In 1979, fresh from directing bare knuckle boxing movie Hard Times and supercool crime thriller The Driver, Walter Hill delivered his third stone cold classic in a row: The Warriors, a slam-bang, visually kinetic action movie that mixed a heightened comic-book sensibility with a timeless tale from ancient Greece and set them loose in the streets of modern America. In New York the gangs outnumber the cops by 5-1. Together, they could rule the city. Gang-leader Cyrus has a dream to do just that and calls a summit. The gangs of New York gather in their thousands, Cyrus takes the stage. From somewhere in the crowd a shot rings out and Cyrus falls down dead. In the chaos that follows, a small gang from Coney Island – the Warriors – are blamed. Now everyone is out to get them. On foot, in enemy territory, can they make it through the night to get back across the city to the safety of home turf? For all you boppers out there, for all you street people with an ear for the action… the iconic cult classic is back in a brand new 4K restoration approved by director Walter Hill. Can you dig it?

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

[youtube https://youtu.be/zTRRKTuO0Zw?si=HqpLCwecxgiig4DZ&t=1024]

Video Quality

Arrow Video presents The Warriors with a phenomenal 2160p transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio for Theatrical Cut and 1.78:1 for the 2005 Alternate Version with each version of the film given its own disc. While some of the recent titles from the label’s deal with Paramount have been remastered by the studio itself, this title thankfully has had all of the work executed by Arrow Video. We love Paramount, but they have some bad habits with digital touch-ups that can negatively impact a transfer, while Arrow Video always makes things look as natural as possible to the original intention. The label scanned the 35mm Original Camera Negative in 16-bit 4K resolution and restored and graded it in 4K HDR10/Dolby Vision. The previous Blu-Ray release of The Warriors from Paramount first seen in 2007 omitted the Theatrical Cut entirely, so we are grateful to have the original cut in perfect quality at long last. This film is finally being treated with the respect it deserves.

From the opening moments of the illuminated Coney Island Ferris Wheel, the implementation of Dolby Vision for increased color output is never less than dazzling. For this particular journey, it is the evocative lighting and the costumes and makeup of different gangs that make the most of the technology. With so much of this odyssey taking place over the course of a single night, it is actually the contrast that fares the best with this release. Black levels are robust with nothing in the way of crush present, and highlights are flawless with no evidence of blooming. Director of Photography Andrew Laszlo captures some striking compositions within his framing which are a joy to explore with this disc. You can appreciate the grimy urban landscapes along with some more complex hues when the sun eventually rises. Every hue is dialed in to exactly the shade intended by the creative team.

You will not find anything in the way of print damage or stray specks throughout this immaculate restoration. The film grain appears completely natural without any hint of unwanted manipulation as everything resolves naturally and evenly. Even bright, open skies avoid any spiking or other stray encoding issues. The movie looks quite nice with more detail on display than ever before. The texture present in the costumes and within the setting is a fetching sight. When it comes to encoding, there do not seem to be many digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding, or any other such nuisances. This presentation from Arrow Video is what fans have been dreaming of for years.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of the film comes with an LPCM 1.0 mono track, a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio stereo track, and a new Dolby Atmos track for the Theatrical Cut, all of which represent the film to its fullest potential. Most importantly, fans have the untouched theatrical audio track is newly restored quality along with some expansive options for those who prefer to get the most out of their home theater. As we are purists, we would recommend going with the mono track, but we are happy to have several different options. The 2005 Alternative Cut comes with stereo tracks in DTS-HD 2.0 and 5.1 Master Audio, which presents this version to its fullest potential since it was never rendered with a mono track.

The moody score from Barry De Vorzon establishes a tone for the action that is represented well in the mix. The urban environment is brought to life with a din of sound that creeps through to provide some excellent ambient details. All of the various sounds in the mix seem accurately rendered so that nothing ever feels astray or unnatrual. Moments of violence ratchet up the intensity without becoming a muddled mess, as thankfully everything is delineated with care. Everything is presented with a strong fidelity that never stumbles. Dialogue comes through clearly without being drowned out by the sound effects or music. This presentation is free of any hiss or other age-related wear-and-tear. Arrow Video has pulled out all of the stops for this one. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.

