Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 5, 2026

Guy Hamilton's "Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins" (1985) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include new program with actor Patrick Kilpatrick; new audio commentary by film journalist Brandon Streussnig; archival audio commentary by producers Larry Spiegel and Judy Goldstein; archival programs with actor Joel Grey, composer Craig Safan, and production designer Jackson De Govia; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Note: The text below was first used in our review of Arrow Video's Blu-ray release of Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, produced in 2014.

New York cop Remo Williams (Fred Ward, Tremors, The Right Stuff) is recruited by a secret organization to take down some really bad men with a lot of money and plenty of important friends. Before Remo is sent to 'clean up', however, he is introduced to a kooky Korean master named Chiun (Joel Grey, Cabaret, Buffalo Bill and the Indians), who teaches him how to fight, how to walk on water, and dodge real bullets. The old man also does his best to convince Remo that fast food isn’t good for him.

When Remo eventually acquires the necessary skills to be a professional hitman, he is ordered by the leader of the organization -- played by the always likeable Wilford Brimley -- to expose and eliminate an obnoxious businessman (Charles Cioffi, Klute, Shaft) whose company supplies the U.S. Army with overpriced defective automatic weapons. Remo begins asking questions and hurting people, and the businessman quickly realizes that he isn’t just another dim-witted troublemaker. Meanwhile, an overly ambitious army officer (Kate Mulgrew, Star Trek: Voyager) also begins her own investigation after she witnesses a terrible accident during a field training exercise.

Loosely based on "The Destroyer" book series by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy, Guy Hamilton’s Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins is as bad as advertised. It borrows from a number of good films -- most notably Sydney Pollack's 3 Days of the Condor and Alan J. Pakula’s The Parallax View -- but it looks and feels like an awkward James Bond parody whose creators rushed to finish it once they realized that what they had already filmed was simply irreparable.

The first half of the narrative is dedicated to Remo’s important training. There are a couple of funny sequences where the eccentric Korean master teaches Remo valuable lessons, but the dull one-liners he constantly utters very quickly turn the entire process into a giant farce. Then Remo gains some real-world experience, with the Korean master observing him from afar and intervening when necessary, but the fights are so ridiculous that it actually looks like they might have been misplaced or poorly edited.

The second half of the narrative is equally disappointing. Now, Remo is hopelessly devoted to the secret organization and its goals. Remo also realizes that he truly cares about the Korean master, though the old-timer casually reveals to him that if things do not go as planned, he might have to eliminate him. There is almost a spark between Remo and Major Rayner Fleming as well, but the two are never given enough time to do anything other than exchange a few inviting looks. Too bad, really, as Mulgrew does look fantastic in a uniform.

Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins was lensed by Hungarian cinematographer Andrew Laszlo, who is probably best known for his collaborations with director Walter Hill on the cult hits The Warriors (1979), Southern Comfort (1981), and Streets of Fire (1984). Sadly, Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins does not look even remotely as stylish as Hill’s films.

The soundtrack was created by Craig Safan (TV’s Cheers: Complete Series, TV’s The Twilight Zone, Matthew Robbins’ The Legend of Billie Jean).

Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Kino Lorber's release of Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray is Region-Free. However, the Blu-ray is Region-A "locked".

Please note that some of the screencaptures included with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc.

Screencaptures #1-30 are taken from the Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #33-39 are taken from the 4K Blu-ray.

The release presents an exclusive new 4K restoration of Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, sourced from the original camera negative. In native 4K, the 4K restoration can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I chose to view it with Dolby Vision. Later, I spent time with its 1080p presentation on the Blu-ray.

I liked everything that I saw on my system and would describe the new 4K restoration as excellent. However, I wish to mention one area of the presentation where I think some additional work could have been done. The night footage in the beginning of the film and some indoor darker footage that emerges later produce slightly thicker than usual shadows and shadow nuances. I did not see conventional crushing, with the typical distracting anomalies that are associated with it. I just think that these areas tend to appear a tiny bit too dark. This development becomes more obvious in native 4K, but the 1080p presentation is not too far behind. All other aspects of the 4K restoration and its presentation on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray are great. For example, delineation, clarity, and depth are significantly better than those observed on previous Blu-ray releases of the film. (I have two older Blu-ray releases in my library -- this American release, also produced by Kino Lorber, and this Region-B release, produced by Arrow Video -- both sourced from the same older MGM master). During bright daylight footage, the improvements in quality can be pretty significant. Color reproduction and balance are outstanding. All primaries and supporting nuances are properly set and balanced, and all appear very healthy. Saturation levels are dramatically improved as well. For these reasons, the discrepancies in the dynamic range of the newly restored visuals, in 4K and 1080p, and those of the previous presentation of the film are often rather dramatic. Frankly, I think that this is the biggest and most consequential strength of the 4K restoration. There are no traces of any problematic digital corrections, like degraining, sharpening, contrast boosting, etc. Image stability is excellent. The entire film looks very clean as well. My score is 4.75/5.00.

Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The other two Blu-ray release of the film that I have in my library do not have only a 2.0 track, so I decided to view the 4K restoration with the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. The noticeable improvements emerge during the action footage. For example, at the Statute of Liberty, there is more dynamic variety. However, elsewhere individual gun shots, kicks, and conventional falls sound as they do on the 2.0 track. Also, in my opinion, in various parts of the film, the 5.1 track sort of makes it obvious that the original soundtrack has its fair share of limitations. Ultimately, it is good to have the 5.1 track as an option because it clearly opens up the dynamic field and makes some of the action footage more attractive. All exchanges were very clear, sharp, and easy to follow.

Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary One - in this archival audio commentary, producers Larry Spiegel and Judy Goldstein discuss the production history of Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, and specifically how and where key sequences were filmed (apparently, a large portion of the film was shot in Mexico), Guy Hamilton's directing methods and body of work, the editing of the film, its marketing, etc.

• Commentary Two - in this exclusive new audio commentary, film journalist Brandon Streussnig offers a very fair assessment of Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, highlighting many of its legitimate strengths and weaknesses, and comments on Fred Ward's good but largely wasted performance (Streussnig correctly points out that the source of all troubles in the film is Guy Hamilton and his desire to direct it with a degree of seriousness that isn't right for it, as well as the absence of a formidable villain to elevate Ward's image), the inconsistent blending of comedy and action, the film's box office performance and critical reception, etc. Also, Streussnig has some very good observations about the different locations seen throughout the film and the reasons it is now effective as a good 1980s time capsule. A wonderful commentary.

BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary One - in this archival audio commentary, producers Larry Spiegel and Judy Goldstein discuss the production history of Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, and specifically how and where key sequences were filmed (apparently, a large portion of the film was shot in Mexico), Guy Hamilton's directing methods and body of work, the editing of the film, its marketing, etc.

• Commentary Two - in this exclusive new audio commentary, film journalist Brandon Streussnig offers a very fair assessment of Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, highlighting many of its legitimate strengths and weaknesses, and comments on Fred Ward's good but largely wasted performance (Streussnig correctly points out that the source of all troubles in the film is Guy Hamilton and his desire to direct it with a degree of seriousness that isn't right for it, as well as the absence of a formidable villain to elevate Ward's image), the inconsistent blending of comedy and action, the film's box office performance and critical reception, etc. Also, Streussnig has some very good observations about the different locations seen throughout the film and the reasons it is now effective as a good 1980s time capsule. A wonderful commentary.

• Lessons in Popcorn Villainy - in this exclusive new program, actor Patrick Kilpatrick reveals that Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins was the first studio film he was hired to appear in and recalls his initial encounter with Guy Hamilton, first impression of the screenplay he was handed, interactions with Fred Ward and other cast members, etc. Also, Kilpatrick reveals how he prepares for each scene, especially if it involves a serious physical challenge. In English, not subtitled. (26 min).

• Created, the Destroyer: Writing Remo Williams - this archival program takes a closer look at "The Destroyer" book series by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy and how some of the original content is used in Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins. Included in it are interviews with Devin Murphy, son of Warren Murphy, and film historian/paperbook collector Chris Poggiali. The program was produced by Ballyhoo Motions Pictures in 2016. In English, not subtitled. (18 min).

• Unarmed and Dangerous: Producing Remo Williams - in this archival program, producer Larry Spiegel and co-producer Judy Goldstein discuss the conception of Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins and how the project evolved as after Guy Hamilton committed to it and various actors were cast. There are some very interesting comments about the work of cinematographer Andrew Laszlo and its impact on the film's unique stylistic appearance as well as Peter Ward's performance. The program was produced by Ballyhoo Motions Pictures in 2016. In English, not subtitled. (22 min).

• Secrets of Sinanju: Training Remo Williams - in this archival program, actor Joel Grey recalls how he was approached with an offer to play the character of Chiun, as well as what it was like to work with Guy Hamilton and Fred Ward. Also, there are some quite interesting comments about the type of make-up he had to put on each time he stepped in front of the camera as well as the film's lasting appeal. The program was produced by Ballyhoo Motions Pictures in 2016. In English, not subtitled. (9 min).

• Balance of Power: Designing Remo Williams - in this archival program, production designer Jackson De Govia recalls his involvement with Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins and some of the unique challenges he was presented with. The action footage from the statue footage is discussed in great details. The program was produced by Ballyhoo Motions Pictures in 2016. In English, not subtitled. (16 min).

• Assassin's Tune: Composing Remo Williams - in this archival program, composer Craig Safan discusses how the original soundtrack for Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins was put together. Apparently, a lot of research was done to get some of the Koren themes in the soundtrack right yet have unique new qualities. The program was produced by Ballyhoo Motions Pictures in 2016. In English, not subtitled. (14 min).

• Radio Spot - a vintage U.S. radio spot for Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins. In English, not subtitled. (1 min).

• Theatrical Trailer - original Orion Pictures trailer for Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Apparently, the original intent was to make Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins look a lot like the James Bond films Guy Hamilton directed. Obviously, this ambitious goal wasn't met, which is precisely why Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins did some pretty underwhelming business at the box office. On the home video market, the film has performed quite a bit better and, nowadays, there are plenty of folks who consider it a minor genre classic. However, if you view the bonus features on this release, you will hear directly from its producers that they wanted it to be a much bigger and better film. I have never been too fond of it precisely because of the many obvious flaws that damage its atmosphere. I like goofy '80s films too, but Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins just does not do anything for me even when I feel nostalgic about the decade.

Kino Lorber's combo pack brings an exclusive new, excellent 4K restoration of Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray, plus a good new program with actor Patrick Kilpatrick and a refreshingly honest new audio commentary by film journalist Brandon Streussnig. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to the fans.