NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (February 2021): Kino have transferred Budd Boetticher's Wings of the Hawk to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "3-D Restoration from 2K Scans of the Left and Right Eye InterPositives!". Firstly, this Blu-ray package offers both the 3D and 2D (Standard) versions of the content. We will only review the 2D version here. For the 3-D version you require a 3-D HDTV, 3-D glasses, a 3-D Blu-ray player and a high-speed HDMI cable. The 2D version reminds me of another 3D Blu-ray - Miss Sadie Thompson with Rita Hayworth. As we said in that review; ":The visuals are not overwhelming varying from heavy, clumpy, grain - the Technicolor is moderately exported with richness - notably Van Hefin's shirts, orangey-red of a horse-drawn wagon, Julie Adam's lipstick etc.) There is no depth and instead we get a cardboard cut-out flatness - most noticeable in darker scenes." Contrast-wise it is very 'light'. I did view the 3D on a friend's system and it did tend to look improved although still imperfect. The 2D issues are likely associated with the 3D process (my guess.) This Blu-ray gives an unusually weak and inconsistent 2D presentation in the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio however it does look better in-motion than the stills below represent - watchable but far from the height of the 1080P format. 3D fans will still delight in the occasional effects of a gun lowering from the top of a jail cell, a gatling gun and rocks thrown in your face from an explosion - see samples below.

NOTE: We have added 58 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Kino offer the options of two DTS-HD Master tracks (both 24-bit) in the original English language. The film had a 3 Channel Stereo (Western Electric Recording) set-up theatrically and the first option is a 3-channel lossless transfer (described as "Original 1953 High Dynamic Range Theatrical Mix".) The second is 5.1 surround via a "2020 Compressed 3.0 Midnight Movie Mix" and is slightly more robust. I enjoyed it with infrequent separation but a fair amount of depth in the western's aggressive effects (notably the explosion.) This is also present in the film's supportive score by Frank Skinner (The Flame of New Orleans, Naked Alibi, The Appaloosa, Madame X, Magnificent Obsession, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, All That Heaven Allows, Thunder Bay, and The Naked City) sounding varied to the film's moods. Kino offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray offers a new commentary by Jeremy Arnold. He talks about Budd Boetticher's displeasure with his own Universal westerns only appreciating "Wings of the Hawk" and "The Man From the Alamo" with Glenn Ford in 1953. He remarks how this was Budd's only 3D film, that the director didn't like the 'gimmick' and someone else directed the 3D sequences. He comments how the film has a real a sense of movement with deep composition. He talks a lot about Budd, Van (from middle name 'Evan') Julie Adams (Creature from the Black Lagoon), George Dolenz (father of Monkee Mickey Dolenz), the iconic seven westerns Boetticher made at Columbia, the 'Mexican western' genre, Budd's Bullfighting history, the 3D reason behind the intermission and much more. It is excellent. There is also a 20-Minute audio commentary (although to a static screen) by 3-D Expert Mike Ballew who details some specific about the production and minutia of the 3D process. I found it interesting if, perhaps, too detailed for my personal appreciation. There is a 1953 Woody Woodpecker cartoon included; "Hypnotic Hick", in the option of 2D or 3D. Lastly, is a theatrical trailer (2D). 

Budd Boetticher's Wings of the Hawk is a decent western and the Jeremy Arnold commentary made me like it even more. With the modest 2D presentation, this Kino Blu-ray is really geared to 3D fans as there is a finite amount of vintage films utilizing the process. Van Heflin has never given a bad performance, in my mind, and nice to see attractive Julie Adams. There are positives here. To the 3D aficionado niche - Wings of the Hawk is recommended!

Gary Tooze