Special Features

The Limited Edition Collector’s Set of the Arrow Video Blu-Ray of The Warriors comes beautifully packaged in a hard outer case and includes a 100-page bound book featuring new writing by film critic Dennis Cozzalio plus select archival material such as an interview with Walter Hill which delve into the film from multiple angles. These works provide a great analysis of the film in a thoughtfully written style. This package also includes a double-sided poster, six double-sided collector’s postcards, and a selection of gang logo stickers. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Disc One (4K UHD Theatrical Cut, 1:33:09)

Audio Commentary: Film Historian Walter Chaw uses his deep knowledge of Walter Hill and the production of this film to relay rich anecdotes about the adaptation of the source material, the social progressiveness of Hill, the challenges of the shooting locations, the background of the performers, the world-building within the film, how this fits into the work of Walter Hill, and much more that is well worth a listen.

Isolated Score: An option to watch the film with only the Barry De Vorzon score audible in DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio.

War Stories: A new 16-minute interview with director Walter Hill in which he discusses how Saturday Night Fever helped get The Warriors a greenlight, how he approached the screenplay with a sense of mystery, the development of the different gangs, how real-life gangs impacted production, the unique place of New York at the time, the themes of the film, and more.

Whole Lotta Magic: An 84-minute roundtable discussion in collaboration with The Movies That Made Me podcast featuring filmmakers Josh Olson (A History of Violence), Lexi Alexander (Punisher: War Zone), and Robert D. Kryzkowski (The Man Who Killed Hitler and then Bigfoot). This very entertaining deep-dive into how it influenced their work with the occasional fun insertion such as the German dub of the iconic “Warriors…come out and play” scene.

Battling Boundaries: A new eight-minute interview with Editor Billy Weber in which he discusses his early career, being brought in to edit The Warriors, his relationship with Walter Hill, the challenges of the opening, killing off a character due to contract disputes, and more.

Gang Style: A new nine-minute interview with costume designer Bobbie Mannix in which she discusses the great working relationship with Walter Hill, coming up with the different styles of the gangs, how each costume fed into the characters, and more.

The Armies Of Night: A six-minute look at the costume archive of Bobbie Mannix.

Come Out To Play: A 10-minute guided tour of some of the shooting locations on Coney Island with Adam Rinn, artistic director of Coney Island USA.

Sounds Of The Street: A new 25-minute appreciation piece by film historian Neil Brand that delves into the incredible score created by Barry De Vorzon with a rich dissection of many individual sonic moments.

Archival Special Features

- The Beginning: A 14-minute archival piece with the cast and creative team in which they discuss how the film came to be from the original novel and how it was expanded in cinematic form.

- Battleground: A nearly 16-minute discussion with many of the same participants discussing the distinct challenges of working on location in New York City.

- The Way Home: An 18-minute look at the creation of the look of the film from the cinematography to the costumes and art direction.

- The Phenomenon: A 15-minute exploration of the legacy of the film with heartfelt reflection from the cast and creative team.

Theatrical Trailer: A nearly two-minute trailer is provided here.

Image Gallery: A collection of stills, behind-the-scenes photos, and marketing material is provided here.

Disc Two (4K UHD 2005 Alternate Version, 1:34:00)

Archival Introduction: A nearly minute-and-a-half-long introduction from Walter Hill in 2005 explaining why he wanted to create this version of the film.

Final Thoughts

The Warriors is an undeniable highlight in the career of the legendary Walter Hill. The story itself is so simple, yet it remains endlessly engaging as you follow our central characters as they face off against impossible odds in hopes of getting back to safety. The reality crafted through visual storytelling is rich with character while keeping an otherworldly quality that feels fresh. The film moves at a perfect speed as you feel just as on edge as the characters themselves about what area of the city they find themselves in. This is a stone cold classic. Arrow Video has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a truly stunning A/V presentation and a can’t-miss assortment of special features. If you are a fan of the film, this release is a godsend. Highly Recommended

The Warriors will be available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Blu-Ray on December 19, 2023.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Arrow Video has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.