The Breakfast Club Blu-ray Review
30th Anniversary Edition | Remastered
Score: 58
from 2 reviewers
Review Date:
The Breakfast Club's Blu-ray release offers notable picture upgrades and a satisfying audio/video presentation, making it a worthwhile purchase for new and old fans alike.
Disc Release Date
DTS-HD MA
Video: 56
The 30th Anniversary Blu-ray of 'The Breakfast Club' boasts a new AVC encoded 1080p transfer from a 4K scan, offering enhanced sharpness and clarity, a more saturated and slightly warmer color space, and finer grain without over-aggressive denoising, though differences from the 25th Anniversary edition are often mild.
Audio: 56
The Breakfast Club's Blu-ray audio presentation retains the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix, delivering front-heavy, clear, and detailed sound with strong dynamics, clean acoustics, and impressive channel separation, enhancing the character-driven and music-rich scenes effectively.
Extra: 56
The Blu-ray Extras for 'The Breakfast Club' offer a rich blend of nostalgic and insightful bonuses, featuring engaging commentary by Judd Nelson and Anthony Michael Hall, an extensive documentary on the film's legacy and its characters, a concise piece on the 'Brat Pack' origins, and a classic theatrical trailer.
Movie: 76
The 30th Anniversary Blu-ray of 'The Breakfast Club' shows a noticeably improved image quality, leveraging original film elements, and keeps the authenticity of John Hughes' portrayal of teen life intact, making the film relatable and influential for today's viewers.
Video: 56
The new 30th Anniversary Blu-ray release of "The Breakfast Club" by Universal Studios features an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1, sourced from an all-new 4K scan. This update offers noticeable enhancements in sharpness and clarity over the previous 25th Anniversary edition, which utilized a VC-1 codec. The newer edition maintains robust streaming rates, seldom falling below 30 Mbps and frequently exceeding the mid-30s, contributing to a more refined presentation. Key improvements include the reduction of issues such as the opening credits wobble and occasional instances of dirt or debris, leading to an overall cleaner image. Additionally, the grain field appears notably finer without signs of over-aggressive denoising, though there seems to be some high-frequency filtering applied.
One of the most significant changes in this new transfer is the shift to a warmer color space, providing more saturated hues and a slightly enhanced color palette. The image displays more reds and oranges compared to the cooler tones of the previous edition, resulting in facial complexions appearing rosier and more lifelike. Although this warms the entire palette making it brighter and bolder, it may also introduce minor issues such as potential black crushing and slight banding in shadows, particularly evident on Ally Sheedy's face. Overall, while the differences between the two editions are subtle and might seem negligible to some viewers, the improvements in detail, clarity, and color balance offer a more appealing and vibrant visual experience. Fans of the film who appreciate these enhancements will find this new release a valuable upgrade.
Audio: 56
The Blu-ray audio presentation of "The Breakfast Club" continues to utilize the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix, as observed in previous releases. This re-utilized soundtrack offers strong clarity and detail, providing a balanced and engaging listening experience despite the film’s inherently front-heavy and dialogue-driven nature. Foreign language options have seen an upgrade, providing an expanded range of audio tracks and subtitle choices, enhancing accessibility for a wider audience.
While the surround speakers remain largely unused to maintain the film's intimate and character-centered atmosphere, the mix excels in creating a clean and dynamic soundstage. The music, particularly those iconic 80s tracks, benefits from improved acoustics and occasionally broad dynamics. Low-frequency effects, although modest in presence, effectively add depth to both the music and the film’s rare moments of heightened action. Vocals are well-prioritized in the center channel, ensuring dialogue remains clear and fluid throughout. Minor off-screen movements between the front channels provide subtle but effective channel separation.
This lossless mix ultimately presents a highly satisfactory audio experience, blending strong fidelity with impressive channel separation and dynamic soundscapes. Despite its simplicity, the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix retains a timeless quality that complements this classic film perfectly.
Extras: 56
The Blu-ray extras of "The Breakfast Club" elevate the viewing experience for enthusiasts, encapsulating both nostalgia and insightful commentary. The audio commentary with Judd Nelson and Anthony Michael Hall offers engaging production anecdotes and pleasant banter, though it's less focused on technical aspects. The documentary "Sincerely Yours" provides a thorough, albeit sometimes distracting, retrospective with cast and crew interviews that highlight the film's cultural impact and John Hughes' influence. Additionally, "The Most Convenient Definitions" provides an intriguing exploration of the term "Brat Pack," enhancing understanding of the film's historical context. These supplements, alongside the trivia track and theatrical trailer, round out a compelling package for fans.
Extras included in this disc:
- Accepting the Facts: The Breakfast Club Trivia Track: New trivia track with fun facts.
- Sincerely Yours: Comprehensive retrospective documentary featuring cast and crew interviews.
- The Most Convenient Definitions: The Origins of the Brat Pack: Insightful look into the phrase "Brat Pack."
- Theatrical Trailer: Original promotional material.
- Feature Commentary with Judd Nelson and Anthony Michael Hall: Engaging audio commentary with behind-the-scenes stories.
