Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

King Kong Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 16, 2009

Currently unavailable in North America, John Guillermin's "King Kong" (1976) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French distributors Studio Canal. The only supplemental features on this disc are a short Making Of, a gallery of deleted scenes, and a trailer. Tthe Blu-ray disc is Region-Free (A/B) and without imposed French subtitles.

The King

I saw John Guillermin’s King Kong rather late. Where I grew up, the film was never screened. I remember seeing pictures of it in a local magazine, whose editor was bold enough to publish an article about the film. He was fired a few months later.

It was during a trip I made to Prague in the late '80s when I finally managed to see King Kong. It was screened at a theater that was also showing George Stevens’ Gunga Din. I am fairly certain King Kong was the late and more expensive show. During the day, you could see Gunga Din for half the price the theater was asking for King Kong.

The entire film was dubbed in Czech, so I did not understand a single word of what was said. It was a rather frustrating experience, but, ironically, also a very stimulating one. Seeing the wet Jessica Lange on a screen twice the size of the one we had at our local theater was an event that inspired plenty of fantasies. A few years later, I finally managed to see King Kong in English. I recall being seriously underwhelmed.

A couple of weeks ago, this Blu-ray disc, courtesy of French distributors Studio Canal, showed up at my door. I never bought the SDVD of King Kong, which Paramount Pictures released in America in 2005. A few times I entertained the idea of getting it, but there was always a more important film to add to my library. So, I grabbed the Blu-ray disc, took the shrinkwrap off, placed it in my player and started watching. As cliché as it may sound, I felt as if I had gone back in time.

Here’s a quick synopsis of King Kong: Petrox, a large oil company, is tipped about an unknown island surrounded by permanent fog located somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, which could be a gold mine. As a result, one of their ships immediately heads for the island. Jack Prescott (Jeff Bridges), a paleontologist who believes that there is more on the island than just oil, joins the mission. Dwan (Jessica Lange), a castaway who is discovered in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in a rescue boat, is picked up by the Petrox crew. By the time she recuperates, the ship reaches the island. Instead of oil, however, the Petrox crew discovers King Kong, a giant ape. They decide to bring it back to New York City and recoup some of their losses with him.

I do not wish to compare the 1933, 1976, and 2005 King Kong films. I would only like to point out that each of them offers something you won’t find in the other two. All three were greeted with much enthusiasm when they were first screened, and despite what some young critics claim, they most definitely entertained their audiences.

It is true that nowadays director Guillermin’s film looks dated. So, if this is something you cannot tolerate when you watch older films - and, no, not all old films look dated - then you are not going to like it. Ironically, I think that this is precisely what makes Guillermin’s film so charming – there is a certain type of atmosphere in it which contemporary adventure films, where absolutely nothing is left to the imagination of the viewer, simply cannot replicate.

There is also a strong sense of nostalgia that permeates director Guillermin’s film. Listening to John Barry’s terrific score and looking at King Kong climbing the World Trade Center will probably bring tears in the eyes of many of you. I certainly felt quite emotional.

A few words on what matters the most, the acting. With the exception of the young and beautiful Jessica Lange, who frequently looks lost in front of the camera, the rest of the cast - Jeff Bridges, Charles Grodin, John Randolph, Rene Auberjonois and Ed Lauter - is likable.

King Kong Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with VC-1 and granted a 1080p transfer, King Kong arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French distributors Studio Canal.

Before I get to commenting on the video presentation, I would like to quickly point out that you could set up the disc's main menu in one of the following languages – English, Spanish, French, Dutch, Portuguese and Japanese.

Though I have not seen the HDDVD release of King Kong, I am fairly certain that the VC-1 transfer found on this Blu-ray disc is the same one Studio Canal utilized when they released the film in a red case - it is unrestored but fairly strong. Contrast is good, clarity gravitating around very good and detail surprisingly pleasing. Furthermore, blown through a digital projector, King Kong looks quite stable as well. There are a few minor image fluctuations that I noticed throughout the film but, overall, this transfer is a substantial upgrade over the existing Region-A SDVD release. The color-scheme in particular is very impressive. Blues, greens, reds, yellows, blacks and whites are surprisingly rich and well saturated. This being said, there are two issues with Studio Canal's transfer, which I believe that a Region-A release is very likely to address. First, there is quite a bit of digital noise that pops up here and there. It is certainly not overly distracting, but the more sensitive amongst you will notice it. Second, there are a few tiny flecks that I spotted throughout the film. Once again, these did not disturb me at all. On a positive side, there is plenty of healthy film grain on this transfer. Some of it is mixed with the digital noise I mentioned earlier, but it is still great to see that it has not been wiped out. All in all, I am actually very pleased with Studio Canal's Blu-ray transfer. (Note: This is Blu-ray disc is encoded for regions A and B. Therefore, if you reside in a territory within one of those regions and have a native SA or PS3, you will be able to access the disc's content. For the record, there is no PAL content preceding the main menu).

King Kong Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Audio English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French DTS-HD HR 5.1, and Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. I opted for the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the other two tracks for the purpose of this review.

I would have preferred to have an uncompressed mono track on this disc. As it is, Studio Canal have supplied only a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. It is a good one, but you should be able to tell that its core is slightly uneven. The bass is strong, the rear channels not too active and the high frequencies not overdone. This being said, it was fairly obvious to me that the English track had not undergone a full blown restoration. For example, portions of the music score would often pop out while the dialog would convey some mild dynamic fluctuations. Still, this is a strong audio track that allows for a relatively hassle-free viewing experience.

The French DTS-HD HR 5.1 track and the Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track are nothing to write home about. The Spanish track in particular seems quite lifeless. I personally would recommend that you opt for the original English track when you view the film. For the record, Studio Canal have provided optional French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch and Japanese subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

King Kong Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Note: I have been informed that if one selects Japan as the "native" country for the disc's interface, all of the supplemental features can be accessed on North American Blu-ray machines, including the PS3, because Japan, like the U.S. and Canada, is a NTSC territory.

Making of - the featurette contains an interview with make-up effects specialist Rick Baker. In PAL, not playable on North American Blu-ray hardware.

Deleted Scenes - a collage of ten deleted scenes. Again, all of them are in PAL and not playable on North American Blu-ray hardware.

Original theatrical trailer - in PAL, not playable on North American Blu-ray hardware.

King Kong Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Studio Canal have put together a decent package for John Guillermin's King Kong. Unless this film undergoes a serious restoration, I think it is fair to conclude that this is the best it could look. I enjoyed revisiting it quite a bit. Recommended.