6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A tough cop must pose as a kindergarten teacher in order to locate a dangerous criminal's ex-wife, who may hold the key to putting him behind bars.
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Penelope Ann Miller, Pamela Reed, Linda Hunt, Richard TysonComedy | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
2012
2016
Retro VHS Collection
1992
2013
1996
Business or Pleasure
2015
2018
2018
35th Anniversary
1988
1989
1989
2013
Collector's Edition
1987
2015
2001
2008
2001
1994
1993
2018