Singin' in the Rain - 4K Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Singin' in the Rain



Movie:
4K Video:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:



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Movie
Now we’re on to the probably the biggest known musical in cinema history. One of the most widely known musical films, Singin’ in the Rain is known by people who haven’t even seen it, as the film is widely copied and utilized in variety of films, from the famed singing in galoshes and an umbrella (even copied by Shanghai Knights at one point), to the cute little “Make em Laugh” scene that everyone knows. I have to admit that I didn’t see Singin’ in the Rain till a much later date than most people. Yes, I know, one of the most famous musicals in history and I’d seen just about every popular one BUT that one. I wasn’t too sure about what it was about when I originally saw it, and I was absolutely floored by the quality when I finally did see, requiring me to slap myself upside the head for not viewing the movie before then. Years later it’s STILL one of the most rousing and amazing musicals to date with fantastic singing, amazing dance numbers and a story that stands by itself without the singing and dancing if necessary.

The age of the silent pictures is coming to an end, and the actors who dominated the silver screen were starting to feel the pressure. Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) and Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) are starting to feel the pressure as “The Jazz Singer” bursts out onto the scene with unparalleled results. This unforeseen complication shakes up the entire show business world as Talkies become the new in thing. Why is this a problem you ask? Well, up until that point Actors had to use visual cues to get their point across, but there wasn’t any need for talking, thus if you didn’t have a great voice, or your skills in the verbal department wasn’t convincing on stage you needn’t worry. To make matters worse, Don is shaken to the core by a young struggling actor named Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds) when she tells him that silent film actors weren’t exactly the greatest actors, they were just pantomimes who put on a show. This fear turns out to be partially true when their studio, Monumental Pictures, stops production of their latest feature, “The Royal Rascal”, and turns it into a talkie. Lina Lamont may have been a beauty of the silent film world, but she happens to have a voice that would make even rabid weasels run in fear. Desperate to keep up with the times, the studio shoots the film only to have the pre-screening get laughed out of existence. Now they’re stuck without a film, and most likely facing the end of a career.

This may have been the end for Don, Kathy and his best friend and musical talent, Cosmo Brown (Donald O’Connor), they come up with a brilliant idea. Turn “The Royal Rascal” into a musical and dub Kathy’s voice over the top of Lina. They have the looks AND the voice with a completely different outcome! Easier said than done, though, as Lina loathes Kathy with a living passion, still having some inkling of an idea that she and Don are an item (even though Don loathes her more than most people hate spiders). Viewing Don and Kathy’s budding romance as a threat she does everything in her power to destroy Kathy’s career in film, so much so that she ends up being the orchestrator of her very own demise.

I like to say that Singin’ in the Rain is probably the most “newbie” friendly of the musical genre, being one of the most poplular and accepted genre title of all time. There’s many a time when a lover of musicals has to take into consideration that the song and dance is the driving force of the show, and sometimes a few cheesy tropes are considered status quo. This time we have a movie that’s fully capable of being great on its own even if they cut out the singing and dancing. Kathy and Don’s romance doesn’t need the love songs, the cheerful dancing in the rain dance or any of the others, as it is a sweet tale of turning point for the American actors of the 20’s and a romance that works completely separated from that jungle. However, those songs and those dances turn out to be some of the most widely admired and respected ones in the industry. Cosmo’s little “Make em Laugh” piece at the beginning is widely considered one of the best slapstick comedy pieces of the 1950’s and “Singin’ in the Rain” has been nominated for so many awards as best song for decades.

Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds really sell the picture, as Debbie plays a mousy and reserved character that really has a good head on his shoulder, and Gene takes on a roll that makes you want to slap him at the beginning of the film, to watching him change and transform over the hour and 42 minute runtime into a character that you can truly like. The sparkle and pizazz of the movie is undeniable, and it is considered one of the best and most influential musicals of all time for a very good reason. I don’t like to give out perfect movie ratings very often, but this is one of those few times.




Rating:

Rated For General Audiences by the MPAA




4K Video: Video:

Singin’ in the Rain had a decent master for the 2012 60th Anniversary set, but this 70th anniversary set really shows just how good the film can look in 4K. I had some minor quibbles on the old Blu-ray from my recollection, but this is about as picture perfect s you can get. Fine details can be jaw dropping (although some minor soft shots that have always been present, such as the scene where Lina steps out of her trailer with the French outfit on for the first time), and the colors made my knees quiver. The colors are just so bright and richly saturated with eye popping “snap” at every turn. Debbie Reynold’s yellow raincoat, or the bright read of a shirt literally pop off the screen, and the black levels are amazing. No signs of crush and banding are to be seen, and the darker night time shots look better than I have ever seen it. Honestly, this is one of the best looking classic films in 4K (outside of probably My Fair Lady) and a total gem to view.



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Audio:

Along with the stunning video, we get the same audio tracks from the old Warner Blu-ray, with a 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD MA track (the 2.0 being the theatrical mix). The remixed 5.1 track is simply superb in every way shape and form. I’m usually not a wile fan of Mono remixed into surround, but this one was handled with kid gloves, turning the already fantastic Mono track into an wildly immersive and well nuanced 5.1 DTS-HD MA lossless experience. The dialog is crisp and clean up there in the front row, but the music is simply awe inspiring. The minute the first song came on I knew we were in for a treat as the aural experience just flows all around you in a very natural and organic way. Whether it be Gene Kelly’s incredible Baritone, or exquisite sound of the instruments, it all fill rich, warm and oh so good to the ears. Surrounds get used extensively with plenty of ambient noises to come through as well as the musical score, and the LFE channel is silky smooth with a tight feel that comes from a tight and punch application of the low end. The bass hasn’t been “modernized” and retains that light usage that was present in the 1950’s so the music isn’t overpowered by that heavy thumb we associate with so many newer tracks.












Extras:

4K UHD Disc
• Audio Commentary
• Musical Numbmers
-- Fit As a Fiddle
-- All I Do Is Dream of You
-- Make 'Em Laugh
-- I've Got a Feelin' You're Foolin'
-- Wedding of the Painted Doll
- The Should I?
-- Beautiful Girl
-- You Were Meant for Me
-- Moses
-- Good Morning
-- Singin' in the Rain
-- Broadway Melody / Rhythm / Ballet
-- Singin' in the Rain (Reprise)
-- You Are My Lucky Star

Blu-ray Disc
• Audio Commentary (same as the 4K disc)
• Singin' in the Rain: Raining on a New Generation
• Jukebox
• Theatrical Trailer

Final Score:
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Singin in the Rain is probably one of the most well loved musicals of all time, and Warner did a bang up job remastering this and giving us a stellar 4k UHD. I've been waiting YEARS for this to happen, and the disc turned out better than I had hoped. Great audio, great video, and a solid amount of extras that easily outlcasses the old Blu-ray (though still mising some from the DVD edition a couple decades back). A must have in any classic musical lover's collection, that's for sure.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen, Rita Moreno
Directed by: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly
Written by: Betty Comden
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 HEVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, English DTS-HD MA 2.0, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Spanish (Castilian), Japanese DD Mono
Subtitles: English SDH, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified)
Studio: Warner Brothers
Rated: G
Runtime: 103 minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: April 26th, 2022

Recommendation: Awesome Buy