‘Kinky Boots’ Blu-Ray Review – An Open-Hearted Dramedy With Memorable Performances

For generations, the Price family has made very sensible, very conservative shoes for men.  But to save the business from imminent bankruptcy, young Charlie Price (Edgerton) turns to an unlikely new creative consultant: a fabulous drag performer (Ejiofor) whose creative style and wild designs are a breath of fresh air in the stuffy old factory.

For thoughts on Kinky Boots, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic: 

[youtube https://youtu.be/Vf-LEddKM0w?t=574]

Video Quality

Kinky Boots makes its Blu-Ray debut with a 1080p transfer that is quite striking and represents a big step up in quality from the dated DVD. While I have no specific details about the transfer, this appears to be derived from a very solid older master that shows no signs of age-related wear and tear. For the majority of the film, the transfer looks incredibly clear and detailed with only a couple of shots in specific lighting conditions exhibiting a bit of excessive softness. The transfer is naturally filmic with some impressive detail in the production design and texture of clothing. Colors stand out in a really pleasing manner with bright, vivid hues leaping off the screen, especially when it comes to costumes and stage work. Black levels are pleasing in their depth with not much in the way of crush present. There are no specks of print damage present in the transfer. Overall, I was quite impressed by how strong the presentation was from beginning to end. 

Audio Quality

Paramount Home Entertainment brings us this new Blu-Ray with a lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix that does everything it needs to do really well. From the opening moments, the sound of the boardwalk and open country along with the soundtrack brings nuanced life to the rear speakers. The movie features many songs from the era which sound great within the mix. The dialogue holds up quite nicely, coming though clearly without being stepped on by the music or sound effects. The environmental effects are delineated nicely and given a dynamic placement throughout the speakers. The film features a few stray sequences that allow the low end to show off, but it is not a standout in that regard. This is a track that represents this film exactly as it needs to.

Special Features

• Audio Commentary: Director Julian Jarrold, and stars Joel Edgerton, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Sarah-Jane Potts deliver a decent commentary track which delivers basic production details but never goes anywhere too interesting outside of some lively interjections from Edgerton. 

• The Real Kinky Boots Factory: A nearly 15-minute piece which explores the real-life story of the factory, how the idea was turned into this film, how the performers used their interactions with the owners in their performances and more. 

• Deleted Scenes: Four scenes of unused material totaling nearly eight minutes are provided here featuring some nice scenes with Lola and with Charlie. These are provided with optional audio commentary from Director Julian Jarrold. 

• The Journey Of A Brogue: A minute-long piece which charts the manufacturing of a shoe. 

Final Thoughts

Kinky Boots is a perfectly satisfying, heartwarming crowd pleaser that offers up equal parts humor and heart. There are elements of the film that have not aged as well, but you can give it a bit of leeway considering everything was done with an open heart. The performances are very strong across the board, and the direction is handled without fault. Paramount Home Entertainment has released this one at long last on Blu-Ray with a pleasing A/V presentation and some legacy special features. If you are a fan of this film, you will not be disappointed. Recommended

Kinky Boots is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray. 

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

Disclaimer: Paramount 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.