Our Technical Reviews come from Reggie, Lord of the 4K
Project 1984FINALLY!!! Nightmare On Elm Street on 4K!!!
YOU....NEED.....THIS!!!. Excellent remaster & transfer. It literally looks like it just came out this year. 1984....wasn't THAT long ago. Was it?! New bonus material is a bonus. Literally this was SOOOOOO worth the wait. For the next few weekends I'm watching classics from 1984. 40yrs.......wasn't THAT long ago. Also this year was excellent for so many genres of music.
This weekend I've started with Gremlins & Ghostbusters. Gremlins was so cute, funny, & everything went South so fast. Yes, I had nightmares, which was common for movies rated PG. We were built different. Also, this is a Christmas movie. Ghostbusters was just comedy genius.
Here's what could've been facts... John Belushi was supposed to be in Ghostbusters, but unfortunately we know how that turned out. And Eddie Murphy was also tapped for this movie, but he was under contract with Paramount to film another '84 classic Beverly Hills Cop. OHHHHH what could've been!!! Anyhow we still have a classic to remember. Temple Of Doom....
This entry is definitely the darkest of the 4 Indy movies. YES THERE'S ONLY 4!!! Needless to say my brother & I did freak out from the Thuggie sacrifice. But it was no different from the Raiders finale. Also Temple & Gremlins were the reason that we now have the PG13 rating. I really don't know how some people were offended when Spielberg literally had Jaws, & Poltergeist under his belt. AAAAAANNNNNNDDDDD no one complained. Such a great time Lucasfilm & ILM back in the day. Before the dark times... before Disney & KK,. Search For Spock... Great entry, but not close to the emotion of KHAAAAAAN!!! My bad. Of course since Empire many of us fans rushed to see opening night. Standing in line.....yeah that was a thing & Gooood Tiiiiiimes. I did get emotional from the death of the Enterprise. Yes....it's a death!!! Such great movies during the Summer of '84 & there were many more. Enter The Dragon on 4K is a masterpiece of Lee's finest work.
Anytime that an older film is remastered in 4K are the best transfers. I recommend Jaws, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Ten Commandments, & Lawrence Of Arabia are the best 4K transfers for this reason. Picture..... Even though there were just a few blemishes, it doesn't take anything away from this disc. Everything from locations, set designs, & costumes are just a treat for your eyes. Han's red & black robe was so clear that I could see the fabric texture. Lee's fight scene going into the third act I see literally see the sweat pouring out of his skin. This will be an excellent upgrade if you have the blu ray. Sound.... Surprisingly the original soundtrack was upgraded to Dolby Atmos. I was very leery about this at first. But as always WB knows how to produce their 4K discs in epic fashion. The Atmos was here & there, but they made it work. Great use of surrounds, & the front stage was very clear with dialogue. Great use of the subwoofers also when needed. The airliner landing in Hong Kong was the best scene with the use of all speakers. So if you're a Lee fan then I totally recommend this 4K. Side note.... I really don't know what's going on with WB lately. The downside for Dragon on 4K is lack of special features. But if you want those features, then you'll have to purchase the special edition set that is sold in the UK. Now this is where I question WB methods. They're doing the exact same the thing with the 50th Anniversary of The Exorcist on 4K coming out next month. SERIOUSLY I loathe the cover art for the slip cover & the steel book. But the special edition set is also sold in the UK, & it's sold out. I'm hoping that WB hears the complaints of us customers, & make this right. Right at the beginning of this AWESOME movie, Rebecca Griffin literally stated... OHHHHH this already hitting hard!!!
Needless to say that Lionsgate always has some of the best in 4K transfers. The LFE (subwoofer) effects alone aren't the star of this soundtrack. Everything from the surrounds & Atmos blends together for a very euphoric symphony of sounds. The club scene alone has the best of everything when it comes to sound. This will already be in my top 10 4K releases of this year. John Wick 4....just get it!!! Super Mario Brothers.....DAAAAAYYYYYYYMMMMMMM!!!
Not gonna lie, but I actually held my remote like a controller. Not even embarrassed. There's no way that anyone can hate this movie. This was visually a very bright movie. I has to be!!! Illumination which produced the Despicable Me/Minions franchise out did themselves. Universal has an excellent 4K program. All of the sound effects from the games are present. Surrounds, Atmos, & the subwoofers will have an excellent workout. Too many Easter eggs to mention, & a great post scene. Streaming doesn't do any justice to these releases. I will always support physical media just so I can continue to support film makers. Let's get the Gorn out of the room. The TNG films are hit & miss for us fans. But for me as a fan I always have to get the full set of any fandom that I love & grew up with. I'll be short with this review.
