‘Knight Rider: The Complete Series’ 4K UHD Review
Stars: David Hasselhoff, Richard Basehart, Edward Mulhare, Patricia McPherson, Rebecca Holden, William Daniels | Created by Glen A. Larson
Action shows of the 80s are awesome, and if you throw in David Hasselhoff and a supercar in the mix? Well, you are in for some high-octane fun. That is exactly what you got with Knight Rider! The series was created by Glen A. Larson, the man that brought us Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Quincy, The Fall Guy and Magnum P.I. Knight Rider follows the adventures of Michael Knight, a detective who was thought to be dead, but has been given a new face, a new identity and a new assignment. He now fights crime with the help of K.I.T.T., an artificially intelligent talking car with futuristic weapons, high-tech gadgets and a personality of its own. And now you can own the complete series on 4K UltraHD for the first time ever!
Shift into high gear as all four seasons of Knight Rider come together in one action-packed collection! David Hasselhoff is charismatic crimefighter Michael Knight, the driver of the world’s most dynamic, high-tech talking car, K.I.T.T. As this brave duo take on criminals, crooks and those eager to exploit K.I.T.T.’s impressive technology for their own evil purposes, you’ll be blown away by their explosive adventures that set the standard for all TV action series to come.
Knight Rider ran for an action-packed 4 seasons, featuring great writing and wonderful stunts. There was also tremendous acting led by David Hasselhoff. But Knight Rider also had an amazing cast that included Richard Basehart (Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea), Edward Mulhare (The Ghost and Mrs. Muir), Patricia McPherson (Murder She Wrote), Rebecca Holden (General Hospital), and who could forget KITT voiced by William Daniels (Boy Meets World).
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment have restored and transferred the whole 90-episode series in 4K UltraHD. These episodes are presented in Ultra HD in 1.33:1 aspect ratio. There are audio options for English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Dolby Digital 2.0. There is also the option for English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing. When I compare these episodes to my DVD set, the improvement is mind-blowing. The episodes are crisp and clean. The colours are vibrant, and the skin tones are correct. The audio is crystal clear; overall the clarity of these episodes is hard to believe. Watching Knight Rider in UltraHD is like seeing it for the first time.
This new 4K release gives each season its own Blu-ray case with unique artwork. 5 discs for the first three seasons and 6 discs for the 4th season. But with this 4K release, it isn’t all about the episodes. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment added some really awesome bonus features. Take a look at what is included:
Special Features:
- “Knight of the Phoenix” Commentary with David Hasselhoff and Writer/Creator Glen Larson
- Knight Moves
- Knight Sounds
- Knight Rider: Under the Hood
- Photo Gallery
- Blueprints Gallery
- The Great ’80s TV Flashback
- Knight Rider: Behind the Wheel – An all-new, one-hour documentary.
- Knight Ride 2000 (TV Movie)
Out of all these bonus features, the standouts have to be the new documentary and the TV Movie. The new documentary features interviews with cast and crew of Knight Rider. The documentary is spectacular. The Knight Rider 2000 TV Movie may not be the best follow-up movie to a series ever made. But it is a marvellous addition to an already great 4k release.
***** 5/5
Knight Rider: The Complete Series is out now on 4K UHD from Universal.
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