James Cameron, forcefully keeps 4k masters of his films from the public until he makes sure they are completely free of film grain because that's what he likes. It's honestly sad that the best version of True Lies isn't the on 4k Blu-ray, or even standard Blu-ray, it's on D-Theater.
My thoughts exactly, Richard. It absolutely seems like Cameron wants all of his films to look like they were shot digitally. The best way I could put it was they almost look like the absolute best CGI video game cutscene remakes of his movies.
I love that he e,mraced digital filmmaking but I don't understand wanting to make his films that were shot on film to look digital. Considering he is such a perfectionist I am confused by why he wants this.
@@RichardDiaz exactly. I don't understand the revisionist mindset he's in at all. Shouldn't it be about preservation? It's like he caught the Lucas bug.
Thank you! I know a lot of people are perfectly ok with how these look and as much as I wanted to make my opinion heard I also don't want someone to feel bad if they like them.
Thanks for the honest review Richard. Will be checking these out tonight myself. Why cant we just get a nicely preserved 4k restoration of the 35mm negative with a true and tasteful dolby vision grade. Imagine what a label like Arrow could've done with the Abyss? Thanks again.
Yeah, it must be the ego of filmmakers like Cameron, Jackson and Lucas that is their downfall when it comes to their video releases. Yes, they are practically film gods and their need to control everything about their movies made them great. But at some point you have to let your babys go and entrust them into the hands of film preservationists. But oh no, how could those strangers know more about their babies than them? Well, they do, because they have the necessary distance and can see a movie for what it was and is instead of what it could be.
@bened22 i can understand the concept of "directors intent" but film preservation is also important. More important when you consider the historical and cultural importance and longevity of preserving cinema.
Thank you so much! I almost didn't do the review but I literally was thinking about it all day and knew I had to. And I was literally thinking about that exact thing too about what it would have been like if a third party put it out without the extra tinkering. Who knows. Maybe one day we can get a more accurate release.
Yes. Very much appreciate that you are the first person to really be honest about it, even if you have to tip toe around it otherwise the Cameronites will come lol. Thats what I was trying to warn people about though. If we support releases we know that they are tinkering with to this degree then studios and distributors may start to believe that we are fine with this and then we will see more and more of this until real restorations and remasters are gone. Why do this when a straight up remaster would have looked better regardless. Imagine what Arrow could have done with these films.... We shouldn't be pleased just to have them and ignore issues. So I am thankful that we have you to trust in your reviews and opinions. But it is such a shame that despite being told in advance of these releases that they have used AI to DNR and then add fake details back that so many people were fine with this and ordered it anyway because as they sell more then the more likely we will see more of this fake restoration and "enhancement". And the more people and other reviewers ignore the problems the more minimised and hidden the truth about the image quality and the methods employed are. An AI coming in and removing the grain and then adding fake details back and then adding another layer of fake grain to try and hide what they have done is ridiculous and would never look better than a proper 4k scan and remastering process it is madness to me. And then the worst part is that people will just suck it up and future releases and we will all be worse off for it. I am not totally against AI enhancing either, but it shouldn't and doesn't need to be used on film. Where I see that it can be useful is in enhancing standard definition stuff or stuff shot on video tape and try to make that presentable or at least closer to HD and clean that up. But a film that can be restored and scanned in at 4k (which would look better without the AI process), no its very silly, especially humorous that it would be done to these films shot on the more premium and less grainy film stocks. We shouldn't just stand by to accept mediocre to bad releases just because it is a film that we wanted or like or because James Cameron says it is better.
I'm glad that we're getting all three in 4K (since let's be honest: we're lucky that some films are getting 4K releases at all these days). However, I'm not cool with the digital scrubbing that occurred with these three films. It's not as egregious as something Fox or Paramount would do, but it's still a problem. Cameron clearly is well within his right to do this, but doing this obviously removes the "film" look, making it more digital than anything. True Lies has it the worst out of the three, which coincidentally Cameron has now expressed his opinions on that film now as being one of his "less-than-favourite" works. It's all honestly something to take into consideration before making the plunge.
Completely agree. I'm happy we have these films in 4K since two of them have been missing from releases for so long but I am really confused why he wants the films to look like this. I just got in my True Lies today so I will watch it this weekend. Really worried about that one but knowing what to expect going in I can at least keep my expectations in check.
When I purchase a movie on 4K I want the movie to look at its best and as close to the original theatrical presentation. This isn't what I was hoping for. I mean, would you really want to watch classic black and white movies if they were colorized? Of course not. Sadness.
let what is on the 35mm negative be shown in it's glory. stop trying to hide what they are. films are pieces of art, stop altering them. look at Arrow's 4K releases of Candyman, Robin Hood, Deep Red, Tremors. look at Vinegar Syndrome's 4K releases of Roadhouse, Showgirls, Beastmaster, Terrible Hichcock. look at Second Sight's 4K releases of Texas Chainsaw, DotD, Dog Soldiers, Martin. they all have something in common: what is on the film negative (or interpositive) is shown on the disc, grain included. they're all the best presentations the films will ever get and they didn't need revisionism to look incredible.
@@RichardDiaz This will be the death of physical media + DNR I waited years and years and years for ALIENS to release on 4K and now look at this mess why remove grain!!! Just upscale the old 2009 Blu-ray in a 4K player it looks better then what I'm seeing of this 4K I won't be wasting £25 on this when it cones out in the UK next month
All Three Cameron releases in their largest film size print would have had a 6-Track Audio. I feel they did Atmos mixes then a 2.0 for secondary was for both disc space and would also have been the two English approved tracks along with descriptive audio 2.0 for streaming.
Completely agree with your analysis on the video score and image. This AI is awful and taking the natural film grain away is horrible. Only newbies who don't appreciate film are the ones going on about how it looks amazing and current and aren't real cinephiles. The other 2 are even worse. This one is at least consistent Image wise. Im just glad I'm not really a big fan of any of the three movies or I would be more devastated.
lol. I have zero problem with lack of film grain depending on the outcome of the film. Usually less is more for me unless its complete removal degradates the ambiance of a film, or cant be removed. That being said, I havent gotten to see this remaster yet, but almost any upgrade of a film is what most movie fans want. If you want grain than stick to vhs.
@@Chrisicola Film grain has nothing to do with VHS (which is crap resolution) so how about reserving comment on something you seem to know nothing about?
@@outpost31mac And resolution makes film grain even more obvious if not treated/remastered.... duh. Thus a VHS often has more noticable film grain that a dvd on "most" films because its been removed. Btw, I personally have a pretty large sized collection and Id take, the Pepsi challenge Ive watched as many filns as you, if not more. I mean, the Abyss special edition dvd picture quality wasnt that great at all- Ill take an obvious sight unseen upgrade anyday.
@@Chrisicola I've been watching films for more than 50 years, so I really doubt you've seen more films than I have. Yeah, I didn't think so. And btw, when you leave film grain as is on a print, you don't lose any detail so mull that over for a while. Treating and mastering (removing?) it just makes the image unnatural looking (in most shots, particularly faces) so it's really not an 'upgrade' in that case, is it? duh...
