Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Congo 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 26, 2025

In 1993, there was “Jurassic Park.” The feature was born to become event cinema, putting director Steven Spielberg to work transforming a Michael Crichton book into a must-see movie, and even better, the effort delivered on a huge scale. It was a technical marvel and a thrilling ride, and because “Jurassic Park” fulfilled its monetary and creative potential, Hollywood clearly wanted another one. “Congo” is also based on a Crichton book, and one that returns to the deep jungle to revisit exploration and animal threats, but there’s no Spielberg to be found here. Instead, there’s Frank Marshall, Spielberg’s trusty producer who helped bring classics such as “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “Poltergeist” pass the finish line. Marshall’s directorial career started with promise, finding some sensitivity in 1993’s “Alive,” and he channeled his boss’s way with suspense in 1990’s “Arachnophobia.” “Congo” seems like a slam-dunk production, but the dino odyssey was smoothly crafted and superbly acted. The gorilla chiller is clunky, campy, and strangely ineffective when summoning big screen thrills.

Peter (Dylan Walsh) is a primatologist working on a speech-to-sign-language computer program that allows his test subject, gorilla Amy, to communicate her thoughts to humans. It’s a breakthrough, but Amy is growing distressed, and Peter knows she should be returned to the wilds of Africa to live with her kind again. Offering to pay for the trip is philanthropist Herkermer (Tim Curry), but his funds come up short, allowing Karen (Laura Linney) to join the expedition. Ex-CIA and an employee for communications titan TraviCom, Karen is out to find her lost boyfriend (Bruce Campbell) and locate flawless diamonds for her boss, Travis (Joe Don Baker). Led by guide Monroe (Ernie Hudson), the gang is brought into the deep jungle, facing dangers from wildlife, weather, and a nearby volcano about to explode. While the quest involves the release of Amy, the diamond trail leads the team to the Lost City of Zinj, which is home to giant jewels and ferocious gray gorillas happy to tear apart trespassers.

For additional information and analysis, please read Michael Rueben’s 2014 Blu-ray review.

Congo 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Screencaps are taken from the Blu-ray.

"Congo" was previously issued on Blu-ray in 2014. The new UHD release from Vinegar Syndrome is listed as "newly restored from its 35mm original camera negative," and opens with an information card highlighting issues with the source, as faint white scratches periodically appear on the negative. The damage is visible during the viewing experience, but is never distracting. The Dolby Vision presentation does quite well overall, offering strong colors that bring out the vividness of greenery during the jungle adventure. Costuming and computer gear provide sharp primaries, keeping blue lasers distinct, and volcanic activity retains a rich redness. Skin tones are natural. Detail is excellent, capturing skin particulars on the human characters, and fine hairs on the gorillas. Outdoor movement remains deep and textured, exploring jungle encounters and stonework on temple visits. Interiors are dimensional. Blacks are deep, preserving evening activity and some shadow play. Highlights are tasteful. Grain is nicely resolved.

Congo 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix offers sharp dialogue exchanges, maintaining clarity with broad accents and Amy's electronic voice. Scoring cues are sharp, with defined instrumentation as peaceful flutes and tribal sounds support the adventure mood of the picture. A few musical moods slip into the surrounds, adding some circular intensity at times, joined by climactic action involving malevolent gorillas and gunplay, adding brief panning effects. However, this remains a largely frontal listening event, but fullness registers nicely. Low-end perks up during moments of violence and volcanic activity.

Congo 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Booklet contains essays by Simon Abrams, Matt Singer, Justin LaLiberty.

• Commentary features author Kelly Goodner and Jim Hemphill.

• "A Crash Course in Ape School" (49:44, HD) is the gorilla making-of for "Congo," featuring interviews with suit performers Misty Rosas and Nicholas Kadi, and mechanical designers J. Alan Scott, Richard Landon, and Christian Colquhoun. Career inspirations open the conversation, identifying Stan Winston as an influence and employer, finally finding a dependable crew to use on "Congo," which allowed him to create gorillas, chasing a personal dream. Research is tracked, creating the look of Amy and the more monstrous creatures, trying to find the right appearance for the gorillas, requiring extensive technical work to do so. Rosas examines her artistry to bring Amy to life through bodily movement, joining Kadi as they recall the experience of being inside the machines, often for long periods of time. Shooting days are remembered, working around enormous sets and semi-dangerous locations in Costa Rica. The legacy of "Congo" is identified, with much of the team remaining together after Winston's death in 2008.

• "Withstand the Test of Time" (13:07, HD) focuses on the Special Makeup Effects Team, featuring interviews with Matthew Mungle and Michael McCracken. Employment stories are explored, as Mungle was initially brought on to "Congo" to created crushed heads for gorilla rampage scenes, also managing tribal body art. Just how graphic this imagery should be proved to be a challenge, putting the team in research mode, trying to understand real-world physical horrors for the fantasy film. Stunt double makeup is also investigated, creating lookalikes for the main cast to help match the shots. The interviewees shares some anecdotes about the cast and highlight the studio shoot at MGM, walking around Hollywood history. Location work is also examined, putting people in proximity of a real volcano, dealing with the dangers of local wildlife as well. Praise for the artistry in the "jungle adventure" is offered, underlining the practical nature of the shoot.

• "Congo: Journey into the Unknown" (24:49, SD) is a 1995 making-of for the picture, narrated by Martin Sheen. Promotional in nature, the featurette does a successful job sharing the production process, offering interviews with cast and crew, also supplying a decent amount of BTS footage to get a sense of the filmmaking adventure. The focus is on jungle labor, watching the moviemaking team work with the elements, admiring the real dangers around the area. Other highlights include a hippo attack created on the Paramount lot, a discussion of gorilla behavior, set construction, and the creation of special effects.

• Image Gallery (7:34) collects poster art, film stills, and publicity shots.

• And a Teaser Trailer (1:24, SD) and a Theatrical Trailer (2:30, SD) are included.

Congo 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Congo" has all the ingredients for a thrill ride, and it delves into the cinematic playground of the jungle adventure, serving up hostile encounters with hippos and gorillas. There's also time spent around African instability to add a sense of the real world. However, Marshall can't seem to handle such enormity, keeping the feature strangely stiff when it comes to action, missing the usual lubrication Spielberg puts on his physical moments. There's also an issue with performances, finding Walsh way too vanilla to make much of an impression in his critical role, while Hudson and Curry are too broad, trying to bring some animation-style bigness to the live-action offering (Baker doesn't help the cause either). The endeavor does well with beasts, as Amy is a terrific creation, and sets are impressive, pulling the characters into a maze of temples and jungle that adds a touch of mystery to the effort. Overall, Marshall struggles to bring "Congo" to life, stiffly executing major scenes of horror and survival, keeping the picture weirdly restrained when it obviously has the potential to reach "Jurassic Park"-like highs of excitement.