Academy Award® winners George Clooney and Julia Roberts team up as exes who find themselves on a shared mission: to stop their lovestruck daughter from making the same mistake they once made. Ticket to Paradise is a romantic comedy about the sweet surprise of second chances.
For in-depth thoughts on Ticket To Paradise, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment revisits Ticket To Paradise with a new 4K UHD Blu-Ray after serving up a Blu-Ray back in December 2022. Given the gorgeous locales on display, this was a movie that should have always been on 4K UHD, and we are glad that Universal is fixing their mistake. The new 2160p HDR10 transfer takes what is already great about the accompanying Blu-Ray and improves things to even greater heights. The film has a natural aesthetic which is replicated perfectly on disc. Black levels are deep and inky, and any previous digital noise has been eradicated. Highlights are likewise kept in check with no blooming to be found under the bright sun. The flesh tones are natural with gentle nuances showcased well in close-ups and medium shots.
The image is clean with the bright color palette of the natural environment popping off the screen. The film employs splashes of vivid colors within the clothing and production design, which makes for a very sumptuous image. The presentation provides a significant amount of depth on display, especially when contrasted with the expanses of nature. The details of each location present as impressively sharp in all lighting conditions. The transfer makes things even more lovely when it comes to gains in depth of color, encoding, and crisp detail. This is simply eye candy for the 4K UHD Blu-Ray format. Universal delivered a good disc for fans.
Audio Quality
The Dolby Atmos track provides some small improvements over the DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio track on the Blu-Ray, as the addition of the overhead channels makes the island life feel more all-encompassing. Dialogue comes through perfectly clear without ever falling victim to overlapping voices or environmental noises. Everything is mixed perfectly with directionality accurately rendered across the expanded channel allotment. The sounds of the tropical life provide a good amount of activity in the rear channels, and music adds texture in the low end. The score does a nice job of establishing the tone of the narrative, and this track fills the room in a truly enveloping way. Universal has provided an upgraded track that more effectively brings this film to life. There are optional English SDH, Spanish and French subtitles provided.
Special Features
- Return Of The Dynamic Duo: A five-minute featurette that takes a look at the reunion of the dynamic movie stars, why this movie was written for them specifically, what their history together brings to the film, the dynamic between their characters, and more. There are some fun on-set interviews included within this one.
- Destination Wedding: A nearly four-minute piece that takes a look at all of the details that went into creating this magical moment of Lily’s special day including how the location and culture influences the event.
- Production In Paradise: A four-minute look at the decision to only shoot in places that would make the audience want to travel as soon as the movie ended. There are some decent insights into the logistical challenges they faced on this shoot.
- Keep A Straight Face: A nearly three-minute look at the real-life friendship between Kaitlyn Dever and Billie Lourd and the challenges of keeping a straight face during shooting.
Final Thoughts
Ticket To Paradise is a comforting bit of adult-skewing entertainment led by genuine movie stars which we rarely get these days. While this may have been thought of as a lesser effort in the ‘90s, the film feels refreshing in the modern cinematic landscape. The two main stars draw upon their years of shared history to radiate an easy chemistry that shines through on screen. The talented ensemble also adds their own special flavor to the overall endeavor. This is far from groundbreaking, and a bit sluggish in the home stretch, but there is enough here to make you remember why these types of movies used to draw such an audience. Universal Picture Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray that sports a spectacular A/V presentation and a few brief special features. This one is definitely worth a look if you miss well-made, big studio romantic comedies. Recommended
Ticket To Paradise can be purchased on 4K UHD Blu-Ray directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD 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.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.