Flashdance

(3 1/2 stars for the film, 4 stars for the 4K UHD release)"Flashdance" is a 1983 romantic dance drama which was a huge hit grossing $201.5 million against a production of only $7 million. It was stylishly directed by Adrian Lyne from a script by Tom Hedley & Joe Eszterhas and was produced by Don Simpson & Jerry Bruckheimer. The soundtrack was equally huge going 6 times platinum in the United States & selling over 20 million copies worldwide. The lead of the film Jennifer Beals (who was only 18 years at the time of filming) is positively radiant, dynamic, sexy and delectable throughout. While the movie itself by objective standards is cheesy, predictable & hackneyed, it is also a lot of fun and a true crowd pleaser. Guys will enjoy the amazingly toned female bodies on full display (Jennifer Beal's incredible body and face truly are a work of art!) while women will enjoy the romantic aspects and female empowerment. It is energetic and engaging throughout its 97 minute running time. Most critics hated it at the time of its original release but audiences didn't care about critics in this case. It also functions as a nice time capsule of the early 80's and will prove quite nostalgic for people who grew up in that legendary.Warner Brothers initially released "Flashdance" on blu-ray back in 2013 featuring a nice transfer and some interesting extras. Paramount as part of their Paramount Presents line would reissue the film on blu-ray in 2020 featuring a director approved 4K restoration from the original camera negative which was an improvement on the 2013 disc. The frustrating aspect of the 2020 blu-ray release is that some extras were left off which were part of the 2013 release.For the film's 40th anniversary, that 2020 4K restoration has been unleashed on a dual layer 66 gigabyte 4K UHD disc including HDR10 & Dolby Vision in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The bit rate does start out a bit lower than expected during the opening titles sequence but once the movie has started proper, the bit rated jumps into the 70's for the most part occasionally getting into the low 80's. While the 4K UHD transfer is a bit darker than previous bluray releases (the 2020 blu-ray is also included with this 4K UHD release), it also looks much more natural and lifelike overall. Both the HDR10 and Dolby Vision really make the image pop particularly during the multiple dance sequences in the bar. I did find the skintones and overall contrast/black balance to be slightly better with Dolby Vision enabled though those who only have HDR10 capable 4K players and/or tv's will still be getting a superb image too. Detail is immaculate and every single pore and curve on Jennifer Beals' perfect physique and lovely face is on full display. I do find the 4K UHD presentation a more than solid upgrade over the 2020 blu-ray release. I doubt the film looked this great during its original theatrical run.Audio options include:- English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)- German: Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 kbps)- French: Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 kbps)- Japanese: Dolby Digital 2.0I was really hoping that Paramount would have sprung for a new Dolby Atmos mix but that unfortunately was not the case.Subtitles options include English, English SDH, French, German, Japanese and Spanish.Extras are only on the included 2020 blu-ray as follows:- Filmmaker Focus: Director Adrian Lyne Discusses Flashdance- The Look of Flashdance- Releasing the Flashdance Phenomenon- Theatrical TrailerA digital code is also included and the release comes with a non embossed slipcover. A steelbook option is also available.Fans of "Flashdance" should be thrilled with how the film looks on 4K UHD disc. While the lack of a Dolby Atmos mix is disappointing, the lossless 5.1 mix still more than does the job. I do also feel that Paramount missed a huge opportunity to not only restore the missing special features from the 2013 blu-ray but to also add some new extras in celebration of the film's 40th anniversary. The presentation of the film though is of utmost importance and in that respect the 4K UHD release is a winner. Anytime we can get vintage Jennifer Beals sexiness in 4K UHD is a good thing!

The FlashDance movie is an '80's Classic that can still holds the interest of new viewers and young (over 18 - this is a movie for adults) viewers. This movie will make you a fan of Jennifer Beal (if you are not one already). It's not because she plays a pseudo stripper/dancer that is not afraid to go after what she wants. She Makes this film work. Now, it's not Shakespeare, but it is a good movie that I think the vast majority of folks would enjoy.

The music and soundtrack of the 80’s. The story is a little weak but the dancing is the star

Send me more movies like this. Amazing

The film is old and no doubt the PC police would be cancelling it today but it's a fun film. Nothing to think about or try and figure out.

