Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.39:1 on this 4K UHD Disc. A native 4K product, this wound up as a terrific presentation.
Sharpness always looked solid. No issues with softness materialized, as we found a tight, well-defined image.
Neither jaggies nor shimmering created concerns, and I saw no edge haloes. Print flaws remained absent.
Colors mixed the usual orange and teal, though with a lean toward a more natural vibe given the forest settings. The disc reproduced the tones as intended, with a nice boost in intensity from HDR.
Blacks felt deep and dense, while shadows demonstrated appealing clarity. HDR added impact to whites and contrast. I felt happy with this top-notch picture.
Downconverted to Dolby TrueHD 7.1, the movie’s Dolby Atmos soundtrack delivered a rollicking affair. With plenty of action, the soundscape worked well.
Of course, these violent scenes became the most involving, but even quieter sequences provided an engaging soundfield. The various channels blended together well and created a seamless sonic image that suited the tale.
Audio quality satisfied, with speech that remained concise and distinctive. Music appeared vibrant and full.
The most important aspect of the track, effects sounded accurate and tight, with stellar low-end. The soundtrack added to the experience.
How did the 4K UHD compare to the film's Blu-ray version? The Atmos mix opened up the audio a bit versus the BD's "simple" 7.1 track.
Given the film's native 4K source, the UHD boasted superior delineation, and it also brought stronger colors and blacks. As good as the BD looked, the 4K topped it.
Rather than provide the theatrical version alone of Kingdom on the included Blu-ray disc, we get an exclusive called Inside the Lens. Billed as “The Raw Cut”, this offers a splitscreen presentation.
As we watch the finished film on the top of the TV, the bottom displays the movie via “work in progress” form. That means some storyboards, rough CG, shots before the addition of visual effects and the human actors in their mocap suits as they perform.
While this edition usually stays with that top/bottom split, it also includes third or even fourth windows at times. These allow us to see various stages of the work involved.
Which I find fascinating. Sometimes we get glimpses of the “before and after” elements depicted here, but the decision to display the entire movie in this manner makes the “Raw Cut” unusual and a delight.
Alongside the “Raw Cut”, we get an audio commentary from director Wes Ball, editor Dan Zimmernan and visual effects supervisor Erik Winquist. All three sit together for a running, screen-specific look at story/characters, sets and locations, cast and performances, music, stunts, editing, and various effects.
I don’t know why those involved with this release decided to affix the commentary specifically to “Raw Cut”. As I went into the chat, I assumed it would focus on those “work in progress” components, but instead, it plays no differently than a discussion of the finished film would.
In any case, this becomes a decent but not great commentary. On the positive side, we find an appropriate array of topics and learn a fair amount about the production.
However, too much of the track just brings praise for the film and those involved. I still think thise ends up as a worthwhile listen, but I could live with less happy talk.
The remaining extras repeat from the separate Blu-ray, and we find a featurette called Inside the Forbidden Zone. It runs 23 minutes, 25 seconds and offers notes from Ball, Winquist, special consultant Andy Serkis, production designer Daniel T. Dorrance, producers Joe Hartwick Jr. and Jason T. Reed, stunt coordinator Glenn Suter, movement coach Alain Gauthier, hair and makeup designer Jennifer Lamphee, assistant stunt coordinator Marco Sinigaglia, special effects supervisor Rodney Burke, and actors Owen Teague, Kevin Durand, Freya Allen, William H. Macy, Neil Sandilands, Lydia Peckham, Ras-Samuel, Peter Macon, and Travis Jeffry.
“Zone” examines Ball’s approach to the film, sets and locations, cast and performances, various effects, franchise Easter eggs, stunts and action. This becomes an efficient overview of the production.
14 Deleted/Extended Scenes span a total of 32 minutes, 15 seconds. These mix fairly brief trims with somewhat longer sequences.
Of course, they vary in significance, but we find a few that offer some compelling material. The whole package becomes interesting to see.
We can view the cut footage with or without commentary from Ball. He tells us some background about the segments and why he gave them the boot.
Seven years after the last movie in the franchise, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes stretches the narrative centuries into the future, a twist that works. The movie still acts as a sequel but it develops its own characters and stands on its own in a positive manner. The 4K UHD delivers excellent picture and audio along with a good selection of bonus features. I hope we get more adventures in the Apes universe.
To rate this film, visit the prior review of KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