Visuals... They're not as vivid as TMP....not even close!!! But the Dolby Vision for each film is surprisingly impressive. Costumes, sets, locations, & starship battle scenes are the best that I've ever seen. The Borg attack in First Contact was the star of this set. And bare with me....Nemesis has the best use dark images that were very detailed. Soundtrack.... Each film sports a 7.1 Dolby HD soundtrack. As with the TOS 4K set it sounds like the blu ray set, which was an improvement over the DVD set. Generations has the best use of sound. The surrounds & our subwoofers are the highlights during the saucer crash scene. Also the aforementioned Borg battle scene in First Contact is very immersive. Surprisingly the battle scenes in Insurrection & Nemesis make full use of this surround format. This was wasted opportunity for not upgrading Atmos. Final thoughts.... I've bought Trek on every video & surround sound format. That's because I always will love Trek. Luckily I got a great deal of this set,& that's ok with me. If you have the blu ray set that's ok. All of the bonus content are just carry overs. If you do decide to upgrade to 4K then just wait for a sale, or purchase a used set. FINALLY.....DRAGONSLAYER ON 4K!!!
I've been waiting for this for years...40yrs to be exact!!! A very special shout out to David J Borowiak for giving me a heads up back in December. I preordered asap. The restoration was specifically supervised by the director. So I can't stress how perfect 4K disc is. Let's start my review, along with my boy Ringo. (Yes, he actually watched this with me!!!) Even though this movie was produced by Paramount & Disney it was distributed by Paramount. So there's no worry about a pisspoor Disney transfer. The visuals.... OMFG!!! I've always felt that older movies always look better on 4K. And at 40yrs old..( I really need to do the math on that one!!)...Dragonslayer doesn't disappoint. The Dolby Vision transfer looks so lifelike, & that feeling of dread can be felt. Everything from locations, set designs, costumes, & of course Vermithrax looks very spot on. There's only a couple of scenes where the HDR has a minor glitch, but it doesn't interferes with the flow of the story. I just gonna get to the heart of the movie. When Galen arrives at the dragon's lair it's amazing how much detail can be seen in this dark scene. Moving forward to the Lake of Fire this goes to another level. Between the fire & water I was speechless. Now enters Vermithrax. There's NO CGI back in 1981. Between the live action to stop motion versions of the dragon this beats Smaug in The Hobbit. The details are way better than I was expecting. Even the fire & flying effects at the finale exceeds my expectations. Everything else from this classic are just bonuses. The soundtrack..... The sound was remastered in Dolby Atmos. Nothing was spared,& it was a very brutal attack on my ears. Hearing the dragon's roar during the first sacrifice shook the room. Now that was the first roar. Then when Galen causes the rock avalanche all 4 of our subs,& our Atmos speakers blended perfectly with our ear level speakers. Now of course the Lake of Fire & the wrath of Vermithrax I was a 11yr old kid again. The roar, breath of fire, & foot stomps work as a pure symphony of sound bliss. And for the finale the dragon's flyover with the Atmos speakers & the subwoofers wraps up a wonderful journey into sound. Final thoughts... Ringo says that you need this!!! SERIOUSLY I can't believe that he watched this with me. Love my puppy!!! All of us grew up with this classic, & while CGI great nothing beats practical effects. Vermithrax looks so real, & I was actually terrified by the story. I compare this release to Star Trek TMP Director's Cut 4K release. Sorry that this was long, but can't express my love for this classic enough. My review of Maverick on 4k will be the fastest ever.
Atmos....PERFECT!!! Picture....PERFECT!!! The movie itself....PERFECT!!! If you're watching this on any streaming service, then you're really not watching,or hearing it. This is hands down the 4K of the year. Also it will now be one of my personal top reference discs. Again the physical 4K disc with a surround system is the ONLY way to enjoy Maverick. Sorry for the wait, but this review of the newly released Star Trek 4K set will be worth it. First of all let me say that Trek is one of the few franchises that I've owned in almost every video format. I'll have to say that this 4K set has been the best version ever. Not because I'm being biased, but Paramount really took their time with this set.