@@outpost31mac Ok, well send me your 4k copy of the Abyss and I'll send you over the grainy Special Edition dvd...Roger Ebert. But I guess you know more about remastering movies than James Cameron, eh? BTW, I was watching movies in the womb, so that make my movie viewing almost 53 years. lol Again, I haven't seen the remaster yet, but if you're telling me that it's worse quality than that dvd than you deserve the.....wait for it.......DUH. 🎞🌾
Thank you! I sort of knew it woyld be that ”Cameron overcooked” look. Sad. Hoping there can be other future releases, but will get these. Not in a hurry though. I fear that The Terminator will suffer even more since it was lower budget. That movie nedds a bit of roughness since that is the look it wins on having IMHO. Cheers!
This is easily the best review I've seen on this release. Thank you for being honest! I feel like some other reviewers were a little hesitant in calling out the AI modifications, maybe in fear of getting backlash. But here you explained it thoroughly. You did try to highlight its successes but you can definitely see you are a bit disappointed in the release. I also share the same fear of this technology being used with other transfers. I fear that if it's quick and cheap, it will be the preferred option for these studios, similar to how CGI took over practical effects. Practical effects are far superior in my opinion, but because cgi was faster, cheaper and did not require as much resources, it began dominating the film industry 😢😢. I'm hoping history doesn't repeat itself...
I heard that Ridley Scott mentioned one time that doing CGI was more expensive than doing the effects practically. I'm sure that's not the case across the board, but I think he should know.
I have had never seen the abyss so to me the picture and color timing is fine. The one thing I really don’t like is when they remove film grain. This movie has a digital look and if the original had film grain I’m sure it would’ve looked better in 4k
A.I Restoration Smoothing programs are becoming common place now, and will take less time to do than with having a person do it, sad, but that's technology.
I think you said it well - you helped me understand the concern from film enthusiasts. I do love a clean, clear, 4k image. I don’t love a 4k with a lot of grain. That takes me out of it from a 4k experience. But I can respect where you’re coming from. Makes sense too. Thanks for sharing your honest thoughts.
@@slimdude2011 I get it - and having done A LOT of recent research on the topic I fully understand it now and appreciate it. That said - some films just shouldn’t be put out in 4k. Especially if they are with heavy grain. In my opinion viewing that way in 4k doesn’t make for a pleasant “high definition / clarity” experience.
I was worried this was going to happen after the terrible Terminator 2 4K release, I'll probably still buy Abyss and True Lies simply because there is no other choice for physical media other than the DVDs. I am curious if the Blu-ray has the same transfer, did you check?
It is still great to have the films. Despite my issues with the video aspect it was really great watching The Abyss again. I hadn't watched it in years so the entertainment value is still there for sure. I did not check out the film on the Blu-ray. I originally wasn't going to do the review yet but I was thinking about it all day and decided I needed to talk about it. Otherwise I would have checked out more of the release.
I ordered my copy of "The Abyss" on March 12th from Amazon and I STILL don't even have an estimated ship date yet! Getting really frustrated and impatient. Anyone know about the issue/s??
I don't know all of the details but I think the initial run sold out faster than expected and the next pressing is taking longer to do since there are not as many disc pressing plants anymore. I might be wrong about this but I think there might only be one main plant left that is pressing discs for North America. Not 100% sure but I think so.
@@RichardDiaz I just got an e-mail this morning saying the estimated ship date is between 4/24 and 5/1. At least now I know it's going to get here, although it's not fun waiting a month and a half for something you ordered. Amazon recently (a day or two ago) asked if I wanted to cancel the order or keep it. I may as well wait now.
@@garyausten5939 I hope it comes in very soon for you. Let me know what you think of the transfer when you watch it. My order for these Cameron releases through Amazon kept changing release dates on me over the course of a week or two then they actually shipped which surprised me. Such a weird roll out for these titles.
@@RichardDiaz OK...personally, I liked my copy of True Lies - I only had the DVD version before. Not sure if I'll upgrade my Blu-Ray versions of the Alien series (missing the last two) or Terminator series...at least for a while. I have some more pressing upcoming expenses.
Cameron is a certified quack. He, along with directors like George Lucas, have close to zero respect for the art of their films. I knew Cameron was a sellout after he was essentially paid to give his approval to the horrific Terminator Dark Fate, or whatever it was called. Who cares. This is why I have such respect for directors like Martin Scorsese and Christopher Nolan. Directors like them actually RESPECT filmmaking, and respect the unofficial ownership the FANS hold over the film. I hope by some miracle Cameron or Disney or whoever licenses the rights to another studio like Arrow or Umbrella, or even Shout Factory, or a label that would actually RESPECT the film as a piece of historical art, and do it its proper justice. Do it justice by at the very least releasing a steelbook or included collectibles and for God's sake BETTER DISC ART (these 3 movies have without a doubt some of the absolute laziest, inconsistent and flat-out worst disc art I've seen, even for studio releases). While I do have only The Abyss pre-ordered and it's MAYBE coming in a few days (the mess of limited backordered distribution is unacceptably shameful by the way and warrants its own rant), since this is what I've been waiting 15 years for I may as well take it... and perhaps have to wait another 15 years for a better release. Disappointing is really the only word here and at this point I really REALLY hope Cameron has absolutely nothing to do with the eventual 4k release of the original Terminator. I'll just keep my bluray if that's the case.
I wish we could see the A.I. process in action to get a better idea, as it’s obviously not the DNR that we’ve come to know + despise over the years. I think that would’ve made for an interesting extra to include. I still see grain present and excellent detail. So, I’m very happy with how The Abyss turned out. That being said, still glad you stated your opinion w/out trying to cater to both sides like some are doing + also didn’t throw in that T2 comparison some toss out there like it’s going out of style. So I can respect that. You never know it might grow on you over time. Anyways, thanks for the review. 👍🏻
*_"Super 35 is a motion picture film format that uses exactly the same film stock as standard 35 mm film, but puts a larger image frame on that stock by using the space normally reserved for the optical analog sound track."_* *_I believe that 35mm shoots vertically and Super35mm horizontally._* *_Super35mm is VERY close to 65mm, Super35mm is "the poor filmmakers 65mm"_*
I have The Abyss and Aliens on pre-order ..... tho it seems like they wont arrive until April. I'm sure the 4K will look improved over the DVD but yah why is Cameron tinkering with these stuff so much! If anything there should be a button to click where you can watch the 'new' version or the 'old' version on the menu.
This is the only one of the big 3 that came in so far, and I have to watch it still. I'm glad you did this so I am knowing what to expect. I agree, I do not like the fact they are taking some of the naturalness out of the restoration process in some places.
I think I might be more sensitive to the process since some of it is usually what you want to avoid while filming digitally (some of the harsh digital details as opposed to softer more natural looking detail) but it still is great to have the films themselves. Despite my issues with the look of it in places it was still great to watch The Abyss again. It had been years for me.
Might be a rookie question (i just got back to collecting discs recently after years out of it) but does the standard BR that comes with it, have the same AI tinkering? Just in case i find the 4k image too distracting at least i’d have the standard blu ray to watch.
A large annoyance with both Aliens and The Abyss 4ks. If you just put the discs in and let them play, they play the theatrical cuts. You have to go into the menu and select the extended cuts to view them. I think the faces look better on the Abyss than Titanic did. Could've done without the AI tinkering on all of them though.
Just take a a good Inter positive copy and master to 4k - probably would've looked immaculate. Too much tinkering is so aggravating. My Aliens 4k is delayed - I've read the previous blu-ray disc looks better - I'll wait and see for myself.
I saw this 4k release in the cinema and was honestly blown away. I think it may suffer from bitrate issues even with a 100GB disc lol. I wish cameron would just do a straight restoration instead of a remaster though.
Thank you for the review, Richard. The Abyss is my favorite Cameron film. It's a good plot and everything pretty much works. The pacing is good. It doesn't stop to do a massive info dump like T1 does (garage scene). I was lucky enough to see the theatrical in the theater and the director's cut on dvd. Very good documentary. I have heard some complaints about the AI program used to enhance the films on other reviews of the other two films. I do intend on picking it up. It occurs to me that the extended cut was clearly influenced by Joe Dante's Explorers where the aliens show scenes from broadcast media. I hope you have an excellent weekend Richard!
That is awesome you saw it in theaters! I love The Abyss a ton and it was great being able to rewatch it after so many years. I don't even know what happened to my old DVD release. I might have lost it in the move. So it's great to have the film either way even if I'm not crazy about the video aspects. I just got in the other two so I'll watch them this weekend but I know what to expect with them.
This is nothing new. Same as George Lucas with Star Wars releases and Ridley Scott with Bladerunner (1982) releases. Fortunately, fans remedied all 3 original Star Wars films, a magnificent achievement I might add. I have 'The Abyss' Laserdisc - Extended (Kuraray) superNTSC with AC3 DD with sub bass intact also. Full 171min. Fed through Extron DSC-301 HD. About as original as it gets. Good on an OLED. Pity, as Richard says, we can't get it un-meddled straight to 4K. I think these directors are going senile in their old age. You only have to hear/see the Batty cut to "Father" in Bladerunner as an example. Grief.
Sorry about that. I should have said. I got them from Amazon. My delivery dates kept changing and it looked like I wasn't going to get them for awhile then all of a sudden each one started shipping. I got in Aliens yesterday and True Lies just arrived today. Haven't watched them yet though. Going to this weekend.
@@RichardDiaz Cheers Richard! I ended up ordering through Best Buy -- the cheaper option here in Toronto. Should have them in the next couple days!! I've been waiting for The Abyss as my DVD version has been wearing thin for years!! Can't wait to see it in 4K
I don't have a 4K display or dedicated 4K player, so I watch the Blu-Ray. I think it looks fine. The lack of grain isn't as distracting for me as it is for other folks. That said, The Abyss looks better on Blu-Ray than Predator did with the Monster Hunter Edition. I generally don't even really care about such things, but even I noticed how awful the visual quality on Predator was. Everything looked waxy. I don't see that with The Abyss or True Lies. At least not on the standard Blu-Ray. Again, if I had a larger display and 4K player(that's NOT a PS5), I might change my tune. But honestly, I'm actually happy with the copies of The Abyss and True Lies that I got from a visual standpoint.
I’ve seen all 3, I actually enjoyed the Aliens transfer best and I agree that with all of them it’s ok when there’s a lot of things happening on the screen but when you’re focused on someone’s face it’s extremely noticeable. True Lies suffers from this the most, they almost don’t look normal at times. True Lies reminded me of the T2 transfer.
i just watched avatar 1 and Titanic on disney+ and Im shocked how bad they look, its like watching a cgi telenovela. are the new aliens, abyss and true lies as artificial bad as avatar and titanic?
You can't compare streaming to 4K discs plus you have to understand the technology plus you have to forget about film and leave it behind this is how it's going to be from now on 4K should not have grain
When The Abyss was originally released in 1989 theatrically, the technology wasn't as advanced as it is now, which makes a big difference. If James Cameron had made The Abyss today, this is how it would look.
I don't have a problem with the way Terminator 2 looks. Sure it's noticable that the grain was removed and it does look digital. You can still see a lot of detail such as facial pores and fabric. I agree that T2 shouldn't have been tweaked but it's the best it's ever looked. I have the the three recent releases on digital and I love the transfers. True Lies is more noticable than Aliens and the Abyss when it comes to the digital restoration. You can see some grain in Aliens and The Abyss.
I basically knew I wouldn’t ever be purchasing any of these 4K’s from the jump. Cameron has lost his mind, he’s obsessed with technology more than he is with the final product at this point and after T2 looked like it did I knew he’d never learn his lesson and give us what we want from 4K restorations of movies shot on film. I’d rather watch all of these on DVD than give money to Cameron and make him think this is what people want.
My deliveries for these was nuts. I got them from Amazon and the release date was changing constantly. It seemed like I wouldn't get them for a few weeks then all of a sudden they started shipping one at a time. I just got in True Lies today.
Pissed. Had this pre ordered from Amazon months ago and had to get a new debit card. So I basically had to cancel the preorder with the other card and reorder it- now its outta stock for the time being.
That sucks. Luckily these aren't limited so they should restock soon but I am sorry. I can be pretty impatient so I totally get the feeling. I hope you can get them soon.
The film now looks too blue, flat in the colour sceme. The dvd even looked more vibrant in the colour department. The picture was livelier, now it looks dead and flat. Strange release.
That is good to know! I just got my copy in yesterday but haven't watched it yet. Just got in True Lies today which is supposed to be the worst of the three. At least going in I'll keep my expectations in check. lol
I have not checked it out yet but I will. I was going to hold off on doing this video until I went through all of it but I was thinking about it all day and felt I needed to make this now. I do want to check out the Blu-ray and see if some of my issues are as prominent in HD.
I think what the AI program does is analyze the film and the grain, extracts the detail from the grain, removes most of the grain and adds the detail back in. I only have seen the True Lies, which blows away my old DVD, Laster Disc and D Theater tape. I throughly enjoyed it again.
You need to do more research on modern-day filmmaking and 4K transfers, and these 3 films use the latest AI transfer agreed and overseen by James Cameron
I gave it a 5 out 5. I was very pleased with the picture and sound quality. $25 is a great buy for a BR, but a 4K along with special features? Bargaintown!
Now ! i have not seen these jet, because of the delay of these discs on amazon. But come on guys, it's all about the disapointment of the AI of the picture. A shame, because the movies deserve more then this. My guess is, that these discs, are awesome. YES! I love grain in old movies, but come on Abyss,and Aliens, they are not so old, iam looking foreward for these remasters, and good job James Cameron, for giving up your whole life ,just trying to satisfy fans and moviegoers out their.
