"The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm" to be released on BluRay from Warner Archive

"Grimm" BluRay Reviews #1
"... a version of the film that looks far better than it did upon release" Robert Harris

Warner Archive's recent press release described this new and exclusive 1080p Blu-ray presentation of The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm as being "restored in 4K (3840 x 2160) master files from 6K files of original Cinerama camera negatives, with the most advanced technology available used by Cinerama restorationists David Strohmaier and Tom H. March, to eliminate the "join lines" that plagued traditional release prints and early video format releases. Warner Archive extends its deepest thanks to Strohmaier, March, and the Decurion Corporation (parent company of Cinerama Inc.), who partnered with Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. to bring this project to fruition." The included booklet also includes additional comments on this restoration, as does a mid-length featurette on Disc 2.

The result of this project is a jaw-dropping presentation that ranks far above most Blu-ray transfers and even rivals some of the best native 4K discs currently available on home video. Whether you prefer the traditional 2.59:1 letterbox version (Disc 1) or the "Smilebox" presentation (Disc 2), you'll walk away wishing all catalog Blu-rays looked this good. As seen on the included screenshots, image detail is razor sharp from edge to edge; only slight amounts of naturally occurring width distortion can be seen at the sides, an unavoidable side effect of the format. (The center-dominant and mostly symmetrical compositions also take some getting used to if you're not overly familiar with Cinerama, but it's a sacrifice worth making.) Easing the transition for new eyes are those practically invisible "join lines", as this 1080p transfer achieves a seamless transition between all three frames that likely surpasses theatrical showings. The film's color palette is also very well rendered; most everything appears suitably vivid with excellent saturation, while black levels run deep with no noticeable amounts of crush or posterization. As usual, the film plays at a high bit rate on both discs and no flagrant compression artifacts, banding, or other digital defects were seen along the way.

Both visuals and sound are at the forefront of Warner Archive's lavish new Blu-ray presentation of The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm, as is the legendary spectacle of Cinerama itself. Featuring an absolutely top-tier 1080p transfer sourced from new 4K master files that seamlessly stich together all three panels, this two-disc Special Edition is also highlighted by a dynamic DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track and several new and exclusive bonus features. Those familiar with past Cinerama releases by Warner Bros. and Flicker Alley will also be happy to see the "Smilebox" format, which valiantly replicates the curved Cinerama experience using techniques explained in detail during an included restoration featurette, is included as a separate presentation on Disc 2. All things considered, it's truly a special package that eclipses the main feature itself and is already on the short list as one of 2022's best Blu-ray discs.

Robert Harris @ hometheaterforum.com:

David Strohmaier and Tom March have gone so far beyond that concept, creating a version of the film that looks far better than it did upon release, that restoration is the wrong word. They've taken it upon themselves to correct a multitude of technical problems, mostly applied to the animation work, that viewing this new Blu-ray from Warner Archive is a surprising pleasant expectation, beyond what many people many have been perceiving going in. The multiple 2k scans, going out to 6, have been downrezzed to 4k and then to Blu-ray resolution without a hiccup in sight. Blend lines are virtually non-existent, color is crisp and clean, images are stable to one another, and all is well in Grimmland.

fulvuedrive-in.com:

Cinerama restorationists David Strohmaier and Tom March have been nothing short of stunning and with the many problems of the longest film they ever had to tackle, their crowning achievement in saving these stunning productions. This included fixing errors that have always been in the film but were not supposed to be there, including lighting issues in the Puppetoon stop-motion work, going on and off with nothing that could be done about it, matte work issues and lighting inaccuracies, including on the dragon! They corrected these, which is great, especially considering this remains some of the only modeling work and stop-motion work in cinema history shot in a large-frame format and certainly some of the earliest.

trailersfromhell.com:

The Warner Archive Collection Blu-ray of The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm is an even bigger surprise than we thought it would be. Restorers Strohmaier and March have gotten the whole show up on the screen intact, and made it look and sound fantastic. Many hours were spent repairing damage of all kinds, including the instances of water spoilage that earlier inspection reports said placed the movie beyond salvage. Newer digital tools allow for better joining of the three panels, to the point that the majority of the joins are now invisible. The multi-channel audio has been remixed to a 5.1 track.

Dominating the extras is the engrossing 40-minute restoration documentary Rescuing a Fantasy Classic. It concentrates on the daunting technical gymnastics required by this near-insane project. Just to start with, every reel has three panels to scan, that may not have faded to the same degree. All must somehow end up with matching color. We see the record-keeping done to maintain flow charts that follow every shot through the various processes to end up with a 4K master. The opening Napoleonic battle scene was not found with the rest of the reels for the movie, and had to be reconstructed from B&W separations … which required a minimum of nine separate strips of film to be combined and color-timed.

“Brothers Grimm” Blu-ray Reviews Highlight Excerpts #2
"...the most amazing, most epic, most stunning release Warner Archive has put out, bar none". Jason Lockard, Classic Cinema Plus