Boomerang Blu-ray Review (Patreon)

Video

Boomerang debuts on Blu-ray, and there's one specific party that didn't care: Paramount. The print used shows dust as if left not in a can, but laid out in full on a shelf without so much as someone blowing on it. Worse though is the dated master, not intolerable, but dated in the extreme. Poor grain replication swarms like gnats rather than sitting naturally over the image. Encoding isn't great either, on the noisier side. The screen is usually more artifact than organic.

Pluses? There are some. Color comes first, bold and dynamic thanks to the impressive primaries. Blues look especially rich, gaining noticeable energy from the dated DVD. Same goes for contrast, bright, intense, and satisfying. Knowing Paramount's recent history, Boomerang likely underwent an HDR pass even if the master doesn't suggest a 4K scan being prepared. Solid black levels hit their mark, adding proper shadows.

There is detail, especially in close. Facial texture that can survive the the poorly handled grain does stand out, if inconsistently.

Audio

A marginal pop from the soundtrack utilizes the subwoofer, giving Boomerang low-end energy. Otherwise, the 5.1 mix stays tight, utilizing little of the soundstage beyond the center. Music spreads out, utilizing the rears slightly. A helicopter used in a promotional stunt pans front to back, a rarity.

There's nothing in ambient terms, even when in the city. Dialog stands out, firm and crisp. There's nothing to report in terms of fidelity loss.