DVD Review: Peter Jackson's Production Diaries - King Kong - Page 2

Video quality is obviously all over the place. These weren't high budgeted features, and the early ones were done on the fly. As such, the soft, over saturated video gives them a more homegrown feel. This is definitely an improvement over the QuickTime videos online though. (***)

Likewise, sound is unremarkable. It would have been nice to hear the T-Rex/Kong battle in full 5.1, but it may not have been completed yet. It's 2.0 stereo all the way. (***)

This is the point where you begin to want this box set even if you've seen everything on the DVDs already. Coming in a huge box made to look like Carl Denham's brief case, the top lifts off to reveal some great extras. The entire thing is a little tough to get back together (it's pieced out quite a bit inside), but with work, it's worth it for the quality.

Once the top is off, you can dive into wrapped prints exclusive to this set and individually numbered. These four pieces of conceptual art are beautiful and glossy. Pulling out the innards of the box will reveal another holding piece for the discs themselves. This part folds open horizontally to reveal the DVD casing.

The discs are held on two separate caddies, with a full color booklet lodged in above them (held on by a strong gold clip - much like a clipboard - appropriate for the design). The book briefly runs down each featurette while providing numerous stills, previsualization drawings, cast photos, and more. It's well assembled for a mass produced product, certainly more than would be expected. (****)

Whether or not the slightly high price point (retail is just under $40) is worth it depends on your level of fandom. King Kong fans have a nearly perfect piece of documentation on the making of the film, though most likely they've seen all of this before, plus more. You'll also need to think if you'll ever watch any of these more than once. It's an interesting idea, and the eye-catching box may be enough for many.

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Article Author: Matt Paprocki

Matt Paprocki is a 12-year movie and game critic. He currently freelances for Blu-ray review site DoBlu.com and video game site MultiPlayerGames.com.

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