E. C. Segar’s iconic character Popeye the Sailor Man first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929, and has been a staple of pop culture ever since. Popeye made his big screen live-action debut in 1980, when the Robert Altman-directed musical comedy film Popeye hit theaters. The movie was produced by Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney Productions, and took in $60M worldwide on a budget of $20M. The film has been released on several home video formats over the years, but makes it onto 4K UHD for the first time this week.

Popeye (Robin Williams) is a good-natured but gruff sailor who makes his way to the coastal town of Sweethaven, in search of his Pappy (Ray Walston), whom he hasn’t seen since he was a small child. Upon making his way ashore, he’s immediately accosted by the town taxman (Donald Moffat), who makes up a litany of charges to collect on. Muttering to himself, Popeye finds his way to a boarding house owned by the family of Olive Oyl (Shelley Duvall)—a lanky, klutzy, and awkward woman who has been engaged 3 times previously, each time running off before tying the knot. Olive is once again getting cold feet about her upcoming nuptials and is preparing to flee for a fourth time. This doesn’t sit well with her current fiancé, Bluto (Paul L. Smith)—a wealthy man who runs the town on behalf of The Commodore in his absence, though no one has ever actually seen the Commodore in person. Bluto decides to make the Oyl family pay (literally), assessing them for all the back taxes they weren’t charged during the engagement. And so this quirky family begins a series of make-money-quick schemes in hopes of raising the capital they need to pay off the debt. Meanwhile, Popeye continues to try to locate his father, and Olive and Popeye find an abandoned baby with a note, and decide to adopt him, giving him the name Swee’pea. When they discover that Swee’pea has the ability to seemingly predict the future, this attracts the attention of both family friend/gambler Wimpy (Paul Dooley) and Bluto, who both see a money-making opportunity. And so Popeye attempts to protect the baby from those trying to snatch it for themselves, and adventure ensues.

Before receiving this 4K release for review, I hadn’t seen Popeye in decades, but I recalled having fond memories of watching it as a kid, so I was excited to revisit it. However, as I re-watched it at least 30 years later, I realize that maybe I had some rose-colored glasses at the time. That’s not to say this is a bad film, just that I likely ignored or didn’t notice its flaws when I was younger.

Let’s start with the positives. The filmmakers set out to capture the world of the comics, and they most certainly did. The characters and action are overexaggerated and cartoony, evoking the spirit of the comics. Colors are bright and beautiful, and the wacky and wild town of Sweethaven really comes to life. The casting is also spot-on. I can’t imagine anyone other other Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall playing Popeye and Olive Oyl. Williams gets all of the mannerisms to a T, from the constant muttering under his breath, to the mispronunciations and made up words, to the pipe, the cackling, and more. Add to that the iconic costume and prosthetic arm muscles, and he really transforms into Popeye. You almost instantly forget that it’s Robin Williams, and just think of him as Popeye in the flesh. Duvall is also the perfect Olive Oyl with her lanky build, She, too, is able to completely transform and embody the mannerisms of the character, such as when Olive is getting all twisted up as she simultaneously tries to leave Sweethaven and head back to her family’s home. The rest of the cast also does an excellent job of becoming these these iconic characters, such as Paul L. Smith as Bluto, Paul Dooley as Wimpy, Ray Walston as Poopdeck Pappy, and so many more. There is a lot of physical humor to the film, which the cast executes to perfection. Many of the other townsfolk are being played by folks with circus or other performing backgrounds, who have experience in this type of thing. Bill Irwin was a recognizable standout as Ham Gravy. As Popeye enters this wacky world of Sweethaven, you feel like you, too have just entered the comic itself.

Now for the negatives. The film is a musical, however, most of the main actors have no musical background or training and questionable abilities. Many of the songs sound off-key, or the lyrics are difficult to make out or understand, or the songs just go on too long. That said, there is one standout, Olive’s “He Needs Me”, which went on to be a hit of its own and was actually used in other things.

