Oliver! 4K Review: Oscar-Winning Musical Shines in UHD

The British film musical Oliver! was a sensation in 1968, because it grew to become a field workplace hit and gained a staggering six Academy Awards, together with Finest Image and Finest Director. After arriving on 4K by way of the Columbia Classics Assortment: Quantity 2 in 2021, it’s now obtainable as a stand-alone buy. That is nice information because the Oliver! 4K launch is significantly better than the earlier Blu-ray launch and includes a ton of particular options that may make you admire the landmark musical much more.

“Expertise the high-spirited adventures of Oliver Twist on this Oscar-winning musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ basic story! Younger Oliver (Mark Lester) is an orphan who escapes the cheerless lifetime of the workhouse and takes to the streets of Nineteenth-Century London. He’s instantly taken in by a band of road urchins, headed by the lovable villain, Fagin (Ron Moody), his fiendish henchman, Invoice Sikes (Oliver Reed), and his loyal apprentice, The Clever Dodger (Jack Wild),” says the synopsis. “By his schooling within the superb factors of pick-pocketing, Oliver makes away with an surprising treasure… a house and a household of his personal. Set to a heartfelt rating that features such favorites as Take into account Your self, The place Is Love? and As Lengthy As He Wants Me, Oliver! leads us on a journey searching for love, belonging and honor amongst thieves. Winner of six Academy Awards (1968), together with Finest Image and Finest Rating, Oliver! will steal your coronary heart!”

Oliver! is without doubt one of the finest British movies ever made and has aged splendidly. Director Carol Reed did an exquisite job casting Mark Lester within the titular position, Jack Wild because the Clever Dodger, and Ron Moody as Fagin. Every actor provides the definitive efficiency of their Oliver Twist characters, and because the movie’s tagline says, it’s “a lot, rather more than a musical.” Regardless of the lofty 153-minute runtime (there’s fanfare in the beginning, plus an intermission), it’s entertaining from begin to end and by no means feels prefer it’s a slog. It additionally seems phenomenal because the movie has been restored from the unique digital camera detrimental, which supplies a pointy picture that actually highlights the dirty-looking units. The identical will be stated for the inclusion of HDR, which helps the movie’s colours actually pop.

The fantastic songs, which come from Lionel Bart’s 1960 musical of the identical title, assist with the pacing rather a lot. They slot in naturally, and there are a selection of highlights, reminiscent of “Meals, Superb Meals,” “As Lengthy As He Wants Me”, and “I’d Do Something.” These all sound actually nice with the brand new Dolby Atmos audio observe, which is full of life and wealthy.

Bravo to Sony for doing an ideal job with the Oliver! 4K particular options. Not solely is there an audio commentary from movie historian Steven C. Smith, who splendidly contextualizes the affect of the film, however there’s additionally a wide selection of video bonuses. These embody the unique display screen check of Jack Wild, 4 featurettes that go over Oliver, Fagin, how the movie was made, and the areas it was shot in. There’s additionally singing and dancing alongside to a number of musical numbers, which is very enjoyable for youths who benefit from the movie’s moments however don’t need to sit by way of your complete film once more.

Oliver! 4K Assessment: Ultimate Verdict

Sony has completed an exquisite job with the Oliver! 4K launch. Not solely is it among the finest film musicals ever made, however it additionally has a ton of bonus options (plus a digital model of the movie) that make it a simple advice to everybody. This can be a tried and true crowd pleaser of a movie that has aged splendidly. If you happen to haven’t seen it but, you’re in for an actual deal with.

Disclosure: sondramedia obtained product from the distributor for our Oliver! 4K evaluate.