The Big Lebowski – 20th Anniversary Edition in UHD 4K Movie Review

The cult comedy classic starring Jeff Bridges and John Goodman about a stoned-out character (The Dude) who unwittingly gets involved in a kidnapping, a severed toe, White Russians and a millionaire who shares his name.

Specifications

Universal Pictures
2018 (1998), 2160P, HDR, Rated R, Aspect ratio: 1:85:1, DTS Master Audio 5.1
Starring: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, Phillip Seymour Hoffman
Directed by: Joel Coen

Rating

Entertainment:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Violence: Yes (comedic)
Sex: yes
Language: yes (in spades)

Another Cohen brothers classic, this film is at the top of anyone’s list of outrageously funny movies. With a career defining performance by Bridges and another by John Goodman while adding hilarious turns by Steve Buscemi and John Turturro, it was fun re-experiencing this crazy movie.

I think most buyers will have already seen the movie numerous times and the main attraction here is a 4K UHD mastering. If you haven’t seen it, be prepared to be entertained by a great ensemble cast, some crazy musical numbers and a good deal of mayhem.

The movie has never looked better on home video. Dark scenes jump to life and the sometimes-garish colors (as they are meant to be) are really boosted by HDR. There is still visible film grain, as would be expected in a 20-year-old pre-digital movie, but seen on a large screen there is nothing to complain about here.

The DTS:X Master Audio is fine, but the film was never mixed to be a surround showcase. Music has a nice spread among the speakers and there are ambient sounds from the rear while dialog is nicely anchored up front.

The extras are ported over from the 2011 Blu-ray release and there is no upgraded content. I was thinking a 20th Anniversary Edition would add some new content but Universal went the easy route and gave us the extras many people may already own.

• The Dude’s Life: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi and John Turturro take a look back at their performances and how their delivery of the Coen brothers’ dialog became classic movie lines.
• The Dude Abides: The Big Lebowski Ten Years Later: A conversation with the cast about the film’s decade-long reign as a cult classic. (But of course this set should have had a 20 year retrospective)
• Making of The Big Lebowski
• The Lebowski Fest: An Achiever’s Story: An in-depth look at the annual Lebowski Fest, a celebration of The Dude and his world, attended by thousands each year.
• Flying Carpets and Bowling Pin Dreams: The Dream Sequences of The Dude: A look at some of the Dude’s trippiest fantasies so fans can learn for the first time how these innovative scenes were created.
• Interactive Map: Take a tour of the locations of The Big Lebowski, then and now. (Now being 20 years ago).
• Jeff Bridges Photo Book: For more than 30 years, Jeff Bridges has been snapping pictures on movie sets. The accomplished photographer presents a portfolio of shots taken on the set of The Big Lebowski.
• Photo Gallery