King Kong (4K Ultra-HD) (+ Blu-ray) [2005]

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The extended light and color palette opens up all the exterior sequences on Skull Island spectacularly, giving them more scale and creating a more three-dimensional look to the remarkably dense and detailed foliage the special effects and production design teams managed to create. Finally, I spotted a bit of color striping in the mists around Skull Island too - though this is more likely an issue with my Samsung KS9800 TV than the HDR film transfer. That being said, the inclusion of the Extended TV Cut in 4K with Dolby Vision is worth much more than the features dropped, I think.

Then again Jackson was pretty chatty in all of his Lord of the Rings films, so I guess this was a natural progression for him. At 188 minutes and 200 minutes respectively they remind us of Jackson's difficulties with editing himself – and the shorter version is notably superior. Okay, so first, the color grade: the yellow and teal aren’t nearly as prevalent as it was in StudioCanal’s 4K releases of Cat’s Eye and Red Sonja.

Universal released a Blu-ray and this is essentially the same thing as that, with the addition of an Ultra HD disc. Most purchases from business sellers are protected by the Consumer Contract Regulations 2013 which give you the right to cancel the purchase within 14 days after the day you receive the item. Jackson's King Kong contains far more than eight measly wonders: so much drama and action, and so many sunsets. Flamboyant, foolhardy documentary filmmaker, Carl Denham, sails off to remote Skull Island to film his latest epic with leading lady, Ann Darrow. Oh here she is, floating in a raft, in a very revealing evening dress and look…she still has her lipgloss on.

Amid all the mayhem and carnage, dialogue and character interactions remains precise and intelligible, making this a fantastic, albeit minor improvement over its predecessor. Precious few moments in King Kong (or, for that matter the new Star Wars films, or the Spider-Man franchise, or Harry Potter. The intensity with which the sunlight bounces off all those T-Rex scales and teeth shows how deeply integrated into the picture the HDR is and how rigorously some of the special effects have been integrated into the image.The 2005 version of King Kong has stood the test of time (over a decade as of this writing) and though it might not be looked upon as fondly as its 1933 film, this disc really has “bang for the buck” value. Denham uses this obsession to help capture Kong and transport him back to New York, where he hopes he can make a fortune from exhibiting the creature. The restoration and mastering were then carried out at L’Immagine Ritrovata in 2022, under the supervision of StudioCanal. After a bunch of interminable scenes on a boat involving instantly forgettable supporting characters, the crew is captured by a village of savages, with Ann being served as the main course for Kong.

It is a handsome production, and whenever anything real is onscreen (a prop, a location, a costume) it hints at the authenticity that might have been.Extra Features: Feature length commentary by Peter Jackson and Philippa Boyens, a ‘making of’ documentary, Production and post production diaries, deleted scenes, The Eighth Blunder of the world featurette, The making of a shot: The T-Rex fight; Skull Island: A Natural History documentary; Kong’s New York, 1933 production design featurette; A Night In Vaudeville (a collection of Vaudeville recreation clips); Homage to the original King Kong; Bringing Kong To Life documentary on Andy Serkis and motion capture techniques; and much more! One sequence in this film rightfully garners this description: men stuck in a pit being attacked and eaten alive by foul bugs, nasty spiders and horrific leeches. My only complaint is that the bass channel surprisingly sounds more restrained than some of the ‘massive whumpers’ (that’s a technical term, obviously) I’ve heard with other films in recent months, despite the enormity of the film’s lead critters. The movie was originally shot on traditional 35mm film and later transferred to a 2K digital intermediate, and for all intents and purposes, it would appear Universal simply recycled the same master used for the Blu-ray. The Dino De Laurentiis-produced blockbuster starring Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange arrives in 4K Ultra HD from StudioCanal with a pleasing presentation that offers a suspicious new color grade.

And the island scenes, while decent enough as action filler, also have little to do with the heart of the story. Oil executive Fred Wilson (Grodin) sees the chance to make his fortune when he stumbles upon a remote island whose inhabitants worship a giant ape-god named Kong. New artworks have been created for the Home Entertainment releases by graphic designer Sophie Bland, and for the 4K UHD Steelbook release by Francesco Francavilla. The audience panics and runs and Kong, who sees and remembers Driscoll, chases him from the theater and gets out into the wintry streets of New York.The action doesn’t stop on Skull Island; the infamous climax is dazzling, striking and truly moving. She is carried to the top of a huge, elaborately carved wall at the edge of the village, adorned with a necklace made of bones and claws, and tied to a wooden framework that tilts out from the wall, carrying her across a gorge to small platform on the other side. blowing foliage, and scampering creature details creating a more believably rich and expansive atmosphere.