The Protector (1985) Blu-ray Screenshots (Patreon)

Video

By far the best HD release of The Protector so far, Shout's (whose previous Blu-ray was a travesty) perfect encode handles the grain structure easily, allowing the recent and sharp master to shine. The New York sights look spectacular. Given the previous disc releases, this is a revelation in many regards (not that it helps the movie itself).

Spectacular color lets primaries burst from the film stock, reds and blues so vibrant, they look modern. Satisfying depth to the flesh tones further perks up the imagery, and every bit of it looks entirely natural.

Black levels perform fairly well, if still drifting toward a dense gray rather than black. Fair contrast keeps the scenery on the murkier side, suiting the tone, if not doing much for the overall depth.

Audio

Stereo DTS-HD English defaults, and it's best to stick with that as the Dolby Digital 5.1 track isn't appealing given the wonky mixing. In stereo, it's a quiet mix, requiring a volume bump to reach a decent enough level. Fidelity wanes in the dialog, and the muddy score produces messy bass. It's best to have the subwoofers turned off.