The War of the Worlds & When Worlds Collide 4K Blu-ray Review

In many ways a modern blockbuster

by Simon Crust
MSRP: £29.99

The War of the Worlds Review

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H.G. Wells was a man ahead of his time; his books have been far-reaching, are considered classics, are still quite readable despite their age and language, and have been ripe for movie adaptations forever.

The War of the Worlds hardback novel first appeared in 1898, after a serialisation in popular magazines a year previous; it was an immediate hit. Wells managed to capture the imagination, and was hugely influential and prophetic in his writing; heat rays = lasers, Black smoke = mustard gas, war machines = tanks, infrastructure destruction = communication loss etc. The fact that it took place in the quiet suburbs of Surrey, brought home the significance of war and how it can affect everyone.

I first read it at school, and it has been a favourite ever since; Jeff Wayne’s musical adaptation with Richard Burton’s narration is the stuff of legend; I’ve even seen the stage version with the updated musical score – not such a fan. But what I’ve always wanted to see was an adaptation faithful to the book; the BBC’s attempted was abortive! Spielberg’s update was interesting, but more of a Cruise vehicle than anything else, so we’re left with the original 1953 version.

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War of the Worlds 4K Blu-ray Review

War of the Worlds 4K Blu-ray Review

by Simon Crust ·
War of the Worlds comes to 4K in what is a stunning, demo worthy disc.  
9

Taking many years to come to fruition, eventually landing with producer George Pal, who employed director Byron Haskin, and in this version has the Martians invading contemporary America, with the subtext of communism and atomic fear being shot through the screen play. Wells steered clear of any religious connotation in his writings, but 1953 had a healthy dose thrown in as an antidote to the horrors of war. What is remarkable about the film is the effects work, which are quite incredible considering the time and limitations of technology, and utilising full three strip Technicolour, all newly created sound effects (some of which are sill in use today) and a rousing score by Leith Stevens, the film is also rightly hailed as a classic.

It manages to capture the fear and paranoia for the 50’s, showcasing the folly of man and his hubris relying on technology. Despair riding alongside hope in the final hours, and with WWII still a raw memory, meant the film struck a chord with those at the time, and continues to win fans today. Replacing Surrey with rural America works well, and the undefeatable Martian war machines might not look anything like the tripods of the novel, but they captured the ‘flying saucer’ motif perfectly.

In many ways The War of the World is a modern blockbuster, it is an effects driven sci-fi adventure, it is little wonder it holds its classic status.

Also bundled in this package is When Worlds Collide. Released in 1951, and produced again by George Pal, with director Rudolph Maté retelling the Noah story, undated with colliding planets and rocket ship Arc’s. Whilst no less a classic, it is quite a departure from Edwin Balmer and Philip Wylie’s original novel, which delved a litter further into the mob mentality of those being left behind, as well as several Arc’s being built around the globe, not just the one – and would perhaps have made for more dramatic story.

Screenwriter Sydney Boehm scaled back the novel, pushed the religious angle and added love triangles and desperate billionaires; which give the story a slightly more concise and, dare I say it, predictable outcome. However, the story was bold, the effects awesome (excepting the dire matte panting of Zyra) and it managed to tap into the general fear around at the time that maybe escape was the only way forward. Seems not much has changed, huh?

The War of the Worlds 4K Video

The War of the Worlds (1953)

The War of the Worlds was shot on 35mm film, using Technicolor Three-Strip Cameras, with the original film elements receiving a full 4K scan some years ago, with the result being a 4K DI from which this UHD is sourced.

The disc presents a native 3840 x 2160p resolution image, in the academic 1.37 ratio, using 10-bit video depth, High Dynamic Range (HDR), a Wide Colour Gamut (WCG) and is encoded using the HEVC (H.265) codec for Dolby Vision and HRD10.

We reviewed the Region free UK Ultra HD Blu-ray release of War of the Worlds on a Panasonic TX-65HZ1000B Ultra HD 4K TV with a Panasonic DP-UB450 Dolby Vision HDR10+ 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player.

Frequently Amazing

This new scan is frequently amazing; the detail on show is stunning, from skin texture and clothing weaves to dirt and grime, and writing on posters, maps and boards. There are keen edges throughout, from landscape shots, composited shots, and studio shots, everything is sharp and crisp. Check out the dust on the faces of those wating the A-bob go off. Even the stock footage looks detailed and sharp. The model work has never looked better.

The WCG and HDR, as Dolby Vision, give a real intensity to the colours; check out the opening credits; how vivid and bold the colours are. This continues into the film, where all the primaries are rich and deep; check out the Martian’s heat ray, the heat of the fires, how lush vegetation is, how naturally blue the skies are – simply wonderful.

Black level is well set to hold decent shadows and give decent frame depth; check out how black space is, while the white level is tremendously intense with highlights; check out the Martian cylinders as they burn in the atmosphere, the stars during the credits, gun flashes and the detonation of the atomic bomb.

