1 mix for the new 2022 track. The movie is fairly dialogue driven, even during violent confrontations, and clarity is never an issue. The John Candy narration during the second full story permeates the room in a memorable way. The track makes good use of all of the surround speakers, with fast and furious flourishes and varied environments adding a lot of subtle activity.
When you are in the final stretch with Taarna, the array of sound effects come fast and furious. The height channels are used to subtly expand and complement the sonic palette rather than carry the main load. The positioning of the sounds is never an issue, and the track delivers capably on the low end of the spectrum. The channels all maintain a distinct fidelity and separation so that everything is even more precise. The movie has a tremendous soundtrack of classic rock tunes from the era which are balanced well with the beats of the story. Heavy Metal 2000 likewise holds up nicely with its DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix which never falters when it comes to striking a middle ground between the grand action, pointed dialogue or the rock-oriented soundtrack. Both tracks are an excellent sounding experience from start to finish.
Special Features
Sony has provided Heavy Metal with a sleek, colorful new SteelBook based on the original one-sheet that is truly lovely in person. The front artwork is a nicely animated depiction of Taarna riding her mount with a sword to the sky and landscapes from the film in the background, and the rear features the smiley face ship with some more character art nestled in the smile. The interior sports a solid metal gray appearance that is not creative in any particular way. Video of the SteelBook can be found at the top of this review.
Heavy Metal
- Heavy Metal – A Look Back (4K Exclusive): A new nine-minute piece featuring interviews with producer Ivan Reitman and various famous faces like Norman Reedus and Kevin Smith, among many others, in which they discuss the legacy of the film, the progressive nature of the execution, the comedic voices they got to contribute to the feature and more. Reitman is the anchor here as he discusses how the film actually came about, the decision to incorporate different styles of animation, and much more that makes for a fun addition.
- Heavy Metal – Feature Length Rough Cut: A full 90-minute version of the film in very rough early animated form without dialogue, music and all the important connective tissue featured in the final version. This is a very intriguing way to view the film as you see how things evolved and improved in different ways. This is presented with an optional audio commentary from Carl Macek, author of the book Heavy Metal: Animation for the 80s, in which he brings a great amount of context to what you are seeing and ideas behind the stories and production.
- Deleted Scenes: Two scenes of unused material are provided here, one of which is presented with and without commentary by Macek. They are presented in rough animation in standard definition and would drastically change how the story would have played out.
- Imagining Heavy Metal: A 36-minute archival documentary in which various members of the creative team dive deep into the film as they discuss the impact of Heavy Metal magazine, how the feature came about, the stories and themes of the feature, the different styles of animation and how they were executed, it’s legacy and more. This is the most substantial piece in the package, and it is well worth a watch if you are a fan of the material.
Heavy Metal 2000
- Julie Strain – Super Goddess: A 13-minute appreciation piece for this “Queen of the B-Movies” which examines her appeal, her place in the business, the connection she has with her fans, her relationship with her partner, nurturing the next generation and more.
- Voice Talent: A four-minute piece which looks at how they translated Julie Strain into an animated character, Michael Ironside giving his all, Billy Idol’s desire to come into the world of animation and more.
- Animation Tests: A minute-long rough storyboard narrated by Kevin Eastman, editor of Heavy Metal magazine.
- Animatic Comparisons: A nearly 12-minute collection of five scenes that show the final version compared to the rough animatic.
Final Thoughts
Heavy Metal is not the most subtle film, but its anarchic spirit is what has allowed it to endure for over four decades and counting. The blend of punk rock storytelling and dazzling animation is catnip for any audience member looking to push past the boundaries of polite society. There are elements of the story that have not aged as well, but controversy has always been part of the package when it comes to this one. Women are overtly sexualized throughout, but the creative team also leaves them far from helpless when it comes down to it. The sequel Heavy Metal 2000 loses some of the charm of the original, but it has enough grit to keep things entertaining. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has delivered a 4K UHD Blu-Ray of the original film that kicks serious butt in the A/V department along with some decent supplemental features. Couple this with the Blu-Ray debut of Heavy Metal 2000, and you have a collection that is not to be missed. Both films are housed in a Limited Edition SteelBook that should be on the shelf of any serious adult animation fan. Recommended
Heavy Metal is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray in Limited Edition SteelBook Packaging.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Sony 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.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