I truly love love love this movie without the grains and still preserving detail in the picture. It’s Reference quality for me and I hope Camaron continues to use this AI technology going forward. It’s one of the best movies in my 4K HDR Disk collection library. Technology improves, so must we as well with it. Grains on movies today for me isn’t embracing new technology. Like 24FPS, it’s a 100 year technology and it blows my mind how so many people don’t like anything beyond 24fps. Look at GEMINI MAN, movie looks absolutely amazing. Why 4k HDR TV’s were invented then. Anyways, enough with my rant, I strongly recommend to get it if you’re not bothered with clean, detailed & beautiful picture and amazing Dolby Atmos.
The movie is from 1989. Can't we enjoy something from 35 years ago without getting massive visual changes shoved into our faces? 4K and HDR are new technologies, yes. But they make it possible to enjoy the look and quality of FILM like we never could before. So why can't we enjoy a FILM like it was shot at it's time? At least give us the chance.
So I waited to actually watch it before judging it unlike most people commenting. The Abyss looks amazing. I am so tired of hearing people complaining about these transfers. Most of you haven't even watched them. The whole point of 4k upgrades are to make old movies look as modern and good as possible. It's not about film preservation like some are complaining about. If you want to watch a movie the way it was shot watch it on VHS or DVD or reel to reel. People don't spend thousands of dollars on new tvs and Blu-ray players to watch a movie that's not much better than the original. 4k restoration can actually make a older film look worse as it can bring out all the imperfections in the film. As some one who loves movie and embraces new tech, I think this awesome. It's a whole new why for new and old to experience these films in a new way. These look amazing. They don't look CGI and they still have a fine film grain. I personally think it's a amazing the tech behind upgrading these films. Making a old movie to look new is mind blowing. But people just want to find something to bitch about. Simple, if you don't like it, don't buy it. The orgnial source is still out there or there wouldn't be a transfer. Just watch them with a open mind and remember how crazy it is to see what a movie from the late 80s would look if it was filmed today.
WOW, Sir. You are so correct with every word you say, well done. As you said, people who want film grain should not watch any film in 4K and only watch films on DVD or Blu-ray 1080P I only buy films in 4K now
I look at it this way: If these movies were good enough for James Cameron for him to give his approval for their 4K releases, then they are good enough for me. If Cameron didn't like the A/V quality overall, he would not have approved them. James Cameron is a perfectionist and he's very articulate about his movies, whether if anybody else likes it or not. It's what he wants. If this is the way James Cameron wants his movies to look, what can we do or say? It is what it is! We have been waiting for Blu-ray releases of The Abyss and True Lies for over 15 years! Now they have come to fruition, people are STILL complaining, and not satisfied. Just be grateful that James Cameron has finally release these long-awaited movies for us on Blu-ray/4K because he didn't have to do it. Regardless of what they look like, just sit back and enjoy them because, James Cameron is not going to do anything else to these movies. This is it.
What can we do or say? Hmmm, not buy it. Customers have a right to make a choice instead of shutting up and consume. I bought it because I've never seen it myself, but other people are more than welcome to simply not get it.
@@WildDogGamerBoy You think people are not going to buy these movies on Blu-ray/4K, after waiting 15+ years for them? If not, then all that time waiting would be for nothing. These movies have already been selling out and besides, it's impossible to please everybody. People are going to buy them anyway, regardless of their A/V quality because they want them. Personally, I buy movies for entertainment purposes to watch and enjoy them, not to criticize their A/V quality because that's not what I get paid to do. We've come a long way from VHS to 4K! If I want a movie, I'm going to buy it.
I question the judgment and value of directors that make awful decisions like this and believe they should be shunned. Cameron was overrated as it is. Titanic is really a stupid movie if you're honest with yourself. His movies are not that interesting. I'd rather get quality 4k's of Cacoon or Batteries Not Included anyway.
I think they definitely look better digitally. Film grain is like listening to vinyl. It is old technology. If they could have shot digitally at the time, they would have.
Completely disagree. Wrong analogy. Records that are dusty are old and have been played alot and not kept in good condition. 4k film grain is NOT that. Wow. Come on
What I usually do with blu-ray and 4K discs that are double stacked, I trace a circle with an old CD on a paper towel, then punch a hole in the center, cut it and put it in between the two discs, to prevent the top disc from being scratched. Try it out, it works.
So I waited to actually watch it before judging it unlike most people commenting. The Abyss looks amazing. I am so tired of hearing people complaining about these transfers. Most of you haven't even watched them. The whole point of 4k upgrades is to make old movies look as modern and good as possible. It's not about film preservation like some are complaining about. If you want to watch a movie the way it was shot watch it on VHS or DVD or reel to reel. People don't spend thousands of dollars on new TVs and Blu-ray players to watch a movie that's not much better than the original. 4k restoration can actually make an older film look worse as it can bring out all the imperfections in the film. As someone who loves movies and embraces new tech, I think this is awesome. It's a whole new way for new and old to experience these films in a new way. These look amazing. They don't look CGI and they still have a fine film grain. I personally think it's amazing the tech behind upgrading these films. Making an old movie look new is mind-blowing. But people just want to find something to bitch about. Simple, if you don't like it, don't buy it. The original source is still out there or there wouldn't be a transfer. Just watch them with an open mind and remember how crazy it is to see what a movie from the late 80s would look like if it was filmed today.
James Cameron, forcefully keeps 4k masters of his films from the public until he makes sure they are completely free of film grain because that's what he likes.
It's honestly sad that the best version of True Lies isn't the on 4k Blu-ray, or even standard Blu-ray, it's on D-Theater.
My thoughts exactly, Richard. It absolutely seems like Cameron wants all of his films to look like they were shot digitally. The best way I could put it was they almost look like the absolute best CGI video game cutscene remakes of his movies.
I love that he e,mraced digital filmmaking but I don't understand wanting to make his films that were shot on film to look digital. Considering he is such a perfectionist I am confused by why he wants this.
@@RichardDiaz exactly. I don't understand the revisionist mindset he's in at all. Shouldn't it be about preservation? It's like he caught the Lucas bug.
I found it so humorous how you were tip toeing around the image quality. No worries. It is your opinion and it is welcome.
Thank you! I know a lot of people are perfectly ok with how these look and as much as I wanted to make my opinion heard I also don't want someone to feel bad if they like them.
Thanks for the honest review Richard. Will be checking these out tonight myself. Why cant we just get a nicely preserved 4k restoration of the 35mm negative with a true and tasteful dolby vision grade. Imagine what a label like Arrow could've done with the Abyss? Thanks again.
Yeah, it must be the ego of filmmakers like Cameron, Jackson and Lucas that is their downfall when it comes to their video releases. Yes, they are practically film gods and their need to control everything about their movies made them great. But at some point you have to let your babys go and entrust them into the hands of film preservationists. But oh no, how could those strangers know more about their babies than them? Well, they do, because they have the necessary distance and can see a movie for what it was and is instead of what it could be.
