The Love Bug appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.66:1 on this Blu-ray disc. This became a surprisingly appealing image.
Sharpness usually appeared solid. Some wide shots came across as moderately soft, and the glimpses of a parade in Chinatown seemed bizarrely blurry. Otherwise, much of the movie looked tight and distinct.
Jagged edges and moiré effects created no concerns, and I also detected no problems with edge haloes. Grain felt light but natural, and I saw no print flaws.
Bug showed a natural palette that held up well. Matters could lean a little brown at times, but that appeared inherent to the source. Overall, colors appeared well-rendered.
Black levels were nicely deep and distinctive, while shadows came across as appropriately dense but not overly opaque. The Love Bug seemed generally satisfying.
The DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack of The Love Bug also seemed decent but unspectacular. For the most part, the soundfield remained oriented toward the front center speaker and it really came across like “broad mono” most of the time.
Music showed some spread to the sides, but it remained indistinct and didn’t display concise stereo imaging. Effects also portrayed moderate breadth to the non-centered channels, but these didn’t demonstrate much definition.
The racing scenes utilized the side and rears to a moderate level of effectiveness. Still most of the audio remained pretty well centered and didn’t manifest much life elsewhere.
Sound quality seemed fine for a film of this vintage. Speech seemed a bit thin and a little edgy at times, but the lines remained intelligible.
Effects presented fairly clean and accurate tones, with a modicum of bass impact as well. Music sounded somewhat flat but was acceptably distinct, and the score also demonstrated moderate low-end when appropriate.
Overall, the audio of The Love Bug didn’t do anything special. Nonetheless, when I considered the age of the movie, it worked well enough to merit a “B-“.
How did the Blu-ray compare to the DVD from 2003? Though lossless, the Blu-ray’s DTS-HD MA 5.1 didn’t feel especially more impactful than the lossy DVD, and both came with virtually identical soundfields.
On the other hand, the Blu-ray boasted considerably stronger visuals. With improved delineation, colors and cleanliness, this turned into a substantial upgrade.
Whereas the 2003 DVD came with a slew of extras, the Blu-ray offers absolutely nothing.
Despite some dated elements, The Love Bug mostly holds up well after 55 years. The movie seems fun and the charming creation of its vehicular star makes it more involving than I expected. The Blu-ray presents solid picture and generally positive sound along with no supplements. A light and likeable little flick, I definitely recommend The Love Bug as fine family fare.
To rate this film visit the DVD review of THE LOVE BUG