Blu-ray Movie Reviews

"Bueller... Bueller...?" Sorry, not here! Instead, high-schooler Ferris Bueller, his girlfriend Sloane, and his best bud Cameron are off on the spontaneous romp through Chicago known as "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."

John Hughes made an absolute High School comedy masterpiece with this one. I’ve heard some early buzz that there may be a remake in the works but I really hope it never comes to life. This is a film that was done perfectly the first time and I can’t imagine anyone ever doing it better. Broderick nailed the charismatic truant mastermind and the comedy is still side splitting. Probably my favorite from John Hughes’ deep collection of classic 80’s comedies.

Ferris has always been a bit of a softer looking film and this Blu-ray presentation captures every little detail I remember from my long history of viewings. The color palette is a tad subdued but delivers the rather mellow color that so many 80’s films seem to display. Contrast levels are actually pretty rich and really help with the dimensionality of the film. Fine detail can look a tad exaggerated at times but I didn’t notice any annoying ringing. Overall this Blu-ray is a nice step up from the DVD in the detail department but still a bit softer than the newer films on the market today.

The 5.1 TrueHD soundtrack is a solid representation of the film’s fun soundtrack and offers a pretty open soundstage in the front of the room. Surrounds do add a bit of ambiance but not as much as some may prefer. The highlight of the film is the nice mix of 80’s tunes including the classic “Oh Yeah” from Yellow. Dialogue sounds natural with no signs of glare or strain and the imaging is solid overall.

Extras are pretty much a rehash of the DVD edition and include some promo style featurettes that look at the production and impact of the film. There is also a pretty funny feature with Ben Stein.

I can’t imagine not having this one in a film lover’s collection. Few comedies have the lasting impact this one has had and it’s still loads of fun all these years later.