While the movie isn't my favorite, I do have to give it props for what it does which is give an enjoyable film of dancing and the struggles of our main character Alex played by Jennifer Beals. The whole beginning sequence with the music and title sequence whilst Alex rides her bike is now one of my favorite scenes in cinema as its the embodiment of the 80's and what it was like as a whole. This movie was one of my mother's favorites and while I didn't get to see it with her unfortunately.. I do understand why she loved it so much. I would also like to add a warning that there's a dance scene with strobing and flashing lights that lasts for a few minutes just incase anyone is epileptic or sensitive to that. I'm personally not epileptic or sensitive to scenes like that but I felt like that scene went way too heavy on those effects but that's just me.Video quality is phenomenal for an 80's movie with many scenes being vibrant and full of color with little to no noise. Sharpness isn't the best but its far from the worst as many scenes allow you to see a lot of details on both the actors and their clothes or even the locations themselves. I did feel like skin tones were probably the only main issue as some scenes had slightly oversaturated skin colors. From my understanding, there's 2 (maybe 3) blu ray versions of this film with many suggesting to get the newer version as the image has been slightly modified to look better. Sound quality is just as good with a surround soundtrack that plays everything crystal clear, especially the music scenes. I did feel like some scenes had minor inaudible lines/low tone of voice but again I hear that the newest version of the blu ray fixes some of the issues so I'd highly suggest doing research to find that version.Update: Flashdance now has a 4k version that people say look and sound better than ever. The blu ray still holds up but I imagine a 4k version would be the best way to watch this amazing film.

First time watching it in 2023 it was amazing to see how much influence this movie had on musical artists like Jlo and Paula Abdul. It's definitely a must see.

I love the sound design in the cinematography, I love the cast. My main issue with the film is the character that Jennifer Beals plays is so dislikable half the time. Her character is selfish, throws fits and reacts badly to most of the other characters. Some good scenes and a great atmosphere save the film

Personaly what makes a good film for me is that it is enjoyable, entertaining, gripping, likable and emotional. Flashdance without a doubt ticks all these five boxes. Flahdance is a very retro, cheesy entertaining film that is at no point boring and never drags, and is also a very clear symbol of the great 1980s and the night club exotic dancing scene of the time.The films plot is pretty basic, an 18 year old girl called Alex (Jennifer Beals) who despite her age and gender works as a welder at a steele mill by day, but by night she is an exotic dancer in a night club, however she aspires to become a professional dancer, but early on can't get the courage to apply, intimidated by the scope of the application process, which includes listing all prior dance experience and education which Alex lacks. But after the various events that follow throughout the film (both positive and negative) she finaly develops the courage to audition for a dance school or something like that and passess, ending the film on a predictalbe but happy conclusion. So yhea, the plot isn't the most interesting, but dose it really have to be? no, because its a motivatoinal dance story, so the basic plot isn't an issue.Pros- Brilliantly coreographed dance scenes, with amazing cinematography which capture the images with various creative shots, with perfectly placed edditing.- Alot of likable characters, some more than others.- Interesting central character (Alex)- The story is told at a reasonably nice pace and never drags.- Deals with relatable themes, such as failing and achieving certain goals in life.- A very entertaining feelgood film.- Brilliant music, with very good music video like montages.Cons- At times the scrpit got very stale and flat and even lazy, for example when the love story begins, its just simply isntant with no proper indication and development and just feels forced. Although despite this most of the script throughout was very solid.- Wooden acting from the co star Michael Nouri from time to time in his role of the love interest.- Not alot of character development. (Although this is being very picky)All in all Flashdance despite its few undeniable faults is a very decent and enjoyable film in my opinion. As it mostly meets all five of my requirements I am happy to give it a possitive review. This film is one of the quintessential 80s films, that works well as a symbolic artefact of its time. I highly reacomend this film to anyone who loves 80s American cinema and dance films, and also to anyone who enjoys feelgood films and looking for an entertaining night in.Although I gave this film a rating of 4. I preffer to rate films out of ten, so ignore my first rating.I give Flashdance a rating of 7 / 10.

So everyone raves about this film as an '80's classic' but actually blew me away as just a great film about working class girl finally realising her dreams. Bought for a nostalgia evening but really enjoyed it in its own right

I have purchased this as a gift for my granddaughter. Apparently she loves it!

Have always enjoyed this film and needed to replace an old copy

Fantastic item, fantastic service.