A Christmas Story 4K Ultra HD Review

Nov 142022

A Christmas Story is a classic although it’s not one of my must-watch holiday films however has plenty of charm and is just an all-around enjoyable time.

A Christmas Story
(1983)

Genre(s): Comedy, Family
Warner Bros. | PG – 93 min. – $24.99 | November 1, 2022

Date Published: 11/14/2022 | Author: The Movieman

MOVIE INFO:
Directed by: Bob Clark
Writer(s): Jean Shepherd (novel ‘In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash’); Jean Shepherd & Leigh Brown & Bob Clark (screenplay)
Cast: Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, Ian Petrella

DISC INFO:
Features: Commentary, Featurettes, Theatrical Trailer
Slip Cover: Yes
Digital Copy: Yes
Formats Included: 4K, Blu-ray
Number of Discs: 2

Audio: English (DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono), French (Dolby Digital 1.0), Spanish (Dolby Digital 1.0)
Video: 2160p/Widescreen 1.85
Dynamic Range: HDR10
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Codecs: HEVC / H.265
Region(s): A, B, C

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post.
The opinions I share are my own.

THE MOVIE — 3½/5

Plot Synopsis: Based on the humorous writings of author Jean Shepherd, this holiday movie follows the wintry exploits of youngster Ralphie Parker (PETER BILLINGSLEY), who spends most of his time dodging a bully (ZACK WARD) and dreaming of his ideal Christmas gift, a “Red Ryder air rifle.” Frequently at odds with his cranky dad (DARREN MCGAVIN) but comforted by his doting mother (MELINDA DILLON), Ralphie struggles to make it to Christmas Day with his glasses and his hopes intact.

Quick Hit Review: Truth be told, A Christmas Story has never been on my must-watch list come Christmas time (compared that to Christmas Vacation), still the movie has its charms for sure and illicit some chuckles from me and has iconic scenes and one specific prop, a leg lamp that I’m sure still sells well. All in all its good, wholesome family fun.

SPECIAL FEATURES – 3¾/5

This release comes with a semi-glossy slip cover and inside is a redemption code for the Digital HD copy. Features include:

Audio Commentary by Director Bob Clark and Actor Peter Billingsley (also available on the 4K UHD disc)
FEAURETTES:
- Christmas in Ohio: A Christmas Story House (21:15)
- Another Christmas Story (18:18)
- Daisy Red Ryder: A History (5:18)
- Get a Leg Up (4:38)
Deleted Script Pages (3:11)
The Leg Lamp Spot (0:49)
Jean Shepherd Original Radio Reading
Theatrical Trailer (2:10)

VIDEO – 4¾/5, AUDIO – 4/5

A Christmas Story comes to the 4K Ultra HD format where it’s presented in the original 1.85 widescreen aspect ratio and given a 2160p high-definition transfer. I’m going to assume this was taken from the Warner Bros. vault somewhere though not sure any restoration work was done, and if not, apparently it didn’t need it. Detail on the picture is sharp and very well defined throughout and colors appear nicely balanced and in keeping with the whimsical 1950s setting.

The movie includes a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono track and thinking this is a similar one to the released on previous Blu-rays. Still, dialogue comes across with good clarity and even with it being a singular track, there is fine depth.

OVERALL — 3¾/5

Overall, A Christmas Story is a classic although it’s not one of my must-watch holiday films however has plenty of charm and is just an all-around enjoyable time.

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