Movie: 76
The Breakfast Club remains an indelible cinematic milestone in John Hughes' repertoire, revered for its authentic representation of teenage angst and camaraderie. Hughes' profound respect for his adolescent characters is evident; he imbues them with realistic concerns and genuine voices, avoiding condescension or superficial treatment. The film’s narrative structure is near brilliant, transitioning seamlessly from light-hearted comedy to serious drama, all set within the confines of a school library. Each character embodies a specific high school stereotype: the jock Andy (Emilio Estevez), the princess Claire (Molly Ringwald), the brain Brian (Anthony Michael Hall), the basket case Allison (Ally Sheedy), and the troublemaker Bender (Judd Nelson). Yet, they all evolve beyond these simplistic labels, demonstrating a complex and relatable portrayal of teen life.
What sets The Breakfast Club apart is its meticulous exploration of social hierarchies and the authentic portrayal of strained relationships with authority figures. Hughes cleverly uses initial comedic setups to disarm the viewer, only to weave in more serious themes as the film progresses. The interactions among the characters gradually dismantle their preconceptions about each other, leading to unexpected moments of raw honesty and rebellion against their predefined social roles. The detention setting serves as a microcosm of high school's broader social dynamics and pressures, making the film resonate universally with audiences regardless of their personal experiences.
In assessing the 30th Anniversary Blu-ray edition, Universal has notably improved upon the image quality from previous releases. Although initial reactions to the 25th Anniversary Edition were mixed due to certain technical inadequacies, this latest iteration shows a commitment to correcting past oversights by sourcing from original elements. The improved clarity and fidelity of this release ensure that both long-time fans and new viewers experience The Breakfast Club in a higher visual standard, reinforcing its status as an iconic and influential piece of 80s cinema.
Total: 58
The Blu-ray release of The Breakfast Club marks a significant moment for fans of John Hughes' seminal 1980s teen drama. This edition celebrates the film’s enduring impact, capturing the essence of 80s youth culture through its authentic portrayal of adolescent struggles. Universal has delivered an upgraded picture quality that, while still constrained by the film's inherent lo-fi characteristics, offers noticeable enhancements in detail and clarity. This upgrade is particularly significant for long-time fans who will appreciate the subtler nuances in this new transfer.
Accompanying the upgraded visuals is a generally satisfying audio presentation, enhancing the film's iconic soundtrack and dialogue clarity. The Blu-ray also includes a robust collection of supplements, providing deeper insights into the making of the film and its cultural significance. These additional materials enrich the viewing experience, making this edition a comprehensive package for both new viewers and diehard enthusiasts alike.
In conclusion, The Breakfast Club touched a lot of impressionable minds back in the day, and its cult has only grown over time. In an unexpected but welcome development, Universal has rereleased the film on Blu-ray with a generally upgraded picture. Inherent issues in the film's lo-fi ambience probably prevent a huge datafield of improved detail from ever being extracted in an image harvest, but there's noticeable improvement here in most of the aspects we tend to cover in our reviews. Fans of the film will want to spend a bit of time comparing screenshots between the two versions to help decide whether or not to upgrade, but for those who haven't yet picked up the film on Blu-ray, this is the version to get. Recommended.
Blu-ray.com review by Jeffrey KauffmanRead review here
Video: 80
The chapter stops have been authored more or less identically on the two releases and a cursory if obviously nonscientific comparison of the first few show that the new version only very rarely offers...
Audio: 80
I noticed no appreciable difference between the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix included on this release and the one covered in our The Breakfast Club Blu-ray review, so I refer you to that review for further...
Extras: 80
The Most Convenient Definitions: The Origins of the Brat Pack (480i; 5:30) Theatrical Trailer (480i; 1:25)...
Movie: 80
A lot of fans were thrilled that The Breakfast Club made it to the format for a 25th Anniversary Edition in 2010, even if many of them were, like me, less than optimally pleased with some of the technical...
Total: 80
Inherent issues in the film's lo-fi ambience probably prevent a huge datafield of improved detail from ever being extracted in an image harvest, but there's noticeable improvement here in most of the aspects...
High-Def DigestRead review here
Video: 60
Sadly, several moments suspiciously appear to be the result of some trivial artificial touch-ups and sharpening where the faces of the young cast can look a tad waxy and a good amount of the natural grain...
Audio: 60
Low-frequency effects are also in good abundance to provide the music and the one moment of action some depth....
Extras: 40
A few of the segments are character-oriented, where actors talk about preparation for the role and motivation....
Movie: 80
Of course in one very intimate scene towards the latter part of the story, they admit that come Monday morning high school life will resume as before, suggesting that as much as we are aware of the hierarchies,...
Total: 60
The teen classic is a smart film which provides its adolescent leads with an authentic voice and doesn't treat them like caricatures....
Director: John Hughes
Actors: Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald
PlotFive high school students from different social circles are required to spend a Saturday in detention at their school. The group consists of the brainy Brian, the rebellious John, the popular Claire, the athletic Andrew, and the eccentric Allison. At first, they resent one another and struggle to relate across their clashing personalities and backgrounds, leading to tense confrontations and misunderstandings.
However, as the day progresses, they begin to open up about their insecurities, home lives, and personal pressures. Through honest conversation and sharing their unique experiences, they start to see past their initial stereotypes and develop unexpected connections. By the end of the detention session, they understand each other better, gaining insight into their shared humanity and forming a deep bond that transcends their social differences.
Writers: John Hughes
Release Date: 15 Feb 1985
Runtime: 97 min
Rating: R
Country: United States
Language: English