New to Blu: July 26 – August 1

Two movies bearing Weta Workshop’s signature have earned contrasting reviews for their 4K-UHD Blu-ray transfers: Ghost in the Shell and King Kong.

“The Ultra HD [of Ghost in the Shell] … arrives with a gorgeous 4K presentation that offers several demo-worthy moments and an awesome but subtle Dolby Atmos soundtrack that enthusiasts will gladly gush over,” High-Def Digest said.

But Blu-ray.com thought the 4K only a “modest” boost over the Blu-ray that “doesn’t offer a convincing reason to upgrade beyond the basics, namely mildly shaper details and slightly firmer colours”.

Blu-ray.com recommended the 3D version over both the 4K-UHD and Blu-ray: “Despite a few little drawbacks, this is a fine 3D watch and, in this reviewer’s opinion, the best of the three options.

“It compliments [sic] the movie — the style, the world, and even the story and themes — very well.”

Peter Jackson’s King Kong is being re-released as the Ultimate Edition on Blu-ray with 13 hours of extras that, frustratingly, are missing from the two-disc 4K-UHD (but are on the three-disc US edition).

The extras have been released previously but it’s still disappointing that buyers wanting to upgrade to the 4K-UHD can’t have the complete package.

High-Def Digest thought it “a strong H.265 encode in HDR10.

“The overall quality doesn’t offer a significant upgrade over the Blu-ray — in fact, it’s somewhat hit or miss in many areas — but several moments come with visually pleasing improvements.”

But Blu-ray.com again disagreed over the 4K transfer’s merits, calling it “a substantial upgrade over the previously released VC-1 encoded Blu-ray, even as the UHD is not perfect and has likely been sourced from a 2K digital intermediate”.

Split, which was released last month on Blu-ray, can now be enjoyed with “a better cinematic quality” on 4K-UHD but Resident Evil – Vendetta, despite a 4K-UHD release elsewhere, is Blu-ray only (albeit with “solid 1080p video, excellent DTS-HD Master Audio”).

Also new are:

• Prison Break: Event Series (“technical merits are strong“)
• USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage (“struggles with myriad effects limitations and some outright flaws in the source visuals”)
• The Eagle Huntress (“generally strong and proficient“)
• Brimstone
• Dance Academy: The Movie.