Thief
Criterion
Video: 2160p/Dolby Vision HDR
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA
Subtitles: English SDH
Buy it from Criterion and DiabolikDVD

by Billy Russell, Associate Editor

The Movie: Excellent

Before there was Drive there was Thief. And, for my money, both movies are endlessly rad. Stylistically and thematically, they’re very, very similar. Who owes who what, and how much, that’s a debate for another day. I’m here today to gush over Criterion’s latest release of Michael Mann’s Thief on 4K UHD Blu-ray.

Thief is one of those simple stories, simply told, that sticks to the meat of the plot. There’s not a lot of nonsense and there’s not a lot of fluff added to it. In it, James Caan plays Frank, an expert safecracker. When we’re introduced to him, he’s working with his crew to pull of a high-stakes robbery. Bathed in electric, neon light and with an incredible score by Tangerine Dream, we’re sucked into the mechanics of the operation without relying on dialogue. Mann has a knack for telling his stories visually, and we’re along for the ride.

Crime films have always been intriguing to me, partly because I can’t wrap my head around being successful at it. There’s such an intricate web of machismo and ego and one false move, one little subtle sleight, and you’re dead. Who needs that stress?! Sure as hell not me, but it makes for incredible storytelling and delves into the complicated darkness that is the human spirit.

Thief is gorgeous—truly a sight to behold. The musical score, phenomenal (that it “won” a Razzie underscores the contempt I have for the Golden Raspberries). The acting, across the board, is incredible, with James Caan bringing his A-game as always, but also propping up a supporting cast that includes Willie Nelson, of all people, selling the hell out of his bit role as a dying prisoner, and friend to Frank. But I’ve always admired that in his feature film debut, Michael Mann gets away with breaking all the rules with its story structure. It’s a loose framework that follows Frank from his work as a professional thief, trying to go legit and start a family, and then losing control of everything when he finds himself in the middle of a double-cross. So-called “structure” doesn’t apply here, but rules don’t matter when you’re successful.

Just as it was then, and is now, Thief is a terrific crime flick. Damn near flawless in execution and thrilling from beginning to end.

The Packaging: Good

Thief cracks a safe and sneaks into 4K UHD Blu-ray courtesy of the Criterion Collection in a double-disc release containing the new 4K disc and its previous 1080p Blu-ray release containing all special features. Inside is a booklet containing cover art from Fred David (same design as previous releases), plus an essay by Nick James.

The Video: Excellent

Thief is one of Criterion’s flagship titles and each release represents some sort of new, quantifiable improvement in its overall presentation. There are titles whose Blu-ray release isn’t much different than its 4K release, or upgraded audio sounds roughly the same from DVD to Blu-ray. But with Thief, each iteration improves upon its last. In this case, on 4K UHD Blu-ray, Criterion takes an already-incredible-looking film and improves upon it with Dolby Vision HDR grading. Shadows are a thick, inky black and colors explode with fury. The dynamic range gets to shine in those lowlight sequences with only the flame of a blowtorch illuminating the sequence. Donald E. Thorin’s sublime cinematography looks the best its ever looked on home video. This release is nearly worthy of being a demo disc to calibrate modern televisions like OLEDs.

The Audio: Excellent

While the video portion of this release represents a massive improvement over an already-incredible presentation, Criterion has used more or less the same DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix from its previous release that hits in all the right places. Dialogue clarity is razor sharp and always favored in the mix, while the electronic score by Tangerine Dream thumps powerfully to life throughout the front and rear of the soundstage.

The details for this release specify that the sound mix is 5.0 surround, whereas previous releases saw a 5.1 mix—the “point one” of course indicating a dedicated discrete channel for LFEs through the subwoofer. To be honest, I didn’t notice a difference, because deep, bassy effects made their way to my subwoofer with ease.

Special Features: Good

There are now new features here outside of the upgraded video presentation. All features listed had graced previous releases from Criterion on Blu-ray and DVD. Still, the offerings are quite good, particularly for first-time buyers who haven’t had a chance to watch the flick with audio commentary or enjoy the interviews collected by Criterion.

Audio commentary featuring director Michael Mann and actor James Caan
Interviews with Mann, Caan, and Johannes Schmoelling of the band Tangerine Dream, which contributed the film’s soundtrack
Trailer

In Summary: Must own!

Simply put, Thief is a badass movie and one that pushes every aspect of your home theater setup. It looks terrific. It sounds terrific. And the special features are terrific. Thief, directed by Michael Mann and released by the Criterion Collection, is a must-own release for home video, physical media enthusiasts. And its upgraded video presentation more than justifies the double-dip for folks who already own it.

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