Sony Picture Home Entertainment has done a very respectable job with the 1080p high definition presentation of this very modestly budgeted 1991 film. The film retains the look of the era in which it was made, with a consistent level of fine, natural grain throughout. The cinematography was apparently intentionally a tad soft focus, and this slightly compromises the level of detail – but not in a way that hinders the image. Colors are mostly vivid and realistic. The print looks clean and free of specks, scratches, or other artifacts. I can’t imagine Boyz n the Hood looking better on a home video format.
The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix is equally, if not more, impressive. For a twenty-year-old, low-budget, non-action film the soundtrack is very immersive. The urban atmosphere depicted visually is immeasurably enhanced by the presence of so much purposeful noise (yelling, helicopters, automobiles, gunfire) coming from the surround channels. The LFE channel delivers a moderate punch, whether it be the bass lines of soundtrack songs or car doors slamming. Dialogue is very occasionally just shy of distorted, but overall it is generally crisp and intelligible.
Most of the supplemental material is carried over from the previous standard DVD edition. This includes a making-of featurette, commentary by John Singleton, deleted scenes, audition footage of some primary cast members, and a pair of music videos. Luckily for fans of the film, there is a brand new Blu-ray exclusive included – a half-hour documentary called “The Enduring Significance of Boyz n the Hood.” All of the main cast members, as well as writer-director Singleton, contribute new reflections on this landmark film.
Article comments