I'll be breaking down each movie just for the fact that each one brings something new to your eyes. The unfortunate part is that the only releases are The Motion Picture, Wrath of Khan, Search for Spock, & The Voyage Home. I'm hopeful that Final Frontier & Undiscovered Country will follow asap! The soundtracks are in Dolby True-HD. There's no upgraded Atmos soundtracks, but please note that all of the great sounds that we've all grew up to hear are well represented. The Motion Picture: This is the one that I've really been waiting on!!! And I wasn't disappointed, even though there will be a 4K Director's Cut soon to follow. The opening scene starts off with so much clarity. The Klingon cruisers set against the V'Ger cloud was breathtaking. Now when I got to see the bridge of the Klingon cruiser I was floored. This has to be the best presentation detail that I've ever seen for TMP. There was so much depth that even the uniforms stood out. I'll even jump ahead to say that the bridge of the Enterprise was spot on. The could actually feel how dark both bridges are from the cinematography. The tour of the refit Enterprise....(Hold up. I need a moment.) I cried. That 9 yr old kid in me was very happy. Scott taking Kirk for his tour was beautiful. Goldsmith's score is the sound effect in itself. Going into the cloud was mesmerizing with the visuals. And the finale with Decker & Ilia really did put a strain on my eyes, so please note there might be some discomfort. Still an excellent scene remastered. You won't be disappointed. Wrath of Khan: Summer of '82....Gooood Tiiiiiimes!!! The quiet scenes in the beginning were striking, but at the same time I felt there was more grain than TMP. Since all of these movies were shot on film this was expected. When Khan is introduced in the Botany Bay that scene is perfect. Seriously I was impressed with this scene alone. When the Enterprise confronts the Reliant....WOW!!! This classic battle starts off with so much depth that it feels like you're really there. I actually thought that they pulled a Lucas, but it's the OG work from ILM. The finale in the Mutara Nebula is the reason for this movie. Dated effects but the visuals are still on par with CGI. Spock's death scene looks very closed in,& yet roomy with details. Search For Spock: Here's a couple of downsides that I've noticed. Kruger's Targ, & many of the Genesis planet scenes look fake. Unfortunately HD & 4K bring out flaws from older movies. This is something that can't be avoided. The Enterprise really is the star of this 4K. From arriving & being stolen from Spacedock to being destroyed over Genesis are excellent reference showings. Awesome details on the Bird of Prey. Every scene on Vulcan was very smooth with the colors. The Voyage Home: The real joy from this 4K are the scenes from San Francisco. The bus scene is wonderful, & the Enterprise aircraft carrier is open & claustrophobic at the same time. The sound effects from the Probe are eerie, while George & Gracie are very soothing. Final thoughts: I felt that a lot of effort was made in this set. Yes, the effects are dated making some scenes a little blurry. Again I wish there was a Atmos soundtrack. Khan & Spock really could've used the overhead sounds from those speakers. But the Dolby True-HD will satisfy your surround sound systems. This was a great time watching these classics for the little kid in all if us Trek fans. I highly recommend this set for your collection. 4 & 1/2 stars out of 5. We shall not discuss Whedon's JL version. I'm a fan of his previous work but I'm beyond disgusted how he treated people. With that being said Snyder's original vision....perfect!!!
Before I go into the technical aspects about the 4K, have to say this is the reason why studios need to let the artists create, & stop trying to cut corners. Almost 4 hrs long, but it flew by so fast just because of the story. I hope that WB has learned a lesson. Video: Even though the original JL was excellent, Snyder's version took it to the next level. The details in every location felt as if we were there. The battle at Wonder Woman's home & Atlantis was very immersive. And Darkseid's invasion we were able to point out every detail without any issues. Even the costumes were spot on. My wife noticed that color's stood out more than the original JL, & she loved Superman's black outfit as compared to his classic outfit. Steppenwolf's battle finale was able to mix the colors as well as the dark details. It was a perfect collage of visuals. Audio: The Dolby Atmos wasn't as bold as the original JL 4K. But that is the joy of the Snyder Cut. Even with the Atmos soundtrack tuned down we're able to really enjoy the story. The sound itself was awesome. With the surround & Atmos speakers in perfect synch that we felt like ducking during the Darkseid's invasion. The subwoofer effects were even better during every action scene. The battle at Wonder Woman's home was a perfect example. Final Say... I hope that no one else purchased the original JL 4K. Unfortunately I did,& that's on me. Yes you may have watch the Snyder Cut on HBO Max, but streaming doesn't even come close to the actual 4K disc. If you're a DC fan I would strongly suggest that you purchase this 4K. There's only a 25 min behind the scenes for special features. Normally that would be a buzzkill, but with a movie this long I'll give this a pass. JUST A BRUTAL ATTACK ON OUR 4K TV & SURROUND SYSTEMS!!! The colors during the Hong Kong battle sequence just jumps out at your vision. The Dolby Atmos soundtrack during the first battle on the aircraft carrier & with Mechagodzilla is really perfection. Plenty of subwoofer & Atmos speaker usage to enjoy.