I think Popeye will still resonate with younger audiences over 45 years later as it is family-friendly fun with cartoony action and characters. It looks and feels more like a period piece, set in the original times of the comics rather than in the 1970s/1980s era it was made. Adults will enjoy seeing a whole bunch of recognizable faces in the cast, and maybe still have fond memories of watching this film when they were younger.

Paramount has released the 1980 film Popeye on 4K UHD for the first time. We were sent the release for review, which looks and sounds great. Colors pop, the picture is generally clean, with enough film grain to look natural rather than overly-processed with noise reduction, and a solid level of detail. The audio track is also well done, immersivity capturing the ambiance of this seaside town, whether it be the sounds of waves and wildlife or the creaking of wooden boards, and the thunder in the opening sequence cracks from overhead. The music during the songs really fills the room.

The 4K release includes both a 4K and Blu-ray disc, which are placed on either side of a standard 4K keepcase along with instructions on how to redeem an 4K digital copy of the movie. The case is placed inside a cardboard slipcover. All of the bonus material can only be found on the Blu-ray disc (and possibly digital release depending on where it is redeemed), and is identical to the material that was included on 2020’s 40th Anniversary Blu-ray release—about 25 minutes of behind-the-scenes festurettes combining interviews with director Robert Altman (1999), star Robin Williams (2014), and prop master Stephen Altman (2020), as well as the original trailer and the ability to jump to specific musical performances.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:53:59)

4K UHD:
• 2160p / Widescreen 2.39:1
• Dolby Vision / HDR10
• Audio: English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, English 2.0 Dolby Digital
• Subtitles: English, English SDH, French

Blu-ray:

• 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, English 2.0 Dolby Digital
• Subtitles: English, English SDH, French

Digital:

• 4K Digital Copy redeemable via Apple TV or Fandango. This is not Movies Anywhere compatible.
• Code subject to expiration, may not be valid after 8/18/2028

Extras:
Bonus material can only be found on the Blu-ray disc.

• Return to Sweethaven: A Look Back with Robin and the Altmans (13:29)
  Combines interviews with star Robin Williams (“Popeye”) from 2014, director Robert Altman from 1999, and prop master Stephen Altman from 2020. They discuss adapting the comics rather than the animated series, the cartoonish nature of the film, how Popeye was changed by the town, having issues with the prop arms, the songs and music, filming in Malta, the audience reactions, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage.
• The Popeye Company Players (9:34)
  Combines interviews with star Robin Williams (“Popeye”) from 2014, director Robert Altman from 1999, and prop master Stephen Altman from 2020. They discuss casting the film, share some behind-the-scenes stories, capitalizing on circus performer abilities, and more. Includes production photos.
• Popeye‘s Premiere (2:40)
  Montage of images from the film’s December 6, 1980 premiere in Hollywood, California, set to a score from the film’s soundtrack.
• The Sailor Man Medleys (35:24)
  Play the songs directly from the movie. Play All, or select from:
  • Sweethaven (2:49)
  • Blow Me Down (3:32)
  • Everything Is Food (3:27)
  • He’s Large (3:57)
  • I’m Mean (1:33)
  • Sailin’ (2:55)
  • I Yam What I Yam (2:43)
  • He Needs Me (2:57)
  • Swee’pea’s Lullaby (2:35)
  • It’s Not Easy Being Me (1:55)
  • Kids (4:39)
  • I’m Popeye the Sailor Man (2:19)
• Theatrical Trailer (1:53)

Final Thoughts:

Popeye is a film that will be hit-or-miss for many folks. It does an excellent job bringing the cartoonish world of the Popeye comics to life with a delightful set and an amazing and perfect cast. The only downside is that for a musical, many of the songs and performances are a bit lackluster. That said, Paramount’s new 4K release looks and sounds great, but offers no new bonus material when compared to the 2020 40th anniversary Blu-ray release, so fans may not want to double-dip. That said, the film is still worth a look and this would be the version to pick up.