Tag Archives: James Hong

The 2016 sequel Kung Fu Panda 3 gets a 4K in March

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Cover of the DVD for 'Kung Fu Panda 3' featuring characters including a panda and various animals in a colorful animated style.
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Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the 2016 DreamWorks Animation sequel “Kung Fu Panda 3“ is coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray on March 3rd via Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

The movie was co-directed by Alessandro Carloni and Jennifer Yuh Nelson. It features the voice talents of Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Bryan Cranston, Dustin Hoffman, J.K. Simmons, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen, David Cross, Kate Hudson, Jackie Chan, and James Hong.

The tech specs for the 4K UHD Blu-ray include a 2160p video presentation in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) and Dolby Atmos sound. The 2-disc release will come as a “combo pack” with its Blu-ray Disc counterpart included, along with a digital code (copy), compatible with Movies Anywhere.

The 4K UHD Blu-ray is now available for preorder at Amazon and GRUV. The bonus materials included on the release are listed below.

  • Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Panda Paws
  • Everybody Loves a Panda Party – Karaoke with Po
  • Po’s Posters of Awesomeness
  • Play Like a Panda
  • The Origin of “Skadoosh”
  • Mash-Up of Awesomeness: Slo-Mo
  • Mash-Up of Blunders
  • Make a Panda Party Paper Pal
  • Gallery of Epic Artfulness
Cover of the 'Kung Fu Panda 4-Movie Collection' in 4K Ultra HD featuring the main character Po, a panda, displaying a martial arts pose with fire, and smaller images of supporting characters.
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There will also be a “Kung Fu Panda 4-Movie Collection“ on 4K UHD Blu-ray (pictured above) set to be released on March 3rd, also from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. It’s now available for preorder at Amazon and GRUV. That set will not include Blu-ray Disc counterparts, only the 4K discs and digital codes. The full tech specs for the films feature a variety of 2.35:1 and 2.39:1 aspect ratios, each in a 2160p video presentation, with Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) and Dolby Atmos sound.

The 1990 film The Two Jakes gets a 4K in August

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The 1990 film “The Two Jakes” is coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray on August 26th via KL Studio Classics. Jack Nicholson directed and starred in the movie. It co-starred Harvey Keitel, Meg Tilly, Madeleine Stowe, James Hong, and Eli Wallach.

The movie has received a new 4K master from a 4K scan of the 35mm original camera negative. The tech specs for the 4K include a 2160p video presentation in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio with lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround and 2.0 stereo sound, on a BD-100 disc. The release will come as a “combo pack” with its Blu-ray Disc counterpart included.

You cannot yet find the 4K UHD Blu-ray available for preorder at Amazon, but stay tuned for an update on that. In the meantime, you can preorder directly via Kino Lorber’s website.

Bonus materials scheduled for inclusion on the release are listed below, organized by disc.

Disc 1 (4K UHD Blu-ray):

  • NEW Audio Commentary by Mystery Writer and Filmmaker Max Allan Collins with Film Historian and Host of Cereal at Midnight Podcast Heath Holland

Disc 2 (Blu-ray):

  • NEW Audio Commentary by Mystery Writer and Filmmaker Max Allan Collins with Film Historian and Host of Cereal at Midnight Podcast Heath Holland
  • Flying High with Jack: NEW Interview with Actor David Keith (9:06)
  • Time Changes Things – Editing The Two Jakes: NEW Interview with Editor Anne Goursaud (18:37)
  • Jack on Jake: Jack Nicholson Interview (18:20)
  • Theatrical Trailer (3:09)

The 1993 film Wayne’s World 2 gets a 4K in May

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The 1993 film “Wayne’s World 2“ is coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray on May 27th via KL Studio Classics. The film, directed by Stephen Surjik, starred Mike Myers and Dana Carvey. The cast also included Christopher Walken, Tia Carrere, and Chris Farley. It also featured Kim Basinger, Aerosmith, and Drew Barrymore. Furthermore, Charlton Heston, James Hong, and Heather Locklear appeared in the film.

The movie has received a new master from a 4K scan of the 35mm original camera negative. The tech specs for the 4K release include a 2160p video presentation in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Vision (or HDR10) and lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround and 2.0 stereo. It will be on a BD-100 disc. This release will come as a 2-disc “combo pack” with its Blu-ray Disc counterpart included.

