We always get some trepidation when reviewing Paramount-sourced material as they have had some problematic image quality in 4K UHD to-date. This Kino is especially thick and has inherent softness but I don't really see DNR. Colors compare well to previous editions - often richer and bolder - ditto for the contrast and deep, inky, black levels. The colors are bold but usually dark with few dominant pastels - Lumet stated: "I was trying to negate color, to make a picture in color that was not colorful." A few inconsistencies exist in the 2160P image but they are minimal. There is a surprisingly amount of HDR applied and it tends to work well with the best digital appearance of the film to-date. It is in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio - the previous Blu-rays were all 1.78:1 (opened-up) and this is on a triple-layered UHD100 disc with more than double the bitrates of the 1080Ps. Overall, this looked very pleasing on my system maintaining the film's dark tones.

It is likely that the monitor you are seeing this review is not an HDR-compatible display (High Dynamic Range) or Dolby Vision, where each pixel can be assigned with a wider and notably granular range of color and light. Our capture software if simulating the HDR (in a uniform manner) for standard monitors. This should make it easier for us to review more 4K UHD titles in the future and give you a decent idea of its attributes on your system. So our captures may not support the exact same colors (coolness of skin tones, brighter or darker hues etc.) as the 4K system at your home. But the framing, detail, grain texture support etc. are, generally, not effected by this simulation representation.

NOTE: 60 more more full resolution (3840 X 2160) 4K UHD captures, in lossless PNG format, for Patrons are available HERE

We have reviewed the following 4K UHD packages most recently: Cool Hand Luke (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Seventh Seal (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Maltese Falcon (software uniformly simulated HDR), Mildred Pierce (software uniformly simulated HDR), Tár (software uniformly simulated HDR), Marathon Man (software uniformly simulated HDR), Dazed and Confused (software uniformly simulated HDR), Three Colors: Blue (software uniformly simulated HDR), Invaders From Mars (software uniformly simulated HDR), Death Wish (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (no HDR), High Plains Drifter (software uniformly simulated HDR), Mystery Men (software uniformly simulated HDR), Silent Running (software uniformly simulated HDR), Dressed to Kill (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Power of the Dog  (software uniformly simulated HDR), Escape From Alcatraz (software uniformly simulated HDR), I, the Jury (no HDR), Casablanca (software uniformly simulated HDR), In the Mood For Love (NO HDR applied to disc), The Werewolf vs. the Vampire Woman  (software uniformly simulated HDR), Blow Out (software uniformly simulated HDR), Night of the Living Dead (NO HDR applied to disc), Lost Highway (software uniformly simulated HDR), Videodrome (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Last Picture Show (software uniformly simulated HDR), It Happened One Night (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Mummy (1932)(software uniformly simulated HDR), Creature From the Black Lagoon (software uniformly simulated HDR), Bride of Frankenstein (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Amityville Horror  (software uniformly simulated HDR), The War of the Worlds (1953) (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Incredible Melting Man  (software uniformly simulated HDR), Event Horizon (software uniformly simulated HDR), Get Carter (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Killing (software uniformly simulated HDR), Killer's Kiss (software uniformly simulated HDR)

On their 4K UHD, Kino offer the options of dual-mono and 5.1 surround bump tracks (24-bit) in the original English language. The surround has a few keen separations with the gunfire sequences, a few cars and the streets of New York. There are some aggressive conflicts. There is little of a score in Serpico but compositions by Mikis Theodorakis (The Shadow of the Cat, Iphigenia, State of Siege, Zorba the Greek, Serpico, Z) who had recently been released from prison in Greece. We also get Puccini's E Lucevan le Stelle and Aria di Rinuccio from "Gianni Schicchi". This music often juxtaposes the gritty feel of the film - poetically elevating it. It sounds clean and buoyant. The disc offers optional English (SDH) subtitles - and is, like all 4K UHD, region FREE, playable worldwide. The second disc Blu-ray is Region 'A'.

Sidney Lumet's "Serpico" is a neo-noir biographical crime drama. It is based on the experiences of New York City Police Officer Frank Serpico and details his 11-year struggle with corruption within the department and how he eventually becomes a whistleblower testifying in front of the Knapp Commission. There were negotiation-discussions to have Paul Newman in the role of Detective David Durk, and Robert Redford as Serpico with other rumors of direction by Sam Peckinpah (eyebrows raised!) Serpico is one of the quintessential New-York-70's crime cinema with shooting (104 different locations) in 4 of the 5 New York Burroughs; Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens (not Staten Island.) It was a notable film in expanding the career of Al Pacino. Frank Serpico attended the premiere, but left before fully seeing it. He lived in Switzerland for almost a decade, on a farm in the Netherlands and in Corwen, Wales before returning to New York in the 80s. As a result of his Knapp Commission testimony, the NYPD drastically changed - no longer simply accepting systemic graft as commonplace or ignoring it. Frank Serpico is still with us at 87-years old. Kino's 4K UHD release of Sidney Lumet's "Serpico" is the best digital package to date with a strong advancement in the a/v, a new commentary and other vintage extras. Very strongly recommended.

Gary Tooze