The original source has cleaned up perfectly, there are no compression issues and there remains an organic sheen of film grain, more prominent on the stock footage, to remind of its filmic nature.

Blue vs. Red. There is no denying the fact that Mars has a bit of a blue push during the opening monologue. This is quite obvious when viewed against the theatrical trailer included on the UHD (though curiously in isolation, not so much). There are various theories abound as to why this is so, but the real question is: is it a deal breaker? In my opinion, no, after all as the camera moves in the red does start to show, though it never really dominates as the ‘Red Planet’ it ought.

When Worlds Collide

Why no UHD? Pishhhhhh

The disc presents a theatrically correct Academy aspect 1.37:1 ratio, using MPEG-4 compression, from a purported 2K scan, and DI, that has received a good deal of digital restoration. And it shows.

The image has some terrific detail, skin texture and clothing weaves stand out, as does brickwork on buildings, vegetation, paperwork, instrument consoles, wood panelling etc. there are good keen edges throughout.

Colours are fairly vivid, flesh tones are good, and the primaries fair well, this is particularly true of blues and reds which are suitably bold.

Contrast and brightness give a good strong black level, with a modicum of shadow detail, and improved frame depth, while the white scale showcases reasonable highlights.

Digitally there are no compression issues, and the original source is beautifully pristine, with a good grain structure. Whilst this is all great, the whole looks pale and flimsy compared to the HDR afforded to the UHD of War, and one can only wonder how amazing this would have been had it had the chance.

The War of the Worlds 4K Audio

The War of the Worlds (1953)

The only English track is the re-mixed DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround track, which is a bit of a shame, as the original mono would have been great to have with these visuals. However, it is a pretty bombastic track. It makes liberal use of the surrounds to bring a strong sense of ambience as well as placing the effects really well. The opening of the hatch, the shelling, the Martian heat ray – all are well layered, distinct and have a true surround experience. Indeed, the various forms of destruction wrought by the Martians is loud and earth shaking, bass is tight and heavy used to fill out the effects, so there is real impact to the explosions, and general destruction as the planet succumbs to the invasion.

The score also makes good use of the surround environment with all the speakers getting in on the action; it is well layered into the mix and never lost. Same cannot be said for the dialogue, though, which for the most part is clear and precise, sounds very natural and dominated by the frontal array, but is slightly low in the mix compared to the surround effects, so that on occasion the narration can be a tad difficult to hear. There is no distortion or hiss - it is a crisp and loud track.

When Worlds Collide

Just the one DTS-HD 2.0 mono track, but it is terrific, being clear and bright, suitably loud, while being crisp and defined. Dialogue is natural sounding and well layered, while the effects and score are given dominance when needed. Bass is used well to full out the low end, there is no distortion or hiss and the whole is really well realised, without becoming tiresome.

Review System: Denon AVR-X4300H, MK Sound LCR750 and SUR55T, XTZ S2 Atmosphere ceiling mounted, SVS PB-12 Ultra.

The War of the Worlds Extras

The War of the Worlds (1953)

War of the Worlds UHD

Audio Commentary – With Gene Barry and Ann Robinson.

Audio Commentary – With Joe Dante, Bob Burns, and Bill Warren.

The Sky is Falling: Making The War of the Worlds – 30 minute vintage feature.

H.G. Wells: The Father of Science Fiction – 10 minutes on the author.

The Mercury Theatre on the Air Presents: The War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast from 1938

Original Theatrical Trailer

When Worlds Collide

Theatrical Trailer

Fold out 3-D packaging

Art cards

Post cards

Magnets

Conclusion

The War of the Worlds & When Worlds Collide 4K Blu-ray Review

The War of the Worlds (1953)

The War of the Worlds and When Worlds Collide are bona fide classics. Both produced by George Pal, and updated from their respective literary sources, they are, in many ways, modern blockbusters, being effects driven sci-fi dramas. They tap into the 50’s consciousness of fear but are shot through with hope, are scored beautifully and hove extensive and amazing effects, even if the acting is of the era.

As a double feature package, the set from Paramount is most tremendous; the native 4K UHD of The War of the Worlds is stunning, being perfectly detailed, brightly coloured and both black and white scales pushing the envelope, while its DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround track is loud, effects laden and bombastic, if slightly at the expense of the dialogue. When Worlds Collide is only on Blu-ray (why?) but is no less a marvel in terms of detail, colour reproduction and black level, and this time comes with the original mono audio which is clear, precise, and natural. Extras are limited, and ancient, though the foldout set and tat is a joy!

The War of the Worlds and When Worlds Collide set is available on 4K Blu-ray from 7 November 2002.

Scores

Movie

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.
8

Picture Quality

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9

Sound Quality

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.
.
7

Extras

.
.
.
.
6

Overall

.
.
8
8
AVForumsSCORE
OUT OF
10

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