Smokey and the Bandit 4K UHD Screenshots (Patreon)

Video

Universal does beautiful work for this 4K release, especially in the color. Reynold's red shirt screams with this deep color touch. Flesh tones look perfect, and the open road scenery explodes with earth tones. Storefront signage and paint choices glow.

Touched lightly by HDR, contrast fairs well, if unspectacular, preserving Smokey and the Bandit as it was, with only a slight kick. Dense black levels do gain heft though, richer at their deepest points. The imagery has weight and dimension, easily matching anything new.

Other than edits/transitions, resolution hits a high peak. Full 4K and leaving no doubt, texture resolves facial definition galore. Shots down main streets pick up the purest, smallest touches. Even with a few grain spikes, image integrity is maintained. What Smokey and the Bandit lacks in wow factor, it matches with pristine accuracy to the source.

Audio

Atmos is a lot for this one. It starts well enough with a truck panning overhead. Then the hazy dialog kicks in, weak in definition. ADR lines carry an echo that's unfortunate, and no clean-up can help.

Small separation pans cars or screeching tiers, the extent of what happens away from the center. Those preferring original mono don't lose much as the mix stays generally true other than those small extensions.