While still a decent looking image - things could have been left well enough alone and been perfectly satisfactory. Other color changes appear throughout but the difference in shades of blue to green is the most apparent. The most notable difference is the final rooftop sequence has lost a lot of that green pallet in favor of an almost aqua/navy blue tone. While fine details remain and there are moments of apparent grain - it hasn't been completely scrubbed away - it's impossible to deny the use of DNR.Ĭolor timing has also been jiggered with pushing blues stronger pulling back solid grays in the process. While this isn't as waxy and featureless as something we've seen with Terminator 2: Judgment Day or Twister - it's certainly not as rich and film-like as the 2012 disc. For starters, film grain has been stripped way back compared to the 2012 disc. While not a complete travesty, this new 2020 master isn't nearly as impressive as the 2012 disc. Now that I've had the chance to secure a copy of the original 2012 disc I feel it's very necessary for me to revisit my praise of this new transfer. But that's hardly a bad thing as this is a truly splendid looking film. This effect was present in the 2012 release so that gives me a reason to assume that the transfer used for this disc is the same one. The only other issue of note is some slight banding whenever anyone wears some fine-striped shirts. There is some slight softness cooked into the image, and the frames surrounding optical scene transitions can lose some clarity, but that's a baked-in aspect of the film itself. Likewise, black levels and whites are well defined giving the image some welcome three-dimensional depth. Each flower is clearly defined against the actors with true-to-life color saturation. There are many places to point to as examples here, but one of my favorite examples is the chase sequence through the flower market. Facial features, production design, costuming, and the scenic Riviera appear with near-lifelike details.Ĭolors are bold and beautiful allowing for amazing primary pop and presence. Easily the most beautiful, vibrant, and colorful film of Hitchcock's catalog, everything in this image maintains an authentic film-like appearance with a natural grain structure and vivid details. For this title that's a bit of an unclear gray area - regardless - this is a stunning looking film. As far as To Catch A Thief is concerned, it's not entirely clear if this 1080p 1.85:1 transfer was sourced from a new 4K transfer or simply reused the previous 2012 transfer which in of itself could have been a recent 4K restoration. The disc loads to a static image main menu with traditional navigation options.Īs listed in the mission statement printed on the back of each release so far, Paramount Presents promises to provide each release with transfers sourced from 4K remasters or restorations. The disc is housed in a clear case with a cardboard slipcover with spine number 3 that opens up to reveal the film's original theatrical poster artwork. Easily Hitchcock's most scenic and beautiful film - it's a stunning travel thriller 65 years later!Īlfred Hitchcock's To Catch A Thief gets a second helping of 1080p gold as an inaugural member of Paramount Pictures' new signature Paramount Presents label. While the big reveal at the end may not be a huge surprise if you're paying attention, but the execution of the final chase is the perfect blend of actor performance, direction, editing, cinematography, and production design. Cary Grant is still at the top of his game here playing the gentleman criminal while Grace Kelly gets to play clever and cool as she did with Hitchcock's previous Rear Window. It's light Hitch for sure, but still entertaining. I really don't have anything to add to that review beyond singing more praise on one of Hitchcock's most entertaining thrillers. Our own David Krauss already did a terrific review for the 2012 Blu-ray
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