As of this writing, we have already reviewed the nine UHD discs of The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy. In reviewing the extended edition of The Fellowship of the Ring, Randy Miller writes that "the main draw of this 4K release is its stunning increase in fine detail, density, and refined contrast levels, all of which are immediately apparent from the opening sequence onward. I lost count of how many times I paused to study the fine detail in the film's many close-ups and mid-range shots: the One Ring in Gollum's grubby hand, the ethereal gaze of princess Arwen, clothing and armor textures, the wiry hair in Gimli's beard, and even the stunning, 3D-like textures of the Middle Earth map. All but the most muddy environments come alive in great detail, which is also aided by the transfer's much more robust and film-like appearance -- differences were immediately noticeable after a quick swap with the older Blu-rays. As expected, the image is clean as a whistle and, though obvious from the disc size, each half runs at a very high bit rate from start to finish and there are no perceivable compression issues."
Warner still have more to serve up for 4K fans, however, with the 4K UHD debut of Blade. The R-rated action film stars Wesley Snipes as the Marvel Comics vampire hunter, and was made in 1998, a full decade before Iron Man gave birth to what would become the multi-billion dollar Marvel Cinematic Universe. Available in both standard and Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook editions, Blade features HDR grading and a new Dolby Atmos soundtrack.
And there's still more from Warner with the release of two HBO series. First up is a 4K UHD upgrade of the acclaimed miniseries Chernobyl. The five-part series, a dramatization of the 1986 nuclear plant disaster, stars Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård and Emily Watson and was originally screened and released on Blu-ray in 2019. Subsequently, it has received numerous awards, including the Emmy for Outstanding Limited Series, the Golden Globe for Best Miniseries or Television Film and a Peabody Award, amongst others. Now available on 4K UHD in both standard and Best Buy Exclusive SteelBook editions, Chernobyl features a Dolby Vision HDR grade and the four-disc set also contains the miniseries on Blu-ray.
Then, on Blu-ray, we have HBO's Perry Mason: The Complete First Season. The two-disc set features all eight episodes of the legal drama, which stars Matthew Rhys as a new incarnation of the lawyer made famous by author Erle Stanley Gardner and later, actor Raymond Burr in the 1950s CBS TV series and subsequent TV movies. In his review of the set, Jeffrey Kauffman calls Perry Mason "a gorgeous looking series...I frankly wouldn't be surprised if this was a 4K DI, as fine detail is typically excellent across the board, with the possible exception of some of the darkest material. There's a really nicely burnished appearance to the imagery which is probably even further enhanced by some backlighting choices which tend to bathe the frame in a kind of reflected glow. Grading choices are utilized but don't materially affect detail levels. The production design of this series is one of its strongest assets, and this high definition presentation supports the period aesthetic extremely well."
Finally from Warner, we have a the Limited Edition Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection. The three-disc set contains over 60 theatrical shorts, including new extras, such as a Bugs Bunny's 80th, What's Up, Doc-umentary and bonus Looney Tunes cartoons, all packaged with an exclusive, full size, Glitter Diamond Collection Bugs Bunny Funko Pop.
But now, it's Paramount's turn. First up is Robert Altman's Popeye. This 1980 live-action feature film is a musical, starring Robin Williams as the titular sailor and Shelley Duvall as his girlfriend, Olive Oyl. Filling a long-standing hole in both Altman's and Williams' filmographies on Blu-ray, Paramount's 40th anniversary edition features almost 30 minutes of new extras, including "Return to Sweethaven: A Look Back with Robin and the Altmans".
Then from Paramount is a whole wave of Eddie Murphy comedies. Debuting on 4K UHD is Beverly Hills Cop and as a single-disc 4K UHD, Coming to America, the latter of which is also available in SteelBook packaging. In his review, Martin Liebman says that Beverly Hills Cop "offers a nice contrast at times in chapter three when Axel is driving through big money Beverly Hills in his blue car, severely worn and dented and standing out like the proverbial sore thumb. The clarity with which viewers will see its dents, scratches, worn paint, and the like is hugely impressive, capturing a firmer, more robust image beyond the Blu-ray's 1080p capabilities. Facial features are superbly defined, as are clothes. Texturally, the image is quite the looker." Regarding the 4k UHD of Coming to America, a film which was released on Blu-ray way back in 2007, Liebman says that "[the] brand new 4K/Dolby Vision UHD presentation looks magnificent, fit for a prince, in fact. The image is a textural powerhouse and a revelation over the existing Blu-ray. The picture cannot be described any other way than as "perfectly cinematic." It's blessed with a very healthy and natural grain structure that is fully complimentary of the visuals, which are stout and strong and soar beyond the comparatively flat, borderline ugly Blu-ray".
Another Eddie Murphy comedy released in the early years of Blu-ray is being re-issued on Tuesday, but as a remastered 1080p Blu-ray. John Landis' Trading Places, co-starring Dan Akyroyd and Jamie Lee Curtis, will join the Paramount Presents line of Blu-rays. Newly remastered from a 4K film scan under the supervision of John Landis, the Blu-ray also includes a new Filmmaker Focus featurette with Landis in addition to extras ported over from the previous release.
Also coming to the Paramount Presents lineup, made available on Blu-ray for the first time, is another Eddie Murphy feature, Micahel Ritchie's The Golden Child. It will also be newly remastered from a 4K scan and will include never-before-seen extras, such as the featurette "The Making of The Golden Child" in HD.
Finally on Tuesday, slightly delayed from its original date last month, Paramount will release Mission: Impossible: The Original TV Series on Blu-ray. The 46-disc set contains all seven seasons and 171 episodes of the classic spy series remastered in its original 4:3 aspect ratio and with lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio.