The Dark Knight Blu-ray Disc (Christopher Nolan, 2008)

Warner (USA)
2.40:1/1.78:1 1080p
153 minutes
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English, DD 5.1 English, DD 5.1 French, DD 5.1 Spanish, DD 2.0 English DVS (Descriptive Video Service)
Subtitles: Optional English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras: Gotham Uncovered: Creation of a Scene; BD-Live; Batman Tech; Batman Unmasked: The Psychology of the Dark Knight; Gotham Tonight; Stills Galleries; trailers; TV commercials; Digital Copy

Released: 9 December 2008
slim three-disc Blu-ray case

There is nothing wrong with making a serious movie, but one becomes an insufferable bore (and boor) with a self-serious, self-important endeavor. Such is the case with Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, which is so pompous, overbearing, overlong, and master-of-the-obvious that I wanted to shoot bullets at the screen. It’s very unpleasant watching a popcorn flick that’s didactic.

Nolan and his team went far beyond pretentious, though; they treated viewers like idiots. For example, during the Hong Kong sequence, Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) leaves a mobile phone with a guard on the ground floor. When he leaves the building, he shows the guard that he already has a mobile phone in hand. Given the intense level of security in that building, there’s no way that anyone would’ve let an outsider leave something behind, especially in this day and age of electronic warfare.

Later in the movie, ferry personnel take a bomb detonator to an authority in the lower decks, where he is surrounded by violent criminals. Why would anyone take a bomb detonator to where it might be grabbed by prisoners? Why not call the authority upstairs to the ferry bridge? Why, to give the audience a cheap crowd-pleasing moment so that everyone can cheer the noble convict who tosses the detonator out of a window.

When this movie was released, my good friend Chris Long and I just shook our heads at the final fight. Why does Batman feel the need to beat up policemen in the building under construction? All he had to do was shout out, “Don’t shoot!” Instead, the “hero”, who has qualms about killing, goes on a rampage against law-enforcement officials.

At the end of the business day, you really have to wonder what point Nolan and Co. were trying to make. This Batman doesn’t want to kill anyone, but killing Joker would’ve saved many innocent lives. The tragedy of this Bruce Wayne isn’t that he’s still traumatized by his parents’ murders. Rather, the tragedy is that he insists on deluding himself, thinking that he’s the good guy when he’s really the bad guy.

As noted by Dr. David Bordwell in his writings about Intensified Continuity, the gun-and-edit approach is actually a regression in the presentation of cinematic visuals. Big-studio movies are now mostly comprised of single close-ups and single extreme close-ups. (These days, it’s rare to see medium or long shots. Directors no longer bother with long takes, which require more planning and rehearsal than short takes because you hide flubs with edits instead of asking your cast and crew to commit to a sustained performance. Short takes also hide the fact that your actors don’t actually know martial arts.) You get a lot of shot/reverse-shot sequences, and because edits are so brief, the director constantly has to use master shots to re-orient the viewer. By making a movie so choppy, you have to repeat yourself several times instead of advancing to the next level.

Beyond the problems associated with Intensified Continuity, The Dark Knight literally loses any semblance of coherence during the car chase and the final fight. I don’t usually sit close to the screen as I don’t like craning my neck. However, the action is so clumsily assembled that I had to rely on audio cues to understand what was happening during the car chase and the final fight. You know, the last I heard, movies are a visual medium, not an aural one.

Note: The bank heist has been changed somewhat from the excerpt on the Batman Begins Blu-ray Disc. The color timing is different, the framing is different, and the audio “buzz” has been reduced in volume.

Video:
Christopher Nolan and his team shot The Dark Knight with 35mm cameras using 2.40:1 anamorphic lenses and IMAX 70mm cameras with a final aspect ratio of 1.44:1. In IMAX theatres, the movie shifted between 1.44:1 and 2.40:1. On Blu-ray, the difference is less extreme as the IMAX shots are now framed at 1.78:1. Be forewarned, though, that the movie doesn’t actually maintain consistent aspect ratios even during the IMAX sequences. The movie switches between 2.40:1 and 1.78:1 depending on whatever footage was used, so even during the IMAX sequences, there are some shots framed at 2.40:1.

The 1080p transfer varies wildly in quality. Shots with adequate controlled lighting are as good as images from any Blu-ray disc. However, a lot of the IMAX sequences look surprisingly--even shockingly--poor. Some shots of the nighttime sky look unstable and are filled with mosquito noise and a “liquid” quality. The enhanced resolution offered by 70mm film stock was not put to good use, so this movie’s IMAX sequences pale in comparison to the video quality offered by The Alps: Imax, which I saw a few days before watching this disc.

Audio:
The Dark Knight on Blu-ray is an excellent example of how more is less. The bass is so loud and overpowering that I shut off my subwoofer after 30 minutes. However, even without the subwoofer alive and kicking, the center channel feed is anemic compared to the other speakers. You have to turn up the volume quite a bit to hear the dialogue, even during quiet moments.

When will people ever learn? Being very loud is not the same as being very good. You can make any audio source sound loud by jacking up the dial, but all the elements of a sound mix have to be balanced for a truly effective audio experience. On Blu-ray, The Dark Knight is an aural annoyance.

In addition to French and Spanish audio tracks/subtitles, Disc 1 also has a DD 2.0 English DVS (Descriptive Video Service) track. Basically, a narrator describes the on-screen action for people with vision difficulties. (Other titles with DVS tracks include the very first Region 1 Terminator 2 DVD and the Road to Perdition DVD.)