Luckily I read the first review of the original 4K release. Everything from the video & sound wasn't even close to the high standards that we expect in any major home video release. (I wish that I had the heads up with the Terminator 2 4K release1)
I'm both Team DC & Team Marvel, so I have love for both franchises. I went straight to the battle scenes to test my equipment. I wasn't disappointed. Snyder did an excellent job remastering this 4K. The dark scenes were so clear that you could see the details of the characters. Very smooth resolution & very immersive. The Atmos soundtrack was a huge improvement over the Blu-ray. Our surround speakers had a helluva workout, while both sub-woofers were brutal with the Zod/Doomsday battle. Now for Godzilla.....totally worth the 7yr wait!!!
We can all agree that the Blu-ray version was too dark. Like Game Of Thrones, episode 3, season 8 dark. Finally we get to see all of the details that we missed. The MUTOS awakening scene had me understand the purpose of Monarch. The battles between Godzilla & the MUTOS were excellent when we can finally see the carnage. The Atmos soundtrack was so on fire from the opening credits to the end. You'll be exhausted after watching this 4K. Even the quiet outside scenes were so immersive. Great timing for this 4K release with the release of Godzilla Vs. Kong. There's good news,& bad news.
First the bad news, & please don't let this bring you down. If you're expecting any updated, or new features then you're out of luck. If you already have the Blu-ray it'll be the same features. So unfortunately there's nothing new. Sadly as with the DVD & Blu-ray the surround sound mix pretty much sounded the same. Plus the sub-woofer effect for the most part wasn't there for the action scenes. I was disappointed, but I wasn't surprised for the lack of a remastered soundtrack. Now for the good news. I can't stress how impressive the HDR was for the picture's remaster. Overall we the movie has a dark feel when it comes to the cinematography. The scenes with the Mystics, forest, & swamps looked grainy, but at the same time every detail was able to be seen. Now the real magic was with the Skeksis, & inside their castle. This alone will be the reason what 4K is all about. The dark colors of the costumes, furniture,& even the Skeksis's facial features felt like the viewer is actually there. The Emperor's death scene is the reference point of this 4K. For what this 4K presentation is lacking doesn't take away that joy that we felt during the Summer of Sci-Fi in 1982. (I still need to get ET & the original Blade Runner to keep this feeling going.) Jim Henson & Frank Oz were really ahead of their time with originality, & technology just as Lucas, Spielberg, & Roddenberry were. My childhood is beyond happy with the 4K release of Close Encounters of the Third Kind!!! As always Spielberg always knows how to remaster any of his films in every new technology in the past 30 yrs. I thought the Blu-ray would never be surpassed. I'm happy to say that I'm very wrong. So let's start the review shall we...
