This listing is for the standard edition 2-disc 4k UHD/Blu-ray release. The limited edition magnet clasp box (designed by JJ Harrison and Haunt Love) was limited to 10,000 units and is sold out. The two versions are identical, aside from the packaging and the 40-page book.
TraviCom owner, and multimillionaire, R.B. Travis (Joe Don Baker, Walking Tall) sends his son Charles (Bruce Campbell, The Evil Dead) and his friend Jeffrey (Taylor Nichols, Metropolitan) to the Congo to search for rare blue diamonds that can work as powerful conduits for telecommunications lasers. When Charles and Jeffrey are ambushed, his ex-fiance Dr. Karen Ross (Laura Linney, The Truman Show), who observes the attack via remote video feed, is sent by R.B. Travis to follow in his son's footsteps back to the Congo to finish what was started and, hopefully, find Charles alive. Upon embarking, Karen encounters Dr. Peter Elliot (Dylan Walsh, Nobody's Fool), his assistant (Grant Helsov, True Lies) and a gorilla named Amy, who can communicate with humans via a sign language-controlled glove that translates her movements into audible dialogue (voiced by Shayna Fox, Reggie Rocket on Nickelodeon's Rocket Power). Dr. Elliot is on a poorly-funded expedition to bring Amy back to the Congo, which ends up being made financially viable by a Romanian philanthropist (Tim Curry, Clue) and Karen, who opts to tag along. Once in Africa, they meet up with their guide (Ernie Hudson, Ghostbusters) and find themselves targets of various local militaries, tribes, and a race of gray, killer apes along the way to find the Lost City of Zinj.
Based on a long-gestating 1980 novel by Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park, Disclosure), CONGO started its adventure to movie screens well over a decade before it hit theaters in the summer of 1995. A similar mash-up of tech-heavy sci-fi and roaring adventure to blockbuster juggernaut Jurassic Park two years prior, Frank Marshall's (Arachnophobia) screen adaptation of Crichton's unclassifiable genre amalgam comes to vivid life with a script by noted playwright and screenwriter John Patrick Shanley (Moonstruck, Joe Versus the Volcano), lush cinematography by Spielberg collaborator Allen Daviau (E.T., The Color Purple) and a suitably bombastic score by Jerry Goldsmith (Alien, Poltergeist). Vinegar Syndrome Ultra is proud to present this undeniable staple of mid-90s blockbuster filmmaking in its world UHD debut with a brand new 4K restoration from its original 35mm camera negative alongside a robust assortment of new extras.
directed by: Frank Marshall
starring: Laura Linney, Dylan Walsh, Ernie Hudson, Tim Curry, Grant Heslov, Joe Don Baker
1995 / 108 min / 1.85:1 / English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Additional info:
Overall rating: 4.7753425 / 5 from 730 reviews.
This limited edition deluxe magnet box set of the classic 1995 film Congo, newly restored in 4K, is praised for its stunning visual quality, top-notch packaging, and engaging storyline. The set includes a 40-page book and exclusive extras, making it a must-have for fans of the adventure genre.
Review topics: ["colors","material","quality","picture","shipping","feel","design","set","cover","looks","packaging","work","box","upgrade","sound","service","pleasure","case","detail","price","buy","movie","release","film","transfer","congo","effects","features","artwork","restoration"].
"Loved this movie as a teenager, and I loved watching it again in glorious 4K UHD. Definitely a re-watchable movie with a nice set of features to go along with it. I recommend getting the protective case to keep the amazing box in pristine condition."
"Is Congo as good as Jurassic Park? Not even close. Is it a good movie? Still no cigar. Is it more fun than a (ahem!) barrel of monkeys? Absolutely. It doesn't quite rise to the campy heights of (1997) Anaconda (I beseech you VinSyn gods, please make it the next Ultra), the cast is a murderers row of genre hams (Tim Curry, Bruce Campbell) character actors (Dylan Walsh, Ernie Hudson), and soon to be celebrated stage and screen darling Laura Linney, gamely stepping in the role of Attractive Lady Scientist in anticipation of what I hope was a huge check. It all boils into a messy but filling stew involving killer gorillas, a blue diamond turned into a laser weapon, and an adorable talking chimp. Cinema! This is my third Ultra after Showgirls and Southern Comfort and I'm equally impressed. I'm a sucker for a beautifully designed magnet box and that's exactly what the Congo VSU delivers. The perfect bond book has some fun reading and the disc is loaded with extras. Even bad movies deserve preservation and when comes to a movie as sublimely bad as Congo, VinSyn understands the assignment. Monkeys and lasers: Surprisingly enough."
"Had a blast returning to this movie, and am quite happy to own it. Thought the disc looked and sounded great and I appreciate Congo getting the Ultra treatment. The premium VSU packaging is quite nice with the big case and slip etc. inside, but it lacks the fun theme-ing of something like Cloak & Dagger. On-disc extras were nice and focus on effects (don't sleep on the archival making-of promo piece), which helps one appreciate the booklet essays for general context, but as usual with VS booklets the essays feature too much overlapping content and would have benefited from a stronger editorial hand. Almost wish I had gone with a Standard Edition on this but am not complaining too much."
"Stupid movie, but still very fun featuring a great restoration of the film and a high-quality presentation with lots of special features, a hard box, a booklet, and a slipcover. Very nice package, highly recommend if you can get your hands on one."
"This is one of my favorite adventure movies. It is packed with plenty of action, cool special effects, as well as just the right amount of humor. It is a tale about a man who trains a gorilla to speak using sign language. The two then join up with an interesting assortment of other characters as they go on safari in Africa both to return the gorilla to the wild, and find a lost diamond mine. The movie is fast paced with a nice soundtrack. Ernie Hudson, of Ghost Busters fame, is terrific as the safari guide Monroe. His character is always cool, calm, and collected. He obviously had a lot of fun during the filming. Tim Curry, as the explorer Herkermer Homolka, is a delight to watch. Dylan Walsh, playing the gorilla's handler, is very believable in the role. Laura Linney, playing a representative of a large company going after the diamonds, does a good job of acting except when she has interactions with the head of the company, played by Joe Baker. When they get together it's like 2 middle schoolers fighting. However, their screen time together is very limited. Spoiler alert: the main gorilla in the movie, named Amy, is a person dressed in a gorilla costume. At first glance she appears a bit different than a real gorilla. However, after watching her for a few minutes I quickly forget about the differences and simply enjoy the story. The blu ray transfer was very well done. Both the sound and picture quality are very good."
"Underrated 90s action film, with some great sequences and effects - looks great in this 4k transfer. Very nice packaging, if some questionable art choices"
"Harambe. Amy the gorilla The gorillas These are the monkeys that mean the most to me. Congo is a movie about these majestic monkeys and it teaches us what happens when chimps stop acting polite and start acting real! VSU packaging is gorgeous, movie looks great, probably not as good as you remember it but pretty fun time. Haven’t dug into the extras but they’re there."
"I remember seeing this in theaters when I was a teen and absolutely loving it. Great story and special effects, combines with some solid performances. This release is stacked. I'm glad I finally picked it up."
"I remember seeing this classic opening night with my dad and absolute loves it, was pumped to see it getting the VSU treatment! Transfer is absolutely beautiful and the quality of this release is what you'd expect from VS!"
"I've always loved this movie and it certainly didn't disappoint in 4K!! VS's box packaging is world class and the art work/collector's items are fantastic. Thank you for making my first purchase a memorable one. I'll certainly be back. PLEASE continue releasing classic movies in your catalog!"
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