King Kong 4K UHD (2005) (Ultimate Edition)

[dinosauriac]

Did the original director of photography or colourists or PJ himself ever comment on the look of the 4K release? I have to wonder how many of the problems revealed here are endemic to the source. I'm sure that's partly to blame, and seeing things on a much larger screen in higher resolution probably doesn't help things. Some have said the extra grain found on the original blu ray was due to noisy compression, but I think there's a lot of texture that's been lost here. Some of the scenes on UHD defy belief in how processed they look.

I almost got nauseous watching scenes like the approach to skull island where the fog looks like vaseline smeared on the lens, or Kong's initial reveal with smoke swirling around him that has no detail whatsoever, just an amorphous mass of grey.

I've been swapping back and forth with both discs playing at once on different channels, feels like there's definitely been additional scrubbing going on with the UHD. The scene where he first appears was one of my favourite moments and it's now DNR hell, with some of the worst faring shots in the entire film. Quite a few of the CG backdrops also look a lot more fake here I thought, without that grain/noise to break them up they just become gradients of colour.

It's so frustrating. I love this movie and was hoping against hope it'd make the transition to 4K well. I'm disappointed they changed how the film looked on Skull Island, I remember it being a very cold, murky place with a largely blue tone when seeing it in the cinema. This looks hot and arid all the way through. However, there's a lot more detail in numerous scenes, with the skin textures of the dinosaurs looking better than ever and some truly striking shots of New York where the HDR really shines.

For consistency's sake I have to say I think watching the old blu ray would still be a much more comfortable (and consistent) experience. The UHD can be eye-popping, but flip flops on whether it wants to be from scene to scene, shot to shot. If I just want to view some of my favourite moments in 4K I might pop this back in, but to actually sit down and try to enjoy all 3+ hours of this epic... in this way... I don't know. Again, frustrating.

[Davidian]

It’s unwatchable for me. What they’ve done to Naomi Watts face is a travesty.

[TXMoviebuff77]

Good thing I don’t plan to upgrade this one to 4K. Have the Blu but to me the rewatch value suffers, it’s bloated & downright boring in some parts. I thought Kong:Skull Island was miles better & more fun.

[HeavyHitter]

It's a rather bright UHD disc although I can easily tone it down with the 820 luminance slider, but I really despise the processed look of it. The DNR is so strong at times, but then other times there is grain and it's pretty sharp. Schizophrenic in a sense, but that kind of bugs me too. I'm not quite so sure all of its problems are source related. The Blu-ray just looks more analog and far more consistent to me even if it has its own flaws. This title, like some other early titles, was a victim as studios were still trying to optimize a new format (happens on all of them....DVD, BD, etc. but this is why we don't want the really good titles out initially). Universal's catalog titles on UHD BD since this one have fortunately turned out a hell of a lot better.

[TXMoviebuff77]

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

It's a rather bright UHD disc although I can easily tone it down with the 820 luminance slider, but I really despise the processed look of it. The DNR is so strong at times, but then other times there is grain and it's pretty sharp. Schizophrenic in a sense, but that kind of bugs me too. I'm not quite so sure all of its problems are source related. The Blu-ray just looks more analog and far more consistent to me even if it has its own flaws. This title, like some other early titles, was a victim as studios were still trying to optimize a new format (happens on all of them....DVD, BD, etc. but this is why we don't want the really good titles out initially). Universal's catalog titles on UHD BD since this one have fortunately turned out a hell of a lot better.

Or idk since y’all love anniversary editions here, maybe they’ll do some kinda 15 year one next year.

[Filmmaker]

Originally Posted by TXMoviebuff77

Or idk since y’all love anniversary editions here, maybe they’ll do some kinda 15 year one next year.

They won’t. We’re not at “remastered 4Ks that look better than the first 4K release” point yet.

[Geoff D]

There'll probably be a 15th anniversary re-release for sure, just not a changed disc; stick it in another steelbook with some added tat and watch the crowd go wild.

[TXMoviebuff77]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

There'll probably be a 15th anniversary re-release for sure, just not a changed disc; stick it another steelbook with some added tat and watch the crowd go wild.

Well hopefully the format will still be around for the 20th anniversary in 2025.

[RalphoR]

Originally Posted by TXMoviebuff77

Well hopefully the format will still be around for the 20th anniversary in 2025.

You mean King Kong in an 8k steelbook with a non-remastered 4k disc that people will b*tch about?

[TXMoviebuff77]

Originally Posted by RalphoR

You mean King Kong in an 8k steelbook with a non-remastered 4k disc that people will b*tch about?

Took me 11 years to jump from Blu to 4K this month. Think I’ll stick with 4K for quite awhile.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by dinosauriac

Did the original director of photography or colourists or PJ himself ever comment on the look of the 4K release? I have to wonder how many of the problems revealed here are endemic to the source.

If you really examine the BD the same problems are there, i.e. pumped up contrast and smoothing on Watts' face. It's just exaggerated due to HDR and much more obvious in 4k, respectively.

[Geoff D]

Agreed on Watt's smoothed over egghead dome, but the 4K version does have its own DNR in different places. Just a very weird presentation overall, though if anyone's seeing bad banding/posterisation on backgrounds then that's entirely on their TV choking on it.

[Filmmaker]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Agreed on Watt's smoothed over egghead dome

Hey, that’s my imaginary wife you’re talking about there!

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by Filmmaker

Hey, that’s my imaginary wife you’re talking about there!

I bet she'll look amazing (and show a good bit of herself too) in the Game of Thrones spin-off, yet Universal were smoothing her over 15 years ago. It's so ridiculous.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Filmmaker

Hey, that’s my imaginary wife you’re talking about there!

Look at where her hairline meets her forehead, I think she was bewigged on this entire show and they just had to smooth out the join which makes her forehead look super weird for practically the whole film. It's there on the BD, but it's not as blatant as it is on the UHD.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Look at where her hairline meets her forehead, I think she was bewigged on this entire show and they just had to smooth out the join which makes her forehead look super weird for practically the whole film. It's there on the BD, but it's not as blatant as it is on the UHD.

Ain't no wig line on her neck.

[Geoff D]

Didn't say there was

[Filmmaker]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Look at where her hairline meets her forehead, I think she was bewigged on this entire show and they just had to smooth out the join which makes her forehead look super weird for practically the whole film. It's there on the BD, but it's not as blatant as it is on the UHD.

If every woman looked as “super weird” as she does in KING KONG, my penis would detonate in my pants like a grenade.

[HeightOfFolly]

I must be the only one who thought this movie looked good in 4K.

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by Filmmaker

If every woman looked as “super weird” as she does in KING KONG, my penis would detonate in my pants like a grenade.

I immediately thought of Django Unchained when you said that.