Paramount Home Entertainment, out now

A small town in California is attacked by Martians, beginning a worldwide invasion, and as a new star and planet hurtle toward a doomed Earth, a small group of survivalists frantically work to complete the rocket which will take them to their new home.

This two-pack from Paramount Pictures is an unusual double-bill, as apart from sharing the same producer (George Pal) they aren’t related. And while both movies are newly remastered, only one gets the 4K treatment, while the other is just HD.

The UHD debut of Byron Haskin’s 1953 adaptation of H G Wells’ The War of the Worlds looks spectacular. Starring Gene Barry as Dr Clayton Forrester, this was an Oscar Winner for Best Special Effects, and the DolbyVision HDR 4K transfer show them off to great effect. The colourful credits just pop off the screen, which is presented in 4:3 with black side bars. The multicoloured star field at the beginning looks so pristine, and the distinctive shimmering sounds of the Martian ships and their death ray sound fantastic in DTS-HD 5.1.

There’s a commentary by actors Ann Robinson and Gene Barry, and one by director Joe Dante and film historians Bob Burns and Bill Warren. As well as Making of The War of the Worlds (30 mins) and H.G. Wells: The Father of Science Fiction (10 mins) there’s the audio of Orson Welles’ notorious 1938 Mercury Theatre On The Air radio production.

The other disc is a new transfer of When Worlds Collide (1951), directed by Rudolph Maté. Based on the novel of the same name by Edwin Balmer and Philip Wylie, it tells of rogue star Bellus and Earth-sized planet Zyra, which are both on track to destroy the Earth in eight months’ time.

There’s lots of arguing about whether the scientists are correct, and just who should go in the space ark, and it really takes off as the first pass causes destruction on Earth (again, a special effects Oscar winner) and the similarities with Deep Impact, Armageddon and Don’t Look Up are apparent. The only extra is the trailer, but this Collector’s Edition also includes pop-up packaging, photo cards, art cards and magnets.

Verdict: Buy it for The War of the Worlds, which makes a 70-year-old film look brand new, and then stay for the thought-provoking When Worlds Collide. 9/10 

Nick Joy

Click here to order from Amazon.co.uk