Michael Gough

WB 4K Blu-ray but has MAJOR Color Timing issues. All cold blues are rendered teal. WB Blu-ray despite issues is a purist visual option in this regard.

First ever Dolby Digital 5.1 wide release film. 4K Blu-ray has new Atmos remix which replaces original sound effects and prioritizes music and bombast. A terrible audio experience to be avoided. 1997 WB DVD has open matte version on flipper disc. VHS also is open matte.

Excellent new transfer. Except for periodic blocking in highlights, which isn’t too obvious in motion, this is a strong disc. I’d suggest blue as there’s only Atmos sound and the most recent Blu-ray from 2013 was also from a new master and isn’t too bad.

Atmos mix is very bad with many new sound effects added. The old 5.1 is probably derived from the 6-track, with surrounds minimally upmixed. DVD has the 6-track as 4.1, but with more muffled EQ.

4K Blu-ray has Atmos remixes with new effects and changes. The original matrix surround track is somewhat different in its mix than the 5.1 discrete but relatively the same.

4K Blu-ray has Atmos remixes with new effects and changes. The original matrix surround track is better mixed than the 5.1 discrete with more surround and low end engagement amazingly. It also hides the extensive ADR a bit due to the inherent quality dip comparing matrix to discrete formats.

WB 4K Blu-ray but with notable color timing issues

Original mix on VHS, LaserDisc and DVD is significantly warmer and more impactful sounding. These nuances are lost on the 2005 remaster audio found on DVD and Blu-ray which due have a tinge of extra clarity in contrast.

The Atmos mix is excruciatingly bad as it removes original sound effects and wrecks the original sound design. Music is prioritized and dominates in a bad way. The sound library effects used to create a specific sound signature as part of the mix of time period production design is completely lost. Fidelity is also lowered due to noise reduction and processing.

Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray caps. Original 1.85 framing restored, much better colors, image detail and a film stock-like tone curve was restored.

Warner Bros HD-DVD has the original 6.1 mix in a better format than the Blu-ray (Dolby Digital Plus instead of standard Dolby Digital), but is still lossy and a disc prone to disc rot. The Blu-ray is a good alternative.