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Erethen
The Shire
Dec 9 2020, 7:21am
Post #1 of 3
(3041 views)
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4K Thoughts
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Having just completed the trilogy in 4K, here are the things I noticed and most stuck out to me:
FOTR looks far better with the infamous green tint gone. In it's place is now a more natural look that feels more in line with the rest of the regraded films in the trilogy. FOTR also most benefits, I feel, from HDR(High Dynamic Range). FOTR has a ton of highlights and colors, and it really shines here.
Several shots in FOTR made me gasp out loud such as Arwen's first appearance, various shots in Rivendell, the restored white snow scenes, and the Balrog sequence all come to mind.
TTT feels very similar to past releases, with the brooding colors still very much in play. Where this film most benefits is the details found in the darker image, now available to be seen with HDR. There are some scenes that look far different, color grading wise, than the previous versions such as Frodo and Sam in Osgiliath and the march of the Ents.
TTT features something I think might become a new controversy amongst the fans. That is the new color grading and filters applied to flashbacks and visions. This effect occurs throughout the trilogy now, but given the prevalence of flashbacks and visions in TTT, it's far more distracting in this film. The Boromir flashback and Elrond's vision of Arwen's fate are nearly black and white. It's pretty jarring.
ROTK features really bold use of HDR throughout, and has a whole new look that has gotten rid of the yellow tint that the film has had in previous versions. By eliminating this, Jackson seems to be able to make colors and details shine more. The new look is most notable in the Battle of Pelennor fields where the yellow tint was quite noticeable. ROTK is quite stunning to look at throughout, and also feels reinvigorated on the same level as FOTR's picture quality.
Standout shots and scenes for me were the beautiful use of HDR in the Battle of Pelennor Fields, the scorching, bright highlights of Mt. Doom and Barad-dur. The scene of Frodo and Sam escaping the lavas of Mount Doom made me gasp audibly, the lava looked extraordinary.
In conclusion, I think this was overall a fantastic remaster by PJ and his team. Besides the new flashback look, the new color schemes are something I'll have to get used to, but I think I do prefer the new looks to FOTR and ROTK. This set is a true example of the power of the 4K HDR format.
This has been a long post, but I feel pretty jazzed by this new way of watching these great films.
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skyofcoffeebeans
Rohan
Dec 9 2020, 4:54pm
Post #2 of 3
(3012 views)
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The Balrog sequence did look fantastic, and the Pelennor sequence was a delight. The films overall look the best they ever have, apart from the DNR and scrubbing of film grain.
I cannot help but come to the negatives, since this seems like the ultimate final say in how these films will be viewed– I don't see 8K catching on for a long, long time, if ever. I am really disappointed that the film grain has been scrubbed from all films rather than reapplied to the Hobbit trilogy, as is now common in digital cinematography.
The flashback coloring is also very jarring. I thought it was really aesthetically displeasing when we first saw it in the DOS EE flashback sequences, and now it's in all six films to one degree or another. We will get used to these things in time, but I'll have to mourn the original look of every single one of those shots and sequences that have had the original vision scrubbed from existence– quite literally, for people who had purchased these films digitally in the past.
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Ataahua
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
Dec 9 2020, 7:49pm
Post #3 of 3
(3001 views)
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let's keep all reviews on the 4K movies to the thread on Main, so that we don't have several threads going on the same topic.
http://newboards.theonering.net/...rum.cgi?post=978017;
Celebrimbor: "Pretty rings..."
Dwarves: "Pretty rings..."
Men: "Pretty rings..."
Sauron: "Mine's better."
"Ah, how ironic, the addictive qualities of Sauron’s master weapon led to its own destruction. Which just goes to show, kids - if you want two small and noble souls to succeed on a mission of dire importance... send an evil-minded beggar with them too." - Gandalf's Diaries, final par, by Ufthak.
Fantasy novel - The Arcanist's Tattoo
My LOTR fan-fiction
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