With the video....where do I start?! All of the location shots in Mexico, Mongolia, & India are the best that I've ever seen from any previous format. The scene from Indiana & Wyoming really made me feel like I was 7 yrs old in 1977. The clarity of this classic is flawless!!! My favorite scenes are Barry's Abduction Roy's Breakdown, & of course the Contact in the third act. Now I did watch the Director's Cut since this was the way Spielberg wanted CE to been seen. I felt very cheated by Columbia that they made Spielberg shoot extra footage show the inside of the Mother Ship. Which is the version that most of us have grown up with. After watching Spielberg's interview on the bonus footage I can see why Roy's fate should've remained in our imaginations. Dick move on Columbia for cheating us out of Spielberg's artistic vision. But....of course I had to watch the Mother Ship scene, & was very emotional at how I felt like I was really inside, & the movement of the ships flying into the enclosure were just filmed with today's effects. At least you'll be happy that this is the best way to see this classic. The sound... DUDE!!! John Williams soundtrack alone is a sound effect, & personally between Jaws & CE are his best themes. Just two notes for the main theme of Jaws, & five notes for CE...sheer genius. For this part you will not be disappointed. Now my favorite scene when it comes to the surround sound of this movie is Barry's Abduction. This scene scared the hell outta me as a kid, & it still does as an adult. I actually could hear & feel the alien footsteps from upstairs, & panning of the alien crafts actually made the hair on the back my neck stand up. As the craft is landing both of our sub-woofers brought home the fear that I still feel watching this scene. The third act with all of the supporting crafts & the Mother ship is so bright & colorful that we had to shield our eyes. And we actually ducked a couple of times, because the DTS-HD soundtrack really did it's job. Final thoughts... I shouldn't have to tell you!!! Please get this...again!!! Yes, we've all made Spielberg rich with every release, because he deserves it. If CE that was made in '77 can look like a brand new movie, & we'll have very high expectations when the original SW trilogy eventually come to grace our collections. |
OHHHHH....MYYYYY......GODZILLA!!!!
I'm beyond speechless!!! Toho literally released the 4K of the year!!!! Ok let me get the downsides of this set out of the way. The bonus disc is all in Japanese. Also, the two booklets that are included in the set are in Japanese only. It's unfortunate that the BTS aren't subtitled. I wanted to see how they used a budget of $15 million to create a now classic. Streaming....can totally suck it!!! You need to own THIS set. I preordered mine asap from the Godzilla Store when it came online. Now it will come out on November from Amazon, but it'll never come close to this set at all. The story was just perfect. I was pulled in by all of the characters during post WWII era. And the Big Guy....was actually terrifying. I thought that the original Gorjira was terrifying, but Minus One went beyond anything that I could imagine. The visuals were.....I can't even describe how awesome the picture is. The Dolby Vision & HDR were pushed to the limit. The Monsterverse movies are not even close. No details were overlooked. From Godzilla himself, to all of the mayhem that ensues. OHHHHH.....the sound.... The build up for Godzilla's blast exhilarating. When he use his blast there was a small pause, then all for subwoofers hit so hard. The Atmos speakers were very much in use, & didn't stop until the end of the movie. The bed layer speakers sounded, & were aligned perfect. Meeka's eyes were that focused during the blast scene. The only final word is that Toho still made the perfect & best Godzilla movie on 4K. WB doesn't even come close to this masterpiece. As always Legendary/WB always delivers on 4K releases. Excellent audio & video, so this is an excellent edition for physical media!!!
Paramount did a great job with the restoration. My only gripe is that the extended TV version is on the blu ray. And that the audio is only 2.0 mono. SERIOUSLY Paramount do better!!! The theatrical version never loses it's charm. Excellent use of film grain for the video, even though the audio wasn't punchy the DTS-HD did a solid job.
On a personal note.... I was 6yrs old when I saw this. This was the first time that I saw the WTC towers. They made such an impression on me that I promised myself that I would see these in my lifetime. Well....sad to say that this will never happen. This is why physical media will always be important. 3hrs......didn't even come close to feeling like time was slow. The movie grabs your attention right from the start, & by the end you don't feel like it's been 3hrs.
Nolan is a genius, & this better win top awards at the Oscars. Nolan's use of visual & sound are perfection. Streaming will not do this movie any justice. I'll even compare this to Citizen Kane. Therefore I highly recommend this soon to be classic for your enjoyment. Also, part of your collection. It's been a busy few weeks with the recent 4K releases.
Ok let's get this out of the way. I'm definitely not a fan of ANY Disney 4K releases. And I do know that not everyone is a fan of Avatar. Be that as it may we can at least agree that James Cameron always pushes boundaries whenever if come to new breakthroughs when it comes to special effects. Avatar.... I was very anxious to see how this movie would look since it came out in 2009. I'm happy to say that whatever Cameron wants, Cameron gets. He literally had more information programmed into each movie than the usual BS that Disney cheats everyone on. The visuals where very smooth, & realistic. The characters in CGI didn't even look fake or dated, as compared to some of the MCU movies. I was really drawn in with the Pandora elements. The details with the wardrobes & skin tones were spot on. The sound was almost a great improvement over the blu ray. Almost... The two main battle scenes actually were excellent. Great use of surrounds, & the Atmos was great. But I felt that the LFE should've been more present. I felt that the Fox blu ray still sounded better than the Disney 4K. Being that this is a new movie with the latest technology Cameron did it again!!!
