BLU-RAY REVIEW

The Lost World: Jurassic Park 4K Ultra HD

Featured In Issue 232, October 2018

Picture5
Sound5
Immersive2
WSR Score3
Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
(Studio/Distributor):
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
(Catalog Number):
61196370
(MPAA Rating):
PG-13
(Rating Reason):
Intense science fiction terror
(Retail Price):
$79.98
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-66)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
(Running Time In Minutes):
129
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
A
(Theatrical Year):
(Theatrical Release):
Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release):
No
(Disc Release Date):
5/22/2018
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
(Director):
Steven Spielberg
(Screenplay/Written By):
(Story):
(Music):
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer):
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor):
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers):
(Co-Producers):
(Producers):
(Academy Awards):
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
(Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
(Disc Soundtrack):
DTS:X, DTS HD Lossless 7.1
(Theatrical Sound):
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(DTS Bit Rate):
(Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
(Additional Languages):
(French Language):
(Spanish Language):
(Subtitles):
(Cantonese Language):

Based on Michael Crichton's novel "The Lost World" and sequel to the huge blockbuster hit "Jurassic Park," "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" is an edge-of-your seat adventure filled with bigger, louder, and more ferocious dinosaurs. Jeff Goldblum reprises his role as Ian Malcolm, leading an expedition to the island of Isla Sorna, where dinosaurs have survived to roam in their natural environment. Malcolm must put a stop to a team of money-hungry mercenaries, led by Pete Postlethwaite, who plan on shipping the dinosaurs to the mainland. (Gary Reber)

Special features include deleted scenes (SD 07:09); an all-new documentary with two of six parts on this disc: "Return To Jurassic Park: Finding The Lost World" (HD 27:40) and "Return To Jurassic Park: Something Survived" (HD 16:30); the following archival featurettes: "The Making Of The Lost World" (SD 53:14), "Original Featurette On The Making Of The Film" (SD 13:17), "The Jurassic Park Phenomenon: A Discussion With Author Michael Crichton" (SD 15:27), and "The Compiete Dance Number: Thank You Steven Spielberg From ILM" (SD 01:38); "Behind The Scenes," which includes "ILM & The Lost World: Before And After The Visual Effects" (SD 20:44), 12 storyboards, and the following under "Production Archives": Production Photographs, Illustrations And Conceptual Drawings, Models, The World Of Jurassic Park, The Magic Of ILM, and Posters And Toys; the theatrical trailer; D-BOX™ Motion Code™; and a Movies Anywhere digital copy is also included.

The 1.85:1 2160p HEVC/H.265 Ultra HD HDR10 picture, reviewed on a Sony Bravia Z9D 4K Ultra HD HDR display, was photographed on film using the Panavision Panaflex Platinum camera system and sourced from a 2K (not 4K) master Digital Intermediate format. As the 2K Digital Intermediate has been upconverted to 2160p, there is no real gain in native resolution. Noise and film grain have been de-grained on this new remastered 4K Ultra HD edition, for a pristine picture experience.

"The Lost World" was first reviewed as a LaserDisc in Issue 29, followed by reviews of DVD and Blu-ray editions. The new remastered 4K Ultra HD edition features exemplary cinematic quality throughout, with extremely refined sharpness, clarity, and image detail. Color fidelity is very natural, with rich and warm colors, and natural fleshtones that benefit from the wider color gamut (WCG), exhibiting superior color depth and saturation. Color vibrance is seen in blue skies, greenery, water, sand, wooden lounge chairs, and clothes, all exhibiting diversified and nuanced shadings of hue. This is especially notable in the diversity of natural greens and earthy colors seen throughout the island. The diversity of shades is remarkable and effectively delineates the natural environments. Fleshtones are naturally hued throughout, as are the picture elements in every scene. HDR contrast is superb with deep, solid blacks and shadow detail, with the darkest scenes revealing good visual information, especially in the lower light and nighttime scenes,. The black levels show no sign of crush or paleness. Resolution is superb as well, with fine detail exhibited in facial features, hair, clothing and object texture that enhances the sense of realism.WOW! segments include from 00:08:45 to 0:15:00, 0:41:50 to 0:42:19, 0:57:37 to 01:00:04, 01:37:58 to 01:38:55, and 01:56:40 to 01:58:10.. While generally dark throughout due to the night scenes, this is a captivating visual experience that delivers plenty of excitement. (Gary Reber)

The repurposed DTS:X/DTS-HD Master Audio™ 7.1-channel soundtrack renders an exceptional soundfield with aggressive directionalized and split surround effects. Dialogue, for the most part, sounds natural, with excellent spatial integration, though, in some scenes the ADR-produced dialogue is obvious. The music score is wonderful, dynamic, and expansive, with excellent soundstage depth. The low-level ambiance effects are incredible with finely resolved soundfield delineation. The lush island environmental atmospherics are impressively nuanced and dimensional and nicely delineate near and distant sounds. Such attention to sonic detail results in precisely imaged sounds and seamless panning of moving objects. The low-frequency effects are impressively harmonic and powerful. Dialogue often sounds natural, with excellent spatial integration, though, in some scenes the ADR-produced dialogue is obvious and sounds "produced." The additional two ear-level channels enhance the dimensional depth and spatial acoustic reality. The dynamics are dramatically engaging and significantly add to the exhilarating excitement. The .1 LFE channel is effectively engaged throughout, with pulse-pounding sub-25 Hz bass that will challenge many home theatre systems. John Williams' orchestral music score is beautifully recorded, with a very wide and deep soundstage presence that extends aggressively into the other surround channels. The score is wonderful, dynamic, and expansive. Atmospherics and sound effects are riveting, with superb low-level resolution and dynamics, as well as directionality.

The Immersive Sound element includes jungle insect and bird sounds, voices yelling out, a startling dinosaur attack through a hollow log, a captured dinosaur's roars and calls, insect swarm, a T-Rex growling as it plows through the jungle, a large research vehicle's debris falling from a cliff with gushing water sounds, a T-Rex roar on the attack, Raptor sounds, female voices yelling "look out!" and other shouts, a panned helicopter from front to back, T-Rex growls on the attack panned, and brief crowd screams. No music extension whatsoever. As with "Jurassic Park's" Immersive Sound element, sonics in the height channels are also spotty, with obvious missed opportunities for far greater engagement.

This is a very engaging holosonic® ear-level soundtrack experience! (Gary Reber)