Kindergarten Cop 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Kindergarten Cop 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Kino Lorber has released the 1990 Comedy-Action film 'Kindergarten Cop,' directed by Ivan Reitman and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Penelope Ann Miller, and Richard Tyson, to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/Dolby Vision video. The Blu-ray has also been remastered. Both discs also include a pair of brand-new audio commentary tracks. The film was previously released to Blu-ray in 2014 by Universal to very mediocre result.

Kindergarten Cop 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from the include remastered 1080p Blu-ray disc.

What a treat! Kino Lorber releases Kindergarten Cop to both the Blu-ray and UHD formats with brand-new presentations sourced from a 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative. First, a few words on the new Blu-ray. In short, it looks fantastic. I watched the film on Blu-ray while perusing the commentaries and was blown away and very satisfied from the outset. Unlike the old Universal disc, which was clearly the victim of DVD era processing, the picture appears pleasantly filmic and authentic, even at 1080p. Grain is consistently light and present, affording the image a very natural, cinematic look. Details are naturally crisp and high quality, allowing audiences to see facial scruff, clothes, and of course so many of the fun odds and ends in the kindergarten classroom with excellent clarity. The color output is wonderful, again in the colorful kindergarten classroom but also in the serene natural tones around Astoria and even in the gruff urban grays seen in some of the early parts of the film. Black levels are solid, whites are vivid, and skin tones look natural. The Blu-ray looks fantastic.

The 2160p/Dolby Vision UHD presentation takes things a step farther with an even better presentation of the film. The grain is also in evidence here and the resolution gain allows for an even greater textural presentation, capturing Kimble's facial scruff in the film's first act with exacting detail, while the more clean-cut Kimble later in the film shows exceptional skin definition in every close-up shot. Clarity is first-class throughout the film, and whether in mall bowels, police stations, motel rooms, or kindergarten classrooms, there's no missing the film-sharp textures on display. The Dolby Vision grading is a true asset here, offering a barrage of wonderfully saturated colors that surpass even the excellent remastered Blu-ray. Some of the establishing shots of Astoria are breathtaking for the different colored houses and the lush natural greens, while yellow school buses and the abundantly colorful classroom setting explode with beautiful vividness and depth. Black levels are excellent, skin tones are spot-on, and whites are very crisp. There are no source or encode flaws here aside from the very, very rare pop and speckle. This is tremendous stuff and fans are going to be beyond ecstatic when they upgrade from Universal's lackluster Blu-ray to this gem of a release.

Kindergarten Cop 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Kino Lorber enrolls Kindergarten Cop onto Blu-ray with a DTS-HD Master Audo 5.1 lossless soundtrack. It's a good track with only a few quibbles. The crayon marks accompanying the opening titles do offer nice directional detailing. Further, the track finds some nice little ambient support in busy police stations (around the 14-minute mark) and of course in the rowdy kindergarten classroom seen throughout the film's second and third acts where screaming and running children at play, and the scene of chaos as Kimble first interacts with the class around the 30-minute mark in particular, include some of the best of the chaotic immersion the track has to offer. Music is rock-solid, especially the opening score that plays with very impressive low-end depth in support to give the scene a weighty, impactful, and suspenseful tone. A few key sound effects are nicely delivered, too, like the fire alarm bell heard a couple of times throughout and a few gunshots towards film's end, which offer ample depth. Dialogue is clear, lifelike, well prioritized, and centered for the duration.

One of the flaws here is that there are times when action which should clearly be the property of the front channels yet appears with some volume in the back channels. Listen at the 1:02:35-40 mark when O'Hara pulls a bouquet of flowers out of a paper bag. Even though the action takes place squarely in front of the listener, the sound effect comes from the back, for whatever reason. The wayward sound effect is not heard on the old Universal Blu-ray. Either way, the track is still effective and for the most part: it's a joy to hear.

Kindergarten Cop 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This new release of Kindergarten Cop includes two new commentaries from film historians. The commentaries are available on both the Blu-ray and UHD discs. A trailer for Kindergarten Cop and other Kino Lorber releases are only found on the Blu-ray. No DVD or digital copies are included. This release does ship with a non-embossed slipcover which offers artwork identical to the case.

• Audio Commentary: Film Historians Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson offer a commentary that is both informative and light. They speak, very interestingly out of the gate, of the film's place in culture as "comfort" and "nostalgia," the film's place in Arnold's career and his career more broadly, Arnold's persona, Reitman's work on the film and his filmography, Arnold and politics, the "fantasy" elements in the film, historical context and gender roles in the film, the film as a turning point in Arnold's screen career, how other characters play into the film's story and themes, and plenty more. A great track!
• Audio Commentary: Film Historian Samm Deighan discusses the film's dueling tones, critical and audience response, Arnold's life before film, his film history, plot and character details, Reitman and his direction, similar films from the era, performances, and much more. Another solid track.
• Kindergarten Cop Trailer (1080p, 2:03).
• Trailers: Assorted additional films releasing through Kino Lorber.

Kindergarten Cop 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Kindergarten Cop is nothing less than great entertainment. It captures the very essence of the simple, feel-good story, here blended together with a bit of action and an edge that works surprising well against the comedy, nearly as well as the juxtaposition that is "bodybuilder teaches kindergarten." It's great fun, one of the most quotable films of the 1990s, and holds up incredibly well decades after its release (oh, my, how time really does fly...). Kino Lorber's new UHD/Blu-ray combo outclasses the old Universal disc by leaps and bounds. The new video presentation is terrific, with the UHD clearly the best the film has looked since day one in theaters in 1990. The 5.1 track is solid, too, and the two new commentaries are excellent. Very highly recommended!