I just LOVE all of the water scenes, & the underwater scenes are their own element alone. Everything matches the first Avatar, but better. Again I felt that the LFE alone should've been lower. Disney really has a problem when it comes to sound effects on their 4K releases. I still recommend both Avatar movies in 4K, because streaming doesn't even come close. With Dungeons & Dragons & Super Mario Brothers this was literally the Summer of Sci-Fi (1982)....all over again!!!
When I saw the trailer for D&D I wasn't impressed. It looked very cheesy. But with great reviews from the actual fans of the game I had to take a chance. THIS WAS A FUN MOVIE!!! Nothing serious, just straight fun. Loved the Easter eggs, & I can't wait for the sequel. Paramount has really trying to up their game on their 4K releases. Very colorful visuals & the dark images weren't saturated. With the audio great use of the surrounds & Atmos speakers. But I did have to increase the volume for a better subwoofer response. SERIOUSLY my whole childhood in one weekend!!!
I've loved dinosaurs since I was a kid. So 65 was a very pleasant surprise of a great movie. The story was simple & straightforward. Also being a Sony 4K disc you're not missing out on excellent audio & video. Coraline on 4K came out in December, & it's one of my top 10 favorite 4K releases. The stop motion animation looks so realistic, that it looks brand new. I hope that Disney will release A Nightmare Before Christmas on 4K, but all of us know that Disney's track record with 4K is pisspoor. I was totally surprised that this got a Atmos upgrade, & it doesn't disappoint.
Dragonheart....
Once again time was taken to remaster this surprisingly excellent movie. Dolby Vision was used to clean up the visuals. Dark scenes were more detailed, & the outside scenes were very immersive. My favorite scene is when Bowan & Draco are walking in an open field. It's very simple, & it was a prelude for what ILM was about to embark with the prequels just a couple of years later. The soundtrack is presented in DTS-HD. While the new mix had excellent use of the surrounds, bass & the front soundstage, I was disappointed that there was no use of Atmos or DTS-X. This classic screamed height speakers. Nevertheless I was still happy that this has been made available in the best format. Prince Of Egypt....
SERIOUSLY I can't believe that it's been 25yrs. The animation hast been remastered on HDR10, & it looks stunning. DreamWorks in my opinion was ahead of Disney at this time. Their CGI work was cutting edge at this point in the late 90's. Excellent work with the visuals. The opening scene alone is reference quality. The soundtrack was remastered on DTS-X, & all I can say is that the chariot race & the parting of the Red Sea has excellent surrounds, deep bass from the subwoofers, & height speakers. I so happy that time was taken to really present this epic for physical media . Lord of the 4K here with a review of Dune Pt one.
Before my review let just say that once again another scifi/fantasy movie was snubbed by the Oscars. None of us are surprised, & sure technical awards will always be the Academy's go to. WB & Villeneuve have brought us another classic. Who was I to think that Blade Runner 2049 couldn't be topped? Well....Dune is so equal with Villeneuve's last project. Here's my break down of the visuals & audio. Visuals... Where do I begin?! The costumes alone are so detailed that I could feel the material that was used. The lighting from every plant was so immersive. When you see how rich the location shots are, you'll really feel like you're there. Caladen feels so open, bright, & the smell of sea salt would hang in the air. While Gidi Prime just feels miserable. The HDR really highlights Prime as a location due to the fact how dark it is. Blacks are very smooth & clear with HDR. With Arakis it's so bright. The sand & spice can literally be seen. You my have to squint your eyes, but at the same time you'll want to see everything. Audio... The ambience it's itself is a surround effect. The Dolby Atmos soundtrack is reference quality. The quiet scenes are mixed to the point where every speaker is used evenly. The Battle of Arakis will hit all of your senses. You'll really hear ships & weapons fire going right over your head. While the front & surround stage have your attention in this scene. The Sandworms....OMFG!!! Villeneuve really knows how to make excellent use of the subwoofer effects. (LFE) Not only will you see the worm approaching, but you'll actually feel how close it is. And when the worm makes it's appearance, our 2 subwoofers were shaking our home. Final thoughts... This is what physical media is made for!!! WB knows how to make 4K enjoyable. Dune is totally a reference disc if you want to show off your system. Knowing what happens in the second part of the book I really can't wait to see what Villeneuve has in store for us. AAAAAANNNNNNDDDDD OMFG!!!