The 4K UHD Blu-ray is available for preorder at Amazon or preorder directly at Kino Lorber’s website. The bonus materials included with the 4K release are listed below and sorted by disc.

Disc 1 (4K UHD Blu-ray):

  • Audio commentary with Director Stephen Surjik

Disc 2 (Blu-ray):

  • Audio commentary with Director Stephen Surjik
  • Extreme Close-Up: Featurette (14:06)
  • 6 US TV Spots
  • 2 UK TV Spots
  • Theatrical Trailer

2008 animated film Kung Fu Panda on 4K in March

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According to retailers, the 2008 DreamWorks CG animated film “Kung Fu Panda” is coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray on March 12th distributed by Universal Studios Home Entertainment.  The film, co-directed by John Stevenson & Mark Osborne, featured a voice cast that included Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Ian McShane, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen, David Cross, and James Hong.  It’s certainly worth noting that (over the years since its release) this film has maintained a “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Tech specs for the release include a 2160p video presentation in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio with HDR10 form of high dynamic range and Dolby Atmos sound on a BD-66 disc.  The release will be a “combo pack” with its Blu-ray Disc counterpart included and a digital code (copy) of the film.  That Blu-ray is likely where you’ll get all of the original 2008 extras ported over.

You can now find the 4K UHD Blu-ray available for preorder at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and online retailer Deep Discount.  The following bonus materials will be included with this release.

  • Secrets of the Scroll: Find out how Tigress, Viper, Monkey, Crane, and Mantis become the legendary Furious Five warriors in this short film.
  • Meet the Cast
  • Pushing the Boundaries
  • Learn the Panda Dance
  • Learn to Draw
  • Sound Design
  • “Kung Fu Fighting” Music Video by Cee-Lo
  • Do You Kung Fu?
  • Mr. Ping’s Noodle House
  • How to Use Chopsticks
  • Animals of Kung Fu Panda
  • Feature Audio Commentary with Directors John Stevenson and Mark Osborne

Batman Soul of the Dragon on 4K and Blu-ray in January

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The DC Universe Movie “Batman Soul of the Dragon” is officially coming to both 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray Disc on January 26th, 2021, via Warner Brothers Home Entertainment. The animated film, R-Rated, directed by Sam Liu and produced by Bruce Timm, features the voice talents of David Giuntoli (Batman/Bruce Wayne), Mark Dacascos (Richard Dragon), Kelly Hu (Lady Shiva), Michael Jai White (Ben Turner/Bronze Tiger), James Hong (O-Sensei), and Josh Keaton (Jeffrey Burr). The tech specs for the 4K UHD Blu-ray release include a 2160p 4K presentation in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio with HDR10 form of high dynamic range and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound. The tech specs for the Blu-ray include a 1080p HD presentation in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound. Each release will come in the form of a “combo pack” meaning that the 4K will include the Blu-ray Disc counterpart, the Blu-ray will include its DVD counterpart, and each will come with a digital code (copy) of the film. UPDATE: You can now find the 4K UHD Blu-ray and the Blu-ray Disc both listed to preorder over at Amazon. Retailer Best Buy will be getting an exclusive 4K UHD Blu-ray Gift Set featuring a figurine (pictured below) which is now also available to preorder over on their site.

The bonus materials set to be included with each of these releases are listed below.

  • Batman – Raw Groove (New Featurette)– From the explosion of gritty cinema and kung fu to the cultural changes spreading across the U.S., we explore the early ’70s and how they inspired Batman: Soul of the Dragon.
  • Producer Jim Krieg’s Far Out Highlights (New Featurette)– It’s an off-the-hook and out-of-sight supercut of one of Producer Jim Krieg’s funniest in-character appearances.
  • Peek at the next DC Universe Movie – An advance look at the next animated film in the popular DC Universe Movies collection, Justice Society: World War II.
  • Look Back: Superman: Red Son (Featurette) – Kal-El’s rocket fleeing Krypton never reaches Smallville, but instead lands in the Soviet Union, single-handedly shifting the new world order. This is the epic re-imagining of Superman’s origin story.
  • Look Back: Batman: Gotham By Gaslight (Featurette) – Set against the backdrop of turn of the century Gotham, Batman is involved in a hunt for a criminal who has committed the most heinous acts of murder. This is Batman versus Jack the Ripper!
  • From the DC Vault: Batman: The Animated Series, “Day of the Samurai”
  • From the DC Vault: Batman: The Animated Series, “Night of the Ninja”

Further below, after the break, you can find the trailer for the film (released today) and find the full announcement regarding the upcoming home video releases of the film.

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1998 animated Mulan on 4K UHD Blu-ray November 10th

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1998 Disney animated film “Mulan” is officially coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray on November 10th via Disney. Yes, that’s next week and comes with very little notice but that’s how Disney works. The film, directed by Tony Bancroft & Barry Cook, featured the voice talents of Ming-Na Wen, Eddie Murphy, BD Wong, Miguel Ferrer, Harvey Fierstein, James Hong, Pat Morita, George Takei, Freda Foh Shen, and Donny Osmond. The tech specs for the release include a 4K presentation in the 1.66:1 aspect ratio with HDR10 form of high dynamic range and Dolby Atmos sound. The 4K release will come in the form of a “combo pack” meaning that it will come with the Blu-ray Disc counterpart(s) as well as a digital code (copy) of the film. You cannot find the 4K UHD Blu-ray yet available for preorder over at Amazon, and you likely won’t anytime soon, but stay tuned for an update on that. In the meantime, realistically, you can find the 4K UHD Blu-ray available for preorder over at retailers Best Buy and Target. The bonus materials set to be included on the release, the extras from the previous Blu-ray, are listed below.

  • Deleted Scenes:
    • “Keep ‘Em Guessing”
    • The Prologue Chronicle
    • Shadow Puppets Prologue
    • The Betrothal
    • Shan-Yu Destroys the Village
    • Mulan’s Daydream
    • The Emperor’s Dream
  • Classic Music and Featurettes:
    • “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” Music Video Performed in Mandarin by Jackie Chan
    • “Reflection” Music Video Performed by Christina Aguilera
    • “Reflejo” Music Video Performed in Spanish by Lucero
    • “True to Your Heart” Music Video Performed by Raven
    • “True to Your Heart” Music Video Performed by Stevie Wonder & 98°
    • Songs of “Mulan” – Producer Pam Coats, composer Matthew Wilder and lyricist David Zippel share the process of creating the music for “Mulan.” They discuss how they decided where to place songs in the film, what emotions the songs should evoke and how they should be used to advance the story. Also featured is a behind-the-scenes look at a recording session of “Reflection.”
    • “Mulan”‘s International Journey – Disney filmmakers explain the process by which Disney animated films are translated into as many as 35 different languages. This includes using the best translators, finding the appropriate voice talent in each country and taking painstaking measures to ensure that the creative integrity of the film is preserved.
    • Multilanguage Presentation – “Mulan” was translated into many languages for audiences around the world. Hear some of these languages in the musical sequence “I’ll Make a Man Out of You,” including French, Italian, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Swedish and more.
  • Classic Backstage Disney Featurettes
  • Audio commentary by producer Pam Coats and directors Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook

1986 film The Golden Child makes Blu-ray debut December

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The 1986 film “The Golden Child“ starring Eddie Murphy will be making its debut to the Blu-ray Disc format on December 1st via Paramount Presents. The film, directed by Michael Ritchie, co-starred J.L. Reate, Charles Dance, Charlotte Lewis, Victor Wong, Randall ‘Tex’ Cobb, Pons Maar, Eric Douglas, and James Hong. The film has received a new 4K remastered transfer.

“Newly remastered from a 4K film transfer, this hit action-comedy comes to Blu-ray for the first time as part of the Paramount Presents line. The limited-edition Paramount Presents Blu-ray Disc is presented in collectible packaging that includes a foldout image of the film’s theatrical poster and an interior spread with key movie moments. The film will also be available on 4K Ultra HD Digital.”

The tech specs for the release have not yet been fully detailed, but hopefully, I’ll be able to give you a rundown on that soon. As I put in an inquiry to the studio about those. Also, there’s currently no preorder listing yet functional for the upcoming Blu-ray but a placeholder page is already up over at Amazon. You can sign up there to be notified when it becomes available, or wait for an update here, which will be coming.

This release, spine #11 in the series, will feature the beautiful packaging we have come to expect from the Paramount Presents line, complete with a fold-out mini theatrical poster (pictured below).

Below, you will find a list of the bonus materials set to be included on the Blu-ray release.

  • NEW Making of The Golden Child
  • A Digital Copy of the film
  • The theatrical trailer
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