@bened22 i can understand the concept of "directors intent" but film preservation is also important. More important when you consider the historical and cultural importance and longevity of preserving cinema.
Thank you so much! I almost didn't do the review but I literally was thinking about it all day and knew I had to. And I was literally thinking about that exact thing too about what it would have been like if a third party put it out without the extra tinkering. Who knows. Maybe one day we can get a more accurate release.
Yes. Very much appreciate that you are the first person to really be honest about it, even if you have to tip toe around it otherwise the Cameronites will come lol.
Thats what I was trying to warn people about though. If we support releases we know that they are tinkering with to this degree then studios and distributors may start to believe that we are fine with this and then we will see more and more of this until real restorations and remasters are gone.
Why do this when a straight up remaster would have looked better regardless. Imagine what Arrow could have done with these films....
We shouldn't be pleased just to have them and ignore issues. So I am thankful that we have you to trust in your reviews and opinions.
But it is such a shame that despite being told in advance of these releases that they have used AI to DNR and then add fake details back that so many people were fine with this and ordered it anyway because as they sell more then the more likely we will see more of this fake restoration and "enhancement". And the more people and other reviewers ignore the problems the more minimised and hidden the truth about the image quality and the methods employed are. An AI coming in and removing the grain and then adding fake details back and then adding another layer of fake grain to try and hide what they have done is ridiculous and would never look better than a proper 4k scan and remastering process it is madness to me.
And then the worst part is that people will just suck it up and future releases and we will all be worse off for it.
I am not totally against AI enhancing either, but it shouldn't and doesn't need to be used on film. Where I see that it can be useful is in enhancing standard definition stuff or stuff shot on video tape and try to make that presentable or at least closer to HD and clean that up. But a film that can be restored and scanned in at 4k (which would look better without the AI process), no its very silly, especially humorous that it would be done to these films shot on the more premium and less grainy film stocks.
We shouldn't just stand by to accept mediocre to bad releases just because it is a film that we wanted or like or because James Cameron says it is better.
I'm glad that we're getting all three in 4K (since let's be honest: we're lucky that some films are getting 4K releases at all these days). However, I'm not cool with the digital scrubbing that occurred with these three films. It's not as egregious as something Fox or Paramount would do, but it's still a problem. Cameron clearly is well within his right to do this, but doing this obviously removes the "film" look, making it more digital than anything.
True Lies has it the worst out of the three, which coincidentally Cameron has now expressed his opinions on that film now as being one of his "less-than-favourite" works. It's all honestly something to take into consideration before making the plunge.
Completely agree. I'm happy we have these films in 4K since two of them have been missing from releases for so long but I am really confused why he wants the films to look like this. I just got in my True Lies today so I will watch it this weekend. Really worried about that one but knowing what to expect going in I can at least keep my expectations in check.
When I purchase a movie on 4K I want the movie to look at its best and as close to the original theatrical presentation. This isn't what I was hoping for. I mean, would you really want to watch classic black and white movies if they were colorized? Of course not. Sadness.
let what is on the 35mm negative be shown in it's glory. stop trying to hide what they are. films are pieces of art, stop altering them. look at Arrow's 4K releases of Candyman, Robin Hood, Deep Red, Tremors. look at Vinegar Syndrome's 4K releases of Roadhouse, Showgirls, Beastmaster, Terrible Hichcock. look at Second Sight's 4K releases of Texas Chainsaw, DotD, Dog Soldiers, Martin. they all have something in common: what is on the film negative (or interpositive) is shown on the disc, grain included. they're all the best presentations the films will ever get and they didn't need revisionism to look incredible.
100% well said 👍🏻
Perfectly stated!
@@RichardDiaz This will be the death of physical media + DNR I waited years and years and years for ALIENS to release on 4K and now look at this mess why remove grain!!! Just upscale the old 2009 Blu-ray in a 4K player it looks better then what I'm seeing of this 4K I won't be wasting £25 on this when it cones out in the UK next month
True lies made me wince. James Cameron is on a drug, it’s called DNR. He needs an intervention.
Or you can let the director do what he wants with his movie
All Three Cameron releases in their largest film size print would have had a 6-Track Audio. I feel they did Atmos mixes then a 2.0 for secondary was for both disc space and would also have been the two English approved tracks along with descriptive audio 2.0 for streaming.
Completely agree with your analysis on the video score and image. This AI is awful and taking the natural film grain away is horrible. Only newbies who don't appreciate film are the ones going on about how it looks amazing and current and aren't real cinephiles. The other 2 are even worse. This one is at least consistent Image wise. Im just glad I'm not really a big fan of any of the three movies or I would be more devastated.
lol. I have zero problem with lack of film grain depending on the outcome of the film. Usually less is more for me unless its complete removal degradates the ambiance of a film, or cant be removed. That being said, I havent gotten to see this remaster yet, but almost any upgrade of a film is what most movie fans want. If you want grain than stick to vhs.
@@Chrisicola Film grain has nothing to do with VHS (which is crap resolution) so how about reserving comment on something you seem to know nothing about?
@@outpost31mac And resolution makes film grain even more obvious if not treated/remastered.... duh. Thus a VHS often has more noticable film grain that a dvd on "most" films because its been removed. Btw, I personally have a pretty large sized collection and Id take, the Pepsi challenge Ive watched as many filns as you, if not more. I mean, the Abyss special edition dvd picture quality wasnt that great at all- Ill take an obvious sight unseen upgrade anyday.
@@Chrisicola I've been watching films for more than 50 years, so I really doubt you've seen more films than I have. Yeah, I didn't think so. And btw, when you leave film grain as is on a print, you don't lose any detail so mull that over for a while. Treating and mastering (removing?) it just makes the image unnatural looking (in most shots, particularly faces) so it's really not an 'upgrade' in that case, is it? duh...
@@outpost31mac Ok, well send me your 4k copy of the Abyss and I'll send you over the grainy Special Edition dvd...Roger Ebert. But I guess you know more about remastering movies than James Cameron, eh? BTW, I was watching movies in the womb, so that make my movie viewing almost 53 years. lol Again, I haven't seen the remaster yet, but if you're telling me that it's worse quality than that dvd than you deserve the.....wait for it.......DUH. 🎞🌾
Thank you!
I sort of knew it woyld be that ”Cameron overcooked” look.
Sad.
Hoping there can be other future releases, but will get these. Not in a hurry though.
I fear that The Terminator will suffer even more since it was lower budget. That movie nedds a bit of roughness since that is the look it wins on having IMHO.
Cheers!
Appreciate your honesty on the look of the 4K disc.
This is easily the best review I've seen on this release. Thank you for being honest! I feel like some other reviewers were a little hesitant in calling out the AI modifications, maybe in fear of getting backlash. But here you explained it thoroughly. You did try to highlight its successes but you can definitely see you are a bit disappointed in the release. I also share the same fear of this technology being used with other transfers. I fear that if it's quick and cheap, it will be the preferred option for these studios, similar to how CGI took over practical effects. Practical effects are far superior in my opinion, but because cgi was faster, cheaper and did not require as much resources, it began dominating the film industry 😢😢. I'm hoping history doesn't repeat itself...
