Disney’s original Pirates of the Caribbean – The Curse of the Black Pearl – is a huge production and a wonderfully fun film.
Released in 2003, it spawned a brace of kinsmen.
Having compared the original 2007 Blu-ray, with the new 4k UHD, I’ve come away with an odd feeling. It’s not at all what I had expected. Even knowing that the original was a 2k DI derived from film, I thought I’d be seeing something special.
And I’m not.
Unless my eyes are deceiving me, I’m actually seeing more detail in the Blu-ray than in the 4k, which appears more lovingly homogenized, a bit akin to the Disney classic animated features.
Grain seems more subtle, details – for example, young Lucinda Dryzek’s freckles in the film’s opening. She plays the young Elizabeth. Her skin now appears more blended.
That’s not necessary a bad thing, but it’s not my style. Someone seems to like this look, which seems pleasantly nested between what I presumed it might appear like and the original Warner Blu-ray of that Mozart movie.
Nothing is plasticized, but it could have been so much better. But why bother?
Except for the Disney Movie Club, I expect Disney to be out of physical media within a year or two.
Colors and densities seems correct, comfortable, and close to the older Blu-ray. Audio has been tweaked a bit with Dolby Atmos.
I find myself, bothered and bewildered, but in no way bewitched.
To my ethic, a waste of 4k.
Image – 3 (HDR)
Audio – 5 (Dolby Atmos)
Pass / Fail – Fail
Plays nicely with projectors – Yes
Upgrade from Blu-ray – No
Makes use of and works well in 4k – 2.5
RAH
Robert has been known in the film industry for his unmatched skill and passion in film preservation. Growing up around photography, his first home theater experience began at age ten with 16mm. Years later he was running 35 and 70mm at home.
His restoration projects have breathed new life into classic films like Lawrence of Arabia, Vertigo, My Fair Lady, Spartacus, and The Godfather series. Beyond his restoration work, he has also shared his expertise through publications, contributing to the academic discourse on film restoration. The Academy Film Archive houses the Robert A. Harris Collection, a testament to his significant contributions to film preservation.
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