Coraline 4K UHD Screenshots (Patreon)

Video

Shout Factory notes a new 4K restoration for this release. That's likely true, but this isn't a native 4K presentation, rather an upscale. Sharpness looks enhanced slightly, giving Coraline an unnatural edginess. Not sharpnened, just impure. Slightly. And enough to leave ringing artifacts behind. But again, slightly. There's even shimmering where not intended, also slightly. Detail still comes in droves, from hair to clothing. Texture on puppets is never at a loss, while miniature environments show equal fidelity. In terms of improving over the Blu-ray though, Coraline is only a marginal upgrade.

Generous Dolby Vision grading shimmers off Coraline's hair, and that's only the beginning. Crisp contrast assists throughout, accentuating the frame. Black levels bring crushing concerns, taking shadow detail with them. That's the sole concern with the new grading.

Source material shows a persistent noise, typically unobtrusive, although a few peaks give the encode challenges. That's minor. Color saturation poses no problems, with bold, dense primaries standing out against a wide, varies palette. From Coraline's yellow raincoat to her yellow rain jacket, every hue presents with vividness. Once into the outdoor garden, lit up and blooming, the visual boost more than justifies this release.

Also note the occasional dead pixel in the source material.

Audio

Coraline brings opportunity for an Atmos remix, and Shout takes full advantage of the moment. Surrounds prove prominent, from stretching the music to enveloping the soundstage via rain, storms, and other ambient effects. The real work happens in the heights though, especially with the various flying creatures. Whipping overhead, any chance to offer Atmos effects is taken, and it's often. Even the music creeps into the added speakers, bringing additional space to an already grand home audio disc.

Range delivers on the low-end, producing the expected bass as needed. There's variance, from soft touches during tender moments, the music helped along by a light strumming. When Coraline veers toward horror, bass intensity increases to a sustained, thick rumble. Action scenes provide jolts galore, and they're not subtle, rather room-filling shaking, the best being the "other" world's collapse after Coraline finds the third eye.