I heard that Ridley Scott mentioned one time that doing CGI was more expensive than doing the effects practically. I'm sure that's not the case across the board, but I think he should know.
I have had never seen the abyss so to me the picture and color timing is fine. The one thing I really don’t like is when they remove film grain. This movie has a digital look and if the original had film grain I’m sure it would’ve looked better in 4k
For those of us who do not have a 4K player, what does the blu ray release look like? Does it have the same problems? Thanks for your review.
I wonder than myself. Think I'll keep the Aliens disc I have. Fuck this asinine revisionism.
Between the AI, lack of commentary track and my penny pinching, I'll pass on this for now and watch one of my Laserdisc copies again.
Is this more apparent on the 4K than on the bluray (which I believe has also been remastered/"upgraded")?
A.I Restoration Smoothing programs are becoming common place now, and will take less time to do than with having a person do it, sad, but that's technology.
*_Why are these editions so plain?_*
*_Where's the Digibook, SteelBook, BoxSet Editions?_*
I'm surprised there wasn't some deluxe editions as well. I figured there might be something but so far there isn't which is odd.
I think you said it well - you helped me understand the concern from film enthusiasts. I do love a clean, clear, 4k image. I don’t love a 4k with a lot of grain. That takes me out of it from a 4k experience. But I can respect where you’re coming from. Makes sense too. Thanks for sharing your honest thoughts.
Film is supposed to have grain.
@@slimdude2011 I get it - and having done A LOT of recent research on the topic I fully understand it now and appreciate it. That said - some films just shouldn’t be put out in 4k. Especially if they are with heavy grain. In my opinion viewing that way in 4k doesn’t make for a pleasant “high definition / clarity” experience.
@@slimdude2011Not any more lol this is the time of the 4K and above grain should not be on 4K in my opinion
I was worried this was going to happen after the terrible Terminator 2 4K release, I'll probably still buy Abyss and True Lies simply because there is no other choice for physical media other than the DVDs.
I am curious if the Blu-ray has the same transfer, did you check?
It is still great to have the films. Despite my issues with the video aspect it was really great watching The Abyss again. I hadn't watched it in years so the entertainment value is still there for sure. I did not check out the film on the Blu-ray. I originally wasn't going to do the review yet but I was thinking about it all day and decided I needed to talk about it. Otherwise I would have checked out more of the release.
I ordered my copy of "The Abyss" on March 12th from Amazon and I STILL don't even have an estimated ship date yet! Getting really frustrated and impatient. Anyone know about the issue/s??
I don't know all of the details but I think the initial run sold out faster than expected and the next pressing is taking longer to do since there are not as many disc pressing plants anymore. I might be wrong about this but I think there might only be one main plant left that is pressing discs for North America. Not 100% sure but I think so.
@@RichardDiaz I just got an e-mail this morning saying the estimated ship date is between 4/24 and 5/1. At least now I know it's going to get here, although it's not fun waiting a month and a half for something you ordered. Amazon recently (a day or two ago) asked if I wanted to cancel the order or keep it. I may as well wait now.
@@garyausten5939 I hope it comes in very soon for you. Let me know what you think of the transfer when you watch it. My order for these Cameron releases through Amazon kept changing release dates on me over the course of a week or two then they actually shipped which surprised me. Such a weird roll out for these titles.
@@RichardDiaz OK...personally, I liked my copy of True Lies - I only had the DVD version before. Not sure if I'll upgrade my Blu-Ray versions of the Alien series (missing the last two) or Terminator series...at least for a while. I have some more pressing upcoming expenses.
Cameron is a certified quack. He, along with directors like George Lucas, have close to zero respect for the art of their films. I knew Cameron was a sellout after he was essentially paid to give his approval to the horrific Terminator Dark Fate, or whatever it was called. Who cares. This is why I have such respect for directors like Martin Scorsese and Christopher Nolan. Directors like them actually RESPECT filmmaking, and respect the unofficial ownership the FANS hold over the film.
I hope by some miracle Cameron or Disney or whoever licenses the rights to another studio like Arrow or Umbrella, or even Shout Factory, or a label that would actually RESPECT the film as a piece of historical art, and do it its proper justice. Do it justice by at the very least releasing a steelbook or included collectibles and for God's sake BETTER DISC ART (these 3 movies have without a doubt some of the absolute laziest, inconsistent and flat-out worst disc art I've seen, even for studio releases).
While I do have only The Abyss pre-ordered and it's MAYBE coming in a few days (the mess of limited backordered distribution is unacceptably shameful by the way and warrants its own rant), since this is what I've been waiting 15 years for I may as well take it... and perhaps have to wait another 15 years for a better release.
Disappointing is really the only word here and at this point I really REALLY hope Cameron has absolutely nothing to do with the eventual 4k release of the original Terminator. I'll just keep my bluray if that's the case.
Thanks for your comment. You're absolutely right. I have huge respect for Cameron in so many areas, but this isn't one of them.
I wish we could see the A.I. process in action to get a better idea, as it’s obviously not the DNR that we’ve come to know + despise over the years. I think that would’ve made for an interesting extra to include. I still see grain present and excellent detail. So, I’m very happy with how The Abyss turned out.
That being said, still glad you stated your opinion w/out trying to cater to both sides like some are doing + also didn’t throw in that T2 comparison some toss out there like it’s going out of style. So I can respect that. You never know it might grow on you over time. Anyways, thanks for the review. 👍🏻
*_"Super 35 is a motion picture film format that uses exactly the same film stock as standard 35 mm film, but puts a larger image frame on that stock by using the space normally reserved for the optical analog sound track."_*
*_I believe that 35mm shoots vertically and Super35mm horizontally._*
*_Super35mm is VERY close to 65mm, Super35mm is "the poor filmmakers 65mm"_*
Thank you for this!
I have The Abyss and Aliens on pre-order ..... tho it seems like they wont arrive until April. I'm sure the 4K will look improved over the DVD but yah why is Cameron tinkering with these stuff so much! If anything there should be a button to click where you can watch the 'new' version or the 'old' version on the menu.
Because Cameron is a bigot!
This is the only one of the big 3 that came in so far, and I have to watch it still. I'm glad you did this so I am knowing what to expect. I agree, I do not like the fact they are taking some of the naturalness out of the restoration process in some places.
I think I might be more sensitive to the process since some of it is usually what you want to avoid while filming digitally (some of the harsh digital details as opposed to softer more natural looking detail) but it still is great to have the films themselves. Despite my issues with the look of it in places it was still great to watch The Abyss again. It had been years for me.
I'm fearful of those three titles and transfers. TITANIC was already unnatural. 🙈 And THE ABYSS hurts the most because there's no alternative.
I don't get the hate. Saw the Abyss yesterday and it looks amazing!! It's not a dnr mess imo. Must buy!
