Ferris Bueller’s Day Off 4K UHD Review

Life Moves Pretty Fast

The ‘80s saw a brief rush of comedies that involved heroes duping an innocent public to get their way. Fletch and Beverly Hills Cop showed the adult world being taken on by sly, quick-thinking men who pretended to be people they weren’t. Ferris Bueller did the same, but the difference is age.

Whatever this small subset of movies said about a society so easily bewildered by others (or the need to do so in the first place), Ferris Bueller isn’t a copycat. If anything, it’s the boldest of them all, letting teenagers loose for a school day and rather than have them drink themselves into a stupor or devolve into an orgy, Ferris Bueller stays remarkably innocent.

Ferris Bueller stays remarkably innocent

Bueller (Matthew Broderick) undoubtedly became a politician. Maybe a lawyer. The needed traits are embedded into his brain, but used during his high school days to dodge his principal, parents, the law, and anyone else who might bring a stop to his freewheeling day (which somehow includes a full parade, around noon, during the work/school week).

Like Axel Foley or Fletch, Bueller represents something we all wish we were, what we could do, or better yet, what we wish we had the guts to do. The skill isn’t pretending to be Chicago’s king of sausage at a fancy restaurant, rather it’s staying calm even as others call Bueller on his obvious lies. He doesn’t get flustered, and before heading out, considered all potential holes in his plan without any worry. That’s confidence, and after years of tumbling through the workforce in bad jobs, few people have the tenacity to handle the stress.

That’s the fantasy in Ferris Bueller, to be so care free, and not out of rebellion, but a need to just… be. Yes, Bueller faking illness to a point where Chicago as a whole roots for his recovery clearly goes against authority, it’s less about angering them than getting away, free of judgment, and enjoy those final days of youth. This isn’t a script about taking down the school – Bueller himself knows he needs to take a test soon – but a movie inspiring anyone to take a break from reality to sing, dance, and find joy. The risks are worth it.

Video

A perfect restoration, it’s imagery like this that can render reviews irrelevant. If only they all looked this…

The clarity and sharpness make Ferris Bueller look absolutely new (short of the clothing and computer styles). Grain replication never fails. Damage is zero. Assisted with Dolby Vision, the depth and dimension bring life to the imagery – natural, organic life. It’s remarkable, and a significant boost over the Blu-ray.

Everything about this master and transfer appears wholly real. Gorgeously rendered flesh tones pop from excellent contrast. It’s well managed. Still bright, still notable, but brightness doesn’t step too far as to erode the film stock’s purity. Black levels carry the same weight on the other end, perfectly dense and solid to nail the depth. Ferris Bueller doesn’t have a single fault to note.

Audio

Dolby Atmos is the only option; Paramount doesn’t offer the original stereo track at all. The plus side is that Ferris Bueller sounds as clean as it looks. The dialog reveals zero age, which is unheard of for ’80s mixes. The music extends a little into the low-end, but range is limited at the source.

There’s little happening in the rears, even less so in the heights. Music swells up a tad to fill, which is more an extension of the stereos than anything else. The parade livens things up with surrounding ambiance and a few specific cues in the rears.

Extras

Same stuff as before on the previous Paramount Blu-ray, but now on the UHD itself since the package doesn’t actually include a Blu-ray. That includes a John Hughes commentary, general featurettes on the cast, a standard making-of, and Ben Stein short.

Full disclosure: This Blu-ray was provided to us for review. This has not affected the editorial process. For information on how we handle review material, please visit our about us page to learn more.

The following six screen shots serve as samples for our subscription-exclusive set of 40 full resolution uncompressed 4K screen shots grabbed directly from the UHD: