King Kong appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.35:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. Though it came with some anomalies, the image usually satisfied.
Overall definition worked pretty well. Sporadic wider shots came with some softness, as did optical effects elements, but the movie provided robust accuracy most of the time.
I witnessed no issues with jagged edges or shimmering, and edge haloes failed to manifest. Despite a smattering of specks and marks, the movie largely avoided print flaws, and grain seemed natural.
Colors went with a natural palette that leaned toward earthy greens and browns. The Blu-ray replicated these well and made them full and rich.
Blacks felt deep and dark, while shadows appeared clear. Despite a few modest concerns, I like this presentation.
In addition, the movie’s DTS-HD MA 5.1 worked fine given the film’s age. The soundfield didn’t dazzle but it opened up in a reasonably positive manner.
This meant music with good stereo spread and occasional instances of directional dialogue. Effects broadened to the front sided in a pleasing way as well.
Surround usage could seem inconsistent, as a lot of the film focused pretty heavily on the forward channels. However, big action segments brought out the back speakers in a vivid manner that give the soundfield nice punch.
Audio quality could feel dated but worked fine for the most part. While some dialogue showed edginess, most of the lines appeared fairly natural and concise.
Effects also came with sporadic examples of distortion, but they nonetheless seemed reasonably accurate and full. Music brought generally positive range. Even with some sonic flaws at times, I still felt this became a pretty good mix
Note that the Blu-ray also included the film’s original DTS-HD stereo mix. It actually provided a slightly wider forward soundstage, though not to a tremendous degree.
Audio quality felt pretty similar for the two, though I might actually feel the stereo track offered slightly superior dynamics and clarity. In any case, both 5.1 and 2.0 mixes seemed more than satisfactory, so viewers can opt for whichever they prefer and not fear any problems in either direction.
How did the Blu-ray compare to the 2005 DVD? Both picture and audio showed immense improvements over the seriously subpar DVD.
As we head to extras, the big attraction comes from two separate cuts of the film. In addition to the theatrical version (2:14:29) on Disc One, Disc Two provides a TV edition (3:12:51).
With all that additional footage on display, expect decent changes between the two presentations. A little more action appears and we get additional exposition.
I’d feel hard-pressed to point out anything major along the way, however. The TV Kong expands the movie in a moderate way but it doesn’t bring anything especially significant.
Note that the TV cut can be viewed as one 192-minute film or split into two “episodes”. The latter format reproduces the way the movie ran on TV when first broadcast.
Though not as solid as the presentation of the theatrical version, the TV cut still looks pretty good. It shows less accurate visuals and colors seem a bit less solid.
Nonetheless, it holds up well. Alternate editions of films often come with obviously degraded image quality, but the TV Kong looks almost as good as the theatrical one.
Audio takes a hit as we lose the 5.1 of the “main event” and get DTS-HD MA monaural insread, Still, the mix works fine given the age of the material, so I have no complaints.
Alongside the theatrical film, we get two separate audio commentaries, the first of which comes from author Ray Morton. He provides a running, semi-screen-specific look at the history of Kong, the development of the 1976 movie, its creation and related domains.
Morton wrote King Kong: The History of a Movie Icon, and he clearly knows his stuff. Morton goes over a wealth of information connected to the flick and franchise in this consistently fascinating chat.
For the second commentary, we hear from Kong performer/effects creator Rick Baker. He discusses his early interest in the Kong character, how he came to the project, and his work/experiences on the film.
As mentioned by disc producer Justin Beahm at the track’s start, Baker’s chat actually comes from an extended interview. This means it didn’t start life as a traditional commentary and simply offers a very long collection of thoughts instead.
Which works for me, as Baker gives us a solid examination of his King Kong activities and memories. Some of this repeats notes from Morton, but Baker’s first-person perspective nonetheless adds useful material.
A slew of extras appear on Disc One, and we find a mix of featurettes. On Top of the World spans 11 minutes, 54 seconds and offers notes from production manager Brian Frankish and assistant director David McGiffert.
“Top” covers their efforts on the film. I like that both sit together, as that creates a nice dynamic, and we get plenty of useful notes related to the movie's production.
When the Monkey Dies Everybody Cries goes for 13 minutes, 48 seconds. It provides remarks from Kong "messengers" Scott Thaler and Jeffrey Chernov.
Both essentially the equivalent of production assistants on the shoot - and longtime friends who met on Kong - their chat examines their experiences along the way. Both went onto good careers in Hollywood so it becomes fun to hear their perspectives on their youthful days.
After this we go to Maybe In Their Wildest Dreams. A five-minute, 36-second reel, we hear from sculptor Steve Varner.
As expected, Varner manly tells us about various aspects of the methods used to bring Kong to life. Expect a short but useful collection of memories.
Something’s Haywire occupies five minutes, 52 seconds. It gives us statements from actor Jack O’Halloran.
Best known as “Non” from the Superman movies, O’Halloran relates his memories of his time on the film. Though O'Halloran plays a fairly small role, it still becomes valuable to hear from one of the flick's actors.
Next comes From Space to Apes. We find a five-minute, 36-second program that features photographic effects assistant Barry Nolan.
“Apes” discusses these technical aspects of the shoot. This turns into another brief but informative reel.
There’s a Fog Bank Out There takes up six minutes, 31 seconds. It involves 2nd unit director Bill Kronick.
We get a look at his role on the shoot in a variety of ways. Kronick provides some worthwhile insights.
Along with the movie’s trailer, we find seven TV spots and three radio spots as well as four Image Galleries. These break into “Movie Stills” (101 elements), “Posters and Lobby Cards” (120), “Behind the Scenes” (87) and “Newspaper Ads” (53).
In addition to the TV cut, Disc Two comes with one bonus feature: a Panel Discussion shot at Santa Monica’s Aero Theater in December 2016. Hosted by Peter Morton, this pieces lasts one hour, eight minutes, 45 seconds and the group includes Baker, O'Halloran, director of photography Richard H. Kline, producer's widow Martha de Laurentiis, and composer John Barry's assistant Richard Kraft.
The panelists reflect on producer Dino de Laurentiis and director John Guillerman, the methods used to create Kong, cast and performances, sets and locations, music and deleted footage. Though enjoyable on its own, a lot of the same information appears in other programs - mainly via Baker and Morton - so don't expect a lot of fresh details.
Nostalgic factors make me want to like 1976’s King Kong, but all the goofy sentiment in the world won’t turn it into a good film. Oh, this Kong could’ve been worse – as the same filmmakers proved with 1985’s dreadful sequel King Kong Lives - but the flick nonetheless doesn’t hold up well.
At least this Blu-ray “Collector’s Edition” fares well, as it provides largely solid picture and audio along with an outstanding set of supplements. Whatever flaws the movie presents, Shout created a terrific package here.
