The Godfather Trilogy 4K UHD and Blu-ray Review: Appalling

#4kuhdreview #blurayreview #thegodfather #physicalmedia
Here are my detailed thoughts on the APPALLING treatment of The Godfather Trilogy by Paramount on the new 50th Anniversary master. Paramount needs to be called out on this. Not only is the color timing revisionist but so is the DNR application and especially this new HDR grading. Artifacts abound but the single worst offender is the HIDEOUS frozen grain throughout. All of these issues affect the first two films most of all, Part III escapes mostly unscathed but not untouched. Part II fares badly and is terrible in its own right but the treatment of the original film in particular is even worse and just shameful.
Since these issues are so underhanded and not obvious to regular viewers it is extremely difficult to capture them. I've tried using clips or screencaps but it never appears as it does when watching this disc itself. Because of this I have decided to upload my review without them and include my detailed and timestamped viewing notes so you can look at the disc releases on your own setup and judge directly.
Stick with the 2008 Blu-rays. In spite of them being imperfect 2008 BD encodes they are better in every way. I also discuss the few new extras, pitiful cheap and flimsy packaging, new Coda cut of III and how I cannot understand ANY reviewer giving this a positive review.
00:00 Goof and Introduction
10:27 Introducing the main problems but first the color debate
13:30 The other major problems: frozen grain, artifacting, DNR, noise,
revisionist HDR grading
14:49 this is a new realm of revisionism
17:29 Let's dig in, shall we?
18:57 Problem 1: Noise and Pixelization, Macroblocking, Artifacting
21:52 Problem 2: DNR usage seemingly at random, altering the film texture itself
26:02 Problem 3: Frozen Grain is RAMPANT. This is INEXCUSABLE.
34:18 Problem 4: Subtitles are the wrong font and have noise and aliasing
35:10 Problem 5: The HDR Revisionism Grading and the Modernized Color Timing Approach
40:00 Robert Harris was correct, these are not the same films. It's not your father's Godfather.
41:49 There was good work done and the source scans were great-until SOMEONE ruined them
41:55 If they had left the new scan alone it would have been amazing. But they just couldn't resist.
They had to kill the grain, color and original presentation.
42:50 I can't understand why no else is calling out Paramount on this. Unforgivable.
43:30 This is not how the films should be seen or experienced
43:45 On the surface it looks better-but look closer and it falls apart.
Stick with the 2008 Blu-rays in spite of their age.
44:48 Compare the 2008 BDs to the 50th anniversary master for yourself and look closely
46:05 THE 4K UHD IS NO UPGRADE
46:15 A damn shame because it could have been great had it been done with an archival mindset.
46:56 How does the SDR Blu-ray version fare? HORRIBLY.
49:10 The lackluster treatment of the audio. ONCE AGAIN.
52:12 The cheap uninspired packaging
54:05 inspired by the original 2001 DVD which is FAR better
55:04 The individual cases
01:00:10 Trilogy Box exclusive Bonus Features Discs
01:01:17 The Godfather Part III bonus UHD archival versions plus thoughts on the new Coda cut
01:03:41 Comparing the UHD trilogy packaging to the Blu-ray trilogy packaging
01:05:25 Special Features new and old
01:14:28 And that's it. Everything else is the old legacy extras which haven't been upgraded.
01:18:26 Still no deleted scenes or test footage in HD and no sign of the chronological cuts
01:21:44 Summary
01:23:03 Had this been done like the 2007 restoration it would be the release to rave over
like other reviews claimed it was
01:23:47 This is not the way to see or experience these films
01:24:08 I challenge anyone from Paramount to try and defend this mutilation.
01:25:40 An example of an early 70's catalog title done perfectly in 4K HDR: GET CARTER from the BFI
01:31:07 I hate to sound negative but this is unacceptable
01:32:43 I can understand average viewers not seeing this-but a reviewer should!!!
01:34:03 This is a new version that will be visually deceptive to all who see it
01:35:19 This should have earned a negative review from every reviewer worth their salt
01:35:40 This is a new realm of revisionism
01:36:41 The films are stuck like this now.
01:37:23 Stick with the 2008 Blu-rays. Do not support this kind of revisionism.
01:38:37 I know not everyone will agree but I encourage people to check for themselves
by looking at this new master carefully.
01:39:47 The one positive: The Must Own expanded soundtrack restoration CD by La La Land Records
01:43:18 Final Summary-Paramount needs to finally be called out.
01:47:24 I want to encourage more people to look more closely at home video transfers
01:47:53 There's no test for reviewing discs, but if you're going to do it
be darn sure you know what you're talking about
01:48:55 The Godfather Trilogy is now the poster child for 4K HDR revisionism
01:50:13 Final, Final Summary