Nerdly » ‘Oliver! (1968)’ 4K UHD Review

05th Jun2025

‘Oliver! (1968)’ 4K UHD Review

by Jason Lockard

Stars: Mark Lester, Ron Moody, Jack Wild, Oliver Reed, Shani Wallis, Harry Secombe, Joseph O’Conor, Hugh Griffith, Peggy Mount, Leonard Rossiter, Hylda Baker, Kenneth Cranham, Megs Jenkins, Sheila White, Wensley Pithey, James Hayter, Elizabeth Knight, Fred Emney| Written by Vernon Harris | Directed by Carol Reed

Charles Dickens wrote some amazing tales during his lifetime. Think about A Tale of Two Cities, David Copperfield or the holiday classic A Christmas Carol. But in only his second novel, he wrote a tale that has and will forever live in our thoughts. Of course, I’m talking about the little parish boy Oliver Twist.

Charles Dickens’ little orphan boy Oliver’s life story has been adapted for film and TV more than 20 times. In 1968, Columbia Pictures brought the world an epic musical version of Oliver Twist in the film Oliver! This Academy Award-winning musical is rapidly approaching its 60th anniversary. Now, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment have released this film on 4K UltraHD.

Experience the high-spirited adventures of Oliver Twist in this Oscar -winning musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic tale! Young Oliver (Mark Lester) is an orphan who escapes the cheerless life of the workhouse and takes to the streets of 19th-Century London. He’s immediately taken in by a band of street urchins, headed by the lovable villain, Fagin (Ron Moody), his fiendish henchman, Bill Sikes (Oliver Reed), and his loyal apprentice, The Artful Dodger (Jack Wild). Through his education in the fine points of pick-pocketing, Oliver makes away with an unexpected treasure… a home and a family of his own.

I first saw this film as a young kid around Oliver’s age. My dad loved musicals, so before I was a teenager I had seen a lifetime of musicals. But very few musicals left the impression on me that Oliver! did.

Oliver! runs over 2 and a half hours, but it is so well paced that it doesn’t feel nearly that long. The musical and performances are simply spectacular. With unforgettable songs like Consider Yourself, Where Is Love? and As Long as He Needs Me. The standout performances have to be Ron Moody, Jack Wild and Oliver himself, Mark Lester.

Oliver! won the Academy Award for Best Director for Carol Reed and Best Picture, and deservingly so. But you have to think there were a lot of amazing films in 1968. 2001 A Space Odyssey, The Odd Couple, Funny Girl, Bullitt, The Planet of the Apes, The Green Berets, The Lion in Winter, Rosemary’s Baby and Yours Mine and Ours. That is some stiff competition.

Sony has transferred Oliver! to 4K in 2160p and presented it in 2.35:1 aspect ratio. There are several audio options. An English Dolby Atmos TrueHD 7.1, an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, and an English 2-channel Surround DTS-HD Master Audio. There is also the French and Spanish mono audio. Then there is the option for subtitles in English, French and Spanish.

The 4K picture quality of this musical is simply stunning. I have watched this film many times over my years and yet I can honestly say I feel like I haven’t truly seen this film until watching it now in UltraHD. The colours are vibrant; the grittiness of the slums and the detail in each scene just blew my mind! A simply stunning 4K transfer is not all that this release has going for it. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment added some very nice bonus features to this release.

Special Features:

NEW! Audio Commentary: Film Historian Steven C. Smith
NEW! Jack Wild Screen Test
Original Behind-the-Scenes Featurette
Meeting Oliver!
Meeting Fagin!
The Locations of Oliver!
Sing-Alongs: The musical scenes from the film with karaoke-style lyrics presented across the bottom of the screen. Included are Food Glorious Food, Consider Yourself, Pick a Pocket, I’d Do Anything, Be Back Soon, Who Will Buy?, Reviewing the Situation, and Oom Pah Pah.
Dance-Alongs: Included, following a disclaimer, are instructions for dancing to Food Glorious Food, I’d Do Anything, and Be Back Soon.
Dance and Sing-Alongs: Combining, now, singing and dancing for the same songs as from above: Food Glorious Food, I’d Do Anything, and Be Back Soon.
Trailers

Steven C. Smith’s audio commentary is a wonderful listen. He brings so much information to this great musical. Definitely worth your time. I love the addition of the featurettes and Jack Wild’s Screen test. The sing-alongs and Dance-alongs are great bonuses, even though most will probably never try these. As a person who, as a kid, was forced to watch musicals and grew to really appreciate them, Oliver! is one of the best. And so is this new 4K UHD release!