Here's my review of the LOTR 4k set. The first sentence should tell you everything. There's too much to list for this set, so this is going straight to the point. Peter Jackson has certainly went beyond to remaster these classics. Everything from the Shire to Mordor was visually stunning to perfect detail. The HDR was perfect with the lightest to darkest colors makes these transfers look like these movies just came out of the theaters today. Now let me address the controversy among LOTR purists. There was no Lucas maneuver pulled with the remastering. All that was done visually was updating the visuals to look more clearer,& update the soundtrack with a Dolby Atmos soundtrack. That is all. My wife even watched these with me, & was impressed how this set looked & sounded. Yes, my wife actually watched the whole trilogy with me. As I stated that Jackson also updated the trilogy a with Dolby Atmos. The height speakers really were active from arrows shot overhead to a Nasgul flying in for a kill. That low bass drop at the beginning battle in Fellowship has never sounded better, along with the surround speakers. Final Word... Disney needs to learn from Jackson how to remaster anything in 4K. Yes I'm calling Disney out on their piss poor attempt on the Star Wars 4K set. It's like they took everything that was on the blu ray & transferred lazily onto a 4K disc. They wouldn't even let Lucas, or his OG THX crew to remaster the OG & prequels. Thank WB & New Line Cinema for allowing Jackson & his team to remaster this set. Go get this set,& I promise that you'll enjoy this all over again. I'll be back for a review of The Hobbit trilogy on 4K. I'll say that I had very high expectations for this set, since Close Encounters, Jaws, ET, and Saving Private Ryan were remastered so clear that we thought they looked like brand new movies. My wife bought Schindler's List on 4k & I've never seen B&W look so lifelike.
So here's the breakdown of the classic 3 Indy movies. (THERE'S ONLY 3!!!) Raiders >> I gotta say that I was very disappointed with this remaster. The picture was grainy, & even some parts looked blurry. There's no excuse for this at all. The 40th anniversary & Spielberg, & Lucas couldn't put in every effort to present this classic in it's best form is a real letdown. Now the Dolby Atmos soundtrack was flawless. But even with a great soundtrack it couldn't save this 4K. Temple of Doom / Last Crusade >> Both of these movies looked & sound perfect. Which makes me even more upset about Raiders. Both of these movies looked just as great as Jaws on 4K. Plus I really appreciate how the special effect shots looked like they were brand new. There was no need for CGI, & makes me appreciate ILM's Ol'Skool techniques. There's also no new special features for this set. Again this is disappointing since it's the 40 anniversary. My final thoughts are that this was a 50/50 effort for a 4K release. If you can afford to stream this set then please do so. If you want to purchase this set please buy a used copy. If you have any more technical questions please just ask. Warner Bros totally got my money in the past week. Wonder Woman 1984 was action packed, & very colorful. The Atmos soundtrack was direct & on point.
I was beyond excited to see an old friend on 4K!!!
AAAAÀANNNNNDDDDDD....this is where my excitement came to a very catastrophic end. Now how do I put this... I'm about to use colorful profanity, like Picasso uses colorful paints for his masterpieces. THIS 4K TOTALLY SUCKED ME IN ALL OF THE WRONG PLACES!!! Most of you have purchased T2 from VHS to Blu-ray. All of us had the Special Edition, or Expanded SE laser disc. This was one of our Holy Grails in our collections. James Cameron has been behind every home video format, & he's always made sure that everything was presented in the highest visual & sound available. Sorry to say that he was nowhere around for this 4K. And now my list of failures.... There's NO Special Editions... even the Expanded SE!!! Yes....I heard your souls sucked out of your assholes. This totally caught me off guard. Sure they're on the Blu-ray, but really it's already a bring down at this point. Special features are the same as the last Blu-ray release. But wait...it gets worse!!! The picture...even my wife was criticizing the opening battle scene. The HDR was terrible. No definition was improved at all. Arnold looked like a wax statute as compared to the Blu-ray image. No depth during the water canal chase, the Cyberdine scene, & the finale at the steel factory. The refresh rate was horrible. So much that it didn't match the sound. OHHHHHH wait....my bad, but this whore gets worse with the sound. The 4K has 5.1 DTS-HD.... yes I said 5 point FUKKIN 1!!! OMFG it does get worse when the 7.1 DTS-HD is in fukkin German!!! I shit you not!!! Please don't ask me why, because I was totally blindsided by this whole abortion. The bass was weak, & the gunshots didn't even match our speaker set up. Final thoughts... I'd rather cut my goddamn hand, & stick it in salt than to watch this again. I'm sure that Cameron will do a reissue, but I know that he was too busy with the new Avatar movies that he didn't have the time to put his heart & soul into this. If you have the Blu-ray, then that's the best way to see this classic. I have physically bought this movie in every format from Suncoast to Best Buy!!!
