Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Forbidden Kingdom 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman March 2, 2025

Lionsgate continues its somewhat unusual "game" of toying with prospective consumers by perhaps confusing them with what films they choose to release (and/or re-release as the case may be) on 4K. Along with their recently launched e-tailer Lionsgate Limited, the studio often partners with online or even brick and mortal retailers (as in the case of WalMart) to provide "exclusive" 4K SteelBook releases, which I've often joked if nothing else seem to be a convenient way for Lionsgate to offload "remainder" 1080 discs which might also be included in the package. In this particular case, we have a veritable doozy with this Amazon exclusive SteelBook edition of The Forbidden Kingdom , at least in terms of a "legacy" 1080 disc being offered, since Lionsgate's original Blu-ray release of The Forbidden Kingdom came out in 2008 (!) and has, yes, been recycled in this package.

Martin Liebman's The Forbidden Kingdom Blu-ray review of that now long ago 1080 release provides a lot of information, a list of supplements, and Marty's assessment of the technical presentation on that disc. For those interested, however, I personally have reviewed a rather large number of films which are Monkey King adjacent, including The Monkey King 2, The Monkey King 3, Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back, The Monkey King Reborn , and Immortal Demon Slayer: The Legend of Wu Kong. Those who take time to access some of those links will find even more links to other films based on the same general property which I personally didn't review, but which provide more than ample evidence of just how prevalent adaptations of this story have been.

The Forbidden Kingdom 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 disc in this package.

The Forbidden Kingdom is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 2.40:1. Marty gave a near rave review to Lionsgate's 1080 presentation, and the good news is this 4K version takes all of those positives and at least marginally improves them. In terms of the palette in particular, I'd argue that the improvements here are more than merely "marginal", as Dolby Vision / HDR definitely add new luster to the proceedings, especially once the film journeys if not to the west, then at least to ancient China, where the glut of outdoor material pops extremely well. That said, even some of the bookending sequences in "contemporary" time show some improvement in shadow definition in particular courtesy of HDR. Rather interestingly, I found these bookending sequences to actually look a bit cooler than they did in the 1080 version, while at least some of the "historical" footage has a somewhat warmer cast in this 4K version. Detail levels are typically excellent throughout, especially when the camera pauses in a stationary way for a moment to capture some of the finery on costumes and sets. The technologies used for this outing include both 35mm and HD capture, but the look here is surprisingly homogeneous. Grain is probably a bit more pronounced at this resolution, and can have a just slightly chunky yellowish quality at times, but never experiences any major resolution problems. A new 4K scan might have made a more dramatic difference in the quality, but for an older 2K DI I found the results here to be generally very enjoyable.

The Forbidden Kingdom 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Marty gave top marks to the 1080 disc's DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track, and some of the best news about this new release is it actually includes a really nicely rendered Dolby Atmos track. All of the great surround activity Marty details in his original review of Lionsgate's 1080 release is still extant here, but there's even new immersion offered and at times noticeable verticality courtesy of the Atmos mix. In fact, from the very opening of the film, when the intriguing sounds of wind (?) and low frequency washes clearly waft around and over the listener, the new mix offers some really nicely enveloping effects. I personally wouldn't have minded if some of the more percussive cues in David Buckley's score had been mixed a bit further back, but the music also fills the side and rear channels invitingly throughout the film. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Forced subtitles appear for a few interstitial scenes, but otherwise optional English and Spanish subtitles are available.

The Forbidden Kingdom 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

For a list of supplements on the old 1080 disc included in this package, consult Marty's review, linked to above. The 4K UHD disc includes many of the same supplements.

4K UHD Disc

• Audio Commentary by Director Rob Minkoff and Writer John Fusco


• The Kung Fu Dream Team (HD; 10:37) highlights some of the great cast and crew involved in the production.


• Dangerous Beauty (HD; 5:46) focus on the two featured female co-stars.


• Discovering China (HD; 8:06) looks at locations.


• Filming in Chinawood (HD; 7:43) offers some background on production design and the use of a Chinese studio.


• Monkey King and the Eight Immortals (HD; 9:12) features John Fusco talking about his love of martial arts.


• Previsualization Featurette with Commentary by Rob Minkoff and John Fusco (HD; 6:28)


• Blooper Reel (HD; 7:39)


• Deleted Scenes (HD; 7:47) feature optional commentary by Rob Minkoff and John Fusco.


• Trailer (HD; 2:08)

Additionally, the SteelBook offers an emphasis on yellow and gold tones, with a nice illustration of Chan and Li on the front and a depiction of the Monkey King on the back. The inside panels also feature the Monkey King. A Mylar O ring frankly doesn't offer much other than the film's logo on the front and production credits on the rear. A digital copy is also included.

The Forbidden Kingdom 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Forbidden Kingdom may tweak the context of presenting the wild and wacky tale of the Monkey King, but that may give it an "accessibility" that purer versions of the story may not have. Lionsgate continues to perplex with these exclusive 4K releases with SteelBook packaging, but this release sports solid technical merits, appealing supplements and a handsome SteelBook design. Recommended.