Might be a rookie question (i just got back to collecting discs recently after years out of it) but does the standard BR that comes with it, have the same AI tinkering? Just in case i find the 4k image too distracting at least i’d have the standard blu ray to watch.
My guess is it will be less distracting, but I am pretty certain it utilized the same tampering.
A large annoyance with both Aliens and The Abyss 4ks. If you just put the discs in and let them play, they play the theatrical cuts. You have to go into the menu and select the extended cuts to view them. I think the faces look better on the Abyss than Titanic did. Could've done without the AI tinkering on all of them though.
Just take a a good Inter positive copy and master to 4k - probably would've looked immaculate. Too much tinkering is so aggravating. My Aliens 4k is delayed - I've read the previous blu-ray disc looks better - I'll wait and see for myself.
I saw this 4k release in the cinema and was honestly blown away. I think it may suffer from bitrate issues even with a 100GB disc lol. I wish cameron would just do a straight restoration instead of a remaster though.
Cameron is one of the very few who embrace the new technology he is known to have waited to film things because the technology was not out at the time
Thank you for the review, Richard. The Abyss is my favorite Cameron film. It's a good plot and everything pretty much works. The pacing is good. It doesn't stop to do a massive info dump like T1 does (garage scene). I was lucky enough to see the theatrical in the theater and the director's cut on dvd. Very good documentary. I have heard some complaints about the AI program used to enhance the films on other reviews of the other two films. I do intend on picking it up. It occurs to me that the extended cut was clearly influenced by Joe Dante's Explorers where the aliens show scenes from broadcast media. I hope you have an excellent weekend Richard!
That is awesome you saw it in theaters! I love The Abyss a ton and it was great being able to rewatch it after so many years. I don't even know what happened to my old DVD release. I might have lost it in the move. So it's great to have the film either way even if I'm not crazy about the video aspects. I just got in the other two so I'll watch them this weekend but I know what to expect with them.
I love your content mate, you've got such a calming aura, it's so easy to digest.
Even my wife will watch with me and she hates physical media 😊
Thanks for reviewing this.
Thank you! I almost didn't record it but I was thinking about it all day and felt I had to. I'm glad I did.
This is nothing new. Same as George Lucas with Star Wars releases and Ridley Scott with Bladerunner (1982) releases.
Fortunately, fans remedied all 3 original Star Wars films, a magnificent achievement I might add.
I have 'The Abyss' Laserdisc - Extended (Kuraray) superNTSC with AC3 DD with sub bass intact also. Full 171min. Fed through Extron DSC-301 HD. About as original as it gets. Good on an OLED.
Pity, as Richard says, we can't get it un-meddled straight to 4K.
I think these directors are going senile in their old age. You only have to hear/see the Batty cut to "Father" in Bladerunner as an example. Grief.
Where did you pick up your copy -- you usually make mention
Sorry about that. I should have said. I got them from Amazon. My delivery dates kept changing and it looked like I wasn't going to get them for awhile then all of a sudden each one started shipping. I got in Aliens yesterday and True Lies just arrived today. Haven't watched them yet though. Going to this weekend.
@@RichardDiaz Cheers Richard! I ended up ordering through Best Buy -- the cheaper option here in Toronto. Should have them in the next couple days!! I've been waiting for The Abyss as my DVD version has been wearing thin for years!! Can't wait to see it in 4K
I don't have a 4K display or dedicated 4K player, so I watch the Blu-Ray. I think it looks fine. The lack of grain isn't as distracting for me as it is for other folks. That said, The Abyss looks better on Blu-Ray than Predator did with the Monster Hunter Edition. I generally don't even really care about such things, but even I noticed how awful the visual quality on Predator was. Everything looked waxy. I don't see that with The Abyss or True Lies. At least not on the standard Blu-Ray. Again, if I had a larger display and 4K player(that's NOT a PS5), I might change my tune. But honestly, I'm actually happy with the copies of The Abyss and True Lies that I got from a visual standpoint.
Well, that's a bummer
I love having the films after all of these years but ... yeah. lol
I’ve seen all 3, I actually enjoyed the Aliens transfer best and I agree that with all of them it’s ok when there’s a lot of things happening on the screen but when you’re focused on someone’s face it’s extremely noticeable. True Lies suffers from this the most, they almost don’t look normal at times. True Lies reminded me of the T2 transfer.
i just watched avatar 1 and Titanic on disney+ and Im shocked how bad they look, its like watching a cgi telenovela. are the new aliens, abyss and true lies as artificial bad as avatar and titanic?
You can't compare streaming to 4K discs plus you have to understand the technology plus you have to forget about film and leave it behind this is how it's going to be from now on 4K should not have grain
I saw this on an enormous screen when it was released and remember it not looking great but that might be because I didn’t think it was very good lol.
When The Abyss was originally released in 1989 theatrically, the technology wasn't as advanced as it is now, which makes a big difference. If James Cameron had made The Abyss today, this is how it would look.
I don't have a problem with the way Terminator 2 looks. Sure it's noticable that the grain was removed and it does look digital. You can still see a lot of detail such as facial pores and fabric. I agree that T2 shouldn't have been tweaked but it's the best it's ever looked. I have the the three recent releases on digital and I love the transfers. True Lies is more noticable than Aliens and the Abyss when it comes to the digital restoration. You can see some grain in Aliens and The Abyss.
I basically knew I wouldn’t ever be purchasing any of these 4K’s from the jump. Cameron has lost his mind, he’s obsessed with technology more than he is with the final product at this point and after T2 looked like it did I knew he’d never learn his lesson and give us what we want from 4K restorations of movies shot on film. I’d rather watch all of these on DVD than give money to Cameron and make him think this is what people want.
You just may be the only one. A man's junk is another man's treasure.
Someday, I'll be able to watch these preordered titles and judge for myself. Someday..
"Delivery date pending."
My deliveries for these was nuts. I got them from Amazon and the release date was changing constantly. It seemed like I wouldn't get them for a few weeks then all of a sudden they started shipping one at a time. I just got in True Lies today.
Pissed. Had this pre ordered from Amazon months ago and had to get a new debit card. So I basically had to cancel the preorder with the other card and reorder it- now its outta stock for the time being.
That sucks. Luckily these aren't limited so they should restock soon but I am sorry. I can be pretty impatient so I totally get the feeling. I hope you can get them soon.
Mine stops like at 1:50:00
I'm so glad I decided not to pre order Aliens and True Lies.
It is great to have these films in 4K in some form but I do wish there wasn't so much tinkering with them.
The film now looks too blue, flat in the colour sceme. The dvd even looked more vibrant in the colour department. The picture was livelier, now it looks dead and flat.
Strange release.
Actually, Aliens is the best from what ive heard
That is good to know! I just got my copy in yesterday but haven't watched it yet. Just got in True Lies today which is supposed to be the worst of the three. At least going in I'll keep my expectations in check. lol
How does the accompanying blu ray disc look by comparison to the 4K?