Yes I know that not everyone is on board with 4K, but Jaws.....GET THIS VERSION!!! All I'm going say is that the first attack scene was crystal clear for the scene being dark. Everything goes uphill from there, & even the Dolby Atmos soundtrack that was specifically made from the original Mono soundtrack was on par with any of today's major movies. Again please get this!!! Also there's a informative booklet that even has the mechanics of Bruce as a bonus. OK first of all let's address the Bantha in the room.
You either loved,or hated this movie & that's fine. As for Snyder let's not forget that he directed The Watchman, which most of us can agree was one of the best & underappreciated super hero movies. For me, JL was my childhood, & I'm blessed to see the Superfriends on the big screen. For this reason I'm happy with JL, because I'm a huge fan of DC as I am with Marvel. Let me start off with the special features. No deleted scenes, which was expected, but a bring down. The behind the scenes were great for what was offered. Now for the video, & WB 4K doesn't disappoint. The colors precise, & vivid. The details of all of the costumes especially Sups & Bats looked like you would know how they would feel like. The opening scene with Batman was very clear, while being dark at the same time. Just as with the battle scene under Gotham Harbor. We loved the quiet scenes with Bruce & Diana walking along the lake, & Lois & Martha Kent because they felt so personal. Now with the 3rd act....totally worth it!!! I can't stress how the colors, details, & the refresh rates all worked together without flaw. Steppenwolf, & his army really stole the show. And the movement of the Flash had us feeling that we could feel his speed. The battle scene alone is the winner here. We used the DTS-HD soundtrack, & it was awesome!!! When Superman was brought back to life (SPOILER ALERT....like we didn't know that was gonna happen!) the sound had life when he was fighting everyone. The battle with the Amazons & at the end had smooth, but hard bass while the surrounds kept up with the panning during those scenes. Final words.... This is an excellent 4K. Even if JL wasn't good enough movie for you, it'll at least make a great reference movie for your 4K system. Scared the fuk outta us,& this will be a classic. I can't stress enough how bright & vivid the colors are. The darks were so strong that every detail stood out. Both of our sub-woofers were working hard to provide the scares, while the other 7 speakers worked their magic. So far this is one of the best 4K discs that we have seen so far.
The 4K truly shows that Disney has the transfers down with their movies. Just as with Guardians Vol.2 the colors were perfect!!! The colors on the Grandmaster's planet had so much depth that at some points we felt that the picture could be physically touched. The Hulk's imagery was at it's best. Seeing the details of Hulk put both Blu-rays of The Avengers to VHS status. During the chase scenes there refresh rates were so smooth, & no distortion. The details of all of the costumes really draws the viewer in with precise accuracy.
For the sound....WOW!!! The 4K is using a Dolby Atmos soundtrack. Our Sony receiver is only Dolby True HD & DTS-HD, so the soundtrack was broken down to Dolby Surround EX. Great spacing & panning during the action scenes. Both of our sub-woofers during the Thor/Hulk fight was heavy, but smooth at the same time. The back surround speakers sounded perfect with action flying overhead. I can't stress that one must have an actual surround setup, & not those fuktarded sound bars with a mediocre sub-woofer to enjoy any 4K soundtracks. Once again Disney has raised the bar. Now for the Blu-ray. And I'll keep it short. You can tell the difference between the 4K & Blu-ray big time. The colors were sharp, but nowhere as vibrant as the 4K. Yes the details were great, but didn't hit you. The DTS-HD soundtrack was awesome, & rates right with the 4K. All of the bonus features are on the Blu-ray, & as usual Marvel knows how to WOW us. This a must have, & I hope that Disney will reissue every Marvel movie in 4K. |