I have not checked it out yet but I will. I was going to hold off on doing this video until I went through all of it but I was thinking about it all day and felt I needed to make this now. I do want to check out the Blu-ray and see if some of my issues are as prominent in HD.
@@RichardDiaz Cool!!! I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
@@RichardDiazplease let us know
How depressing.
Sorry, but screw anyone saying these transfers are good.
agree
IMHO this transfer looks and sounds amazing. So glad I can finally donate my DVD copy 👍🏻
I think what the AI program does is analyze the film and the grain, extracts the detail from the grain, removes most of the grain and adds the detail back in. I only have seen the True Lies, which blows away my old DVD, Laster Disc and D Theater tape. I throughly enjoyed it again.
U think this is bad wait until u see true lies.😢
I saw the film in theaters a few months ago and it looked incredible!
You need to do more research on modern-day filmmaking and 4K transfers, and these 3 films use the latest AI transfer agreed and overseen by James Cameron
I gave it a 5 out 5. I was very pleased with the picture and sound quality. $25 is a great buy for a BR, but a 4K along with special features? Bargaintown!
just watch the betamax and be happy
Now ! i have not seen these jet, because of the delay of these discs on amazon. But come on guys, it's all about the disapointment of the AI of the picture. A shame, because the movies deserve more then this. My guess is, that these discs, are awesome. YES! I love grain in old movies, but come on Abyss,and Aliens, they are not so old, iam looking foreward for these remasters, and good job James Cameron, for giving up your whole life ,just trying to satisfy fans and moviegoers out their.
I truly love love love this movie without the grains and still preserving detail in the picture. It’s Reference quality for me and I hope Camaron continues to use this AI technology going forward. It’s one of the best movies in my 4K HDR Disk collection library.
Technology improves, so must we as well with it. Grains on movies today for me isn’t embracing new technology. Like 24FPS, it’s a 100 year technology and it blows my mind how so many people don’t like anything beyond 24fps. Look at GEMINI MAN, movie looks absolutely amazing. Why 4k HDR TV’s were invented then. Anyways, enough with my rant, I strongly recommend to get it if you’re not bothered with clean, detailed & beautiful picture and amazing Dolby Atmos.
The movie is from 1989. Can't we enjoy something from 35 years ago without getting massive visual changes shoved into our faces? 4K and HDR are new technologies, yes. But they make it possible to enjoy the look and quality of FILM like we never could before. So why can't we enjoy a FILM like it was shot at it's time? At least give us the chance.
@@bened22 I agree completely.
So I waited to actually watch it before judging it unlike most people commenting. The Abyss looks amazing. I am so tired of hearing people complaining about these transfers. Most of you haven't even watched them. The whole point of 4k upgrades are to make old movies look as modern and good as possible. It's not about film preservation like some are complaining about. If you want to watch a movie the way it was shot watch it on VHS or DVD or reel to reel. People don't spend thousands of dollars on new tvs and Blu-ray players to watch a movie that's not much better than the original. 4k restoration can actually make a older film look worse as it can bring out all the imperfections in the film. As some one who loves movie and embraces new tech, I think this awesome. It's a whole new why for new and old to experience these films in a new way. These look amazing. They don't look CGI and they still have a fine film grain. I personally think it's a amazing the tech behind upgrading these films. Making a old movie to look new is mind blowing. But people just want to find something to bitch about. Simple, if you don't like it, don't buy it. The orgnial source is still out there or there wouldn't be a transfer. Just watch them with a open mind and remember how crazy it is to see what a movie from the late 80s would look if it was filmed today.
WOW, Sir. You are so correct with every word you say, well done. As you said, people who want film grain should not watch any film in 4K and only watch films on DVD or Blu-ray 1080P I only buy films in 4K now
I look at it this way: If these movies were good enough for James Cameron for him to give his approval for their 4K releases, then they are good enough for me. If Cameron didn't like the A/V quality overall, he would not have approved them. James Cameron is a perfectionist and he's very articulate about his movies, whether if anybody else likes it or not. It's what he wants. If this is the way James Cameron wants his movies to look, what can we do or say? It is what it is! We have been waiting for Blu-ray releases of The Abyss and True Lies for over 15 years! Now they have come to fruition, people are STILL complaining, and not satisfied. Just be grateful that James Cameron has finally release these long-awaited movies for us on Blu-ray/4K because he didn't have to do it. Regardless of what they look like, just sit back and enjoy them because, James Cameron is not going to do anything else to these movies. This is it.
What can we do or say? Hmmm, not buy it. Customers have a right to make a choice instead of shutting up and consume. I bought it because I've never seen it myself, but other people are more than welcome to simply not get it.
@@WildDogGamerBoy You think people are not going to buy these movies on Blu-ray/4K, after waiting 15+ years for them? If not, then all that time waiting would be for nothing. These movies have already been selling out and besides, it's impossible to please everybody. People are going to buy them anyway, regardless of their A/V quality because they want them. Personally, I buy movies for entertainment purposes to watch and enjoy them, not to criticize their A/V quality because that's not what I get paid to do. We've come a long way from VHS to 4K! If I want a movie, I'm going to buy it.
I question the judgment and value of directors that make awful decisions like this and believe they should be shunned. Cameron was overrated as it is. Titanic is really a stupid movie if you're honest with yourself. His movies are not that interesting. I'd rather get quality 4k's of Cacoon or Batteries Not Included anyway.
I think they definitely look better digitally. Film grain is like listening to vinyl. It is old technology. If they could have shot digitally at the time, they would have.
Completely disagree. Wrong analogy. Records that are dusty are old and have been played alot and not kept in good condition. 4k film grain is NOT that. Wow. Come on
I have 3k vinyls and tons of 4K and blurays so I know
Uh, you do know that when you keep the grain intact, you still have the detail in the image?
Stacking discs is never acceptable. Lots of scratches in the future…
What I usually do with blu-ray and 4K discs that are double stacked, I trace a circle with an old CD on a paper towel, then punch a hole in the center, cut it and put it in between the two discs, to prevent the top disc from being scratched. Try it out, it works.
So I waited to actually watch it before judging it unlike most people commenting. The Abyss looks amazing. I am so tired of hearing people complaining about these transfers. Most of you haven't even watched them. The whole point of 4k upgrades is to make old movies look as modern and good as possible. It's not about film preservation like some are complaining about. If you want to watch a movie the way it was shot watch it on VHS or DVD or reel to reel. People don't spend thousands of dollars on new TVs and Blu-ray players to watch a movie that's not much better than the original. 4k restoration can actually make an older film look worse as it can bring out all the imperfections in the film. As someone who loves movies and embraces new tech, I think this is awesome. It's a whole new way for new and old to experience these films in a new way. These look amazing. They don't look CGI and they still have a fine film grain. I personally think it's amazing the tech behind upgrading these films. Making an old movie look new is mind-blowing. But people just want to find something to bitch about. Simple, if you don't like it, don't buy it. The original source is still out there or there wouldn't be a transfer. Just watch them with an open mind and remember how crazy it is to see what a movie from the late 80s would look like if it was filmed today.