Extras:
--Disc 1--
“Gotham Uncovered: Creation of a Scene” is a collection of featurettes about various key scenes. These featurettes are billed as “Focus Points”, just like the featurettes on the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Blu-ray disc. You can watch these featurettes together or individually, and you can also watch them using a branching feature while the movie is running.

Eventually, when the BD-Live servers go live, you can connect to the Internet to create your own PIP video commentaries with a webcam, participate in community screenings (including one with Christopher Nolan), and download other video clips or pictures.

--Disc 2--
“Batman Tech” (45 minutes) is a self-serious featurette about Batman’s armor, gadgets, and vehicles throughout the character’s history.

“Batman Unmasked: The Psychology of the Dark Knight” (45 minutes) is another extension of the self-seriousness that’s plaguing the Batman franchise right now. A bunch of experts psychoanalyze Bruce Wayne/Batman.

“Gotham Tonight” is a collection of six TV shows (also running 45 minutes total) that presents “news” about Gotham City as if it were a real place. Actors from the movie and previously unseen faces appear in “interviews” to expand upon the Nolan universe.

You can browse through four Stills Galleries (“Joker Cards”, “Concept Art”, “Poster Art”, “Production Stills”).

Finally, there are three trailers and six TV commercials.

--Miscellaneous--
The cardboard slipcover is the “real” cover, with Batman on the front and the disc specs on the back. The artwork in the case itself has Joker on the front and defaced disc specs on the back. There’s also a Digital Copy disc.

The Dark Knight Two-Disc Special Edition (Christopher Nolan, 2008)

Region 1 Warner (USA)
NTSC, 2.40:1 16x9 enhanced
153 minutes
Audio: DD 5.1 English, DD 5.1 French, DD 5.1 Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras: IMAX sequences; Gotham Uncovered; Gotham Tonight; Stills Galleries; trailers; Digital Copy

Released: 9 December 2008
slim double keepcase

There is nothing wrong with making a serious movie, but one becomes an insufferable bore (and boor) with a self-serious, self-important endeavor. Such is the case with Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, which is so pompous, overbearing, overlong, and master-of-the-obvious that I wanted to shoot bullets at the screen. It’s very unpleasant watching a popcorn flick that’s didactic.

Nolan and his team went far beyond pretentious, though; they treated viewers like idiots. For example, during the Hong Kong sequence, Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) leaves a mobile phone with a guard on the ground floor. When he leaves the building, he shows the guard that he already has a mobile phone in hand. Given the intense level of security in that building, there’s no way that anyone would’ve let an outsider leave something behind, especially in this day and age of electronic warfare.

Later in the movie, ferry personnel take a bomb detonator to an authority in the lower decks, where he is surrounded by violent criminals. Why would anyone take a bomb detonator to where it might be grabbed by prisoners? Why not call the authority upstairs to the ferry bridge? Why, to give the audience a cheap crowd-pleasing moment so that everyone can cheer the noble convict who tosses the detonator out of a window.

When this movie was released, my good friend Chris Long and I just shook our heads at the final fight. Why does Batman feel the need to beat up policemen in the building under construction? All he had to do was shout out, “Don’t shoot!” Instead, the “hero”, who has qualms about killing, goes on a rampage against law-enforcement officials.

At the end of the business day, you really have to wonder what point Nolan and Co. were trying to make. This Batman doesn’t want to kill anyone, but killing Joker would’ve saved many innocent lives. The tragedy of this Bruce Wayne isn’t that he’s still traumatized by his parents’ murders. Rather, the tragedy is that he insists on deluding himself, thinking that he’s the good guy when he’s really the bad guy.

As noted by Dr. David Bordwell in his writings about Intensified Continuity, the gun-and-edit approach is actually a regression in the presentation of cinematic visuals. Big-studio movies are now mostly comprised of single close-ups and single extreme close-ups. (These days, it’s rare to see medium or long shots. Directors no longer bother with long takes, which require more planning and rehearsal than short takes because you hide flubs with edits instead of asking your cast and crew to commit to a sustained performance. Short takes also hide the fact that your actors don’t actually know martial arts.) You get a lot of shot/reverse-shot sequences, and because edits are so brief, the director constantly has to use master shots to re-orient the viewer. By making a movie so choppy, you have to repeat yourself several times instead of advancing to the next level.

Beyond the problems associated with Intensified Continuity, The Dark Knight literally loses any semblance of coherence during the car chase and the final fight. I don’t usually sit close to the screen as I don’t like craning my neck. However, the action is so clumsily assembled that I had to rely on audio cues to understand what was happening during the car chase and the final fight. You know, the last I heard, movies are a visual medium, not an aural one.

Video:
The 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer varies wildly in quality. Shots with adequate controlled lighting are fairly sharp and detailed as far as DVDs go. However, a lot of the sequences shot with IMAX cameras look surprisingly--even shockingly--poor. Some shots of the nighttime sky look unstable and are filled with mosquito noise and a “liquid” quality. The enhanced resolution offered by 70mm film stock was not put to good use, so this movie’s IMAX sequences pale in comparison to the video quality offered by The Alps: Imax, which I saw a few days before watching this disc.

Audio:
The Dark Knight on Blu-ray is an excellent example of how more is less. The bass is so loud and overpowering that I shut off my subwoofer after 30 minutes. However, even without the subwoofer alive and kicking, the center channel feed is anemic compared to the other speakers. You have to turn up the volume quite a bit to hear the dialogue, even during quiet moments.

When will people ever learn? Being very loud is not the same as being very good. You can make any audio source sound loud by jacking up the dial, but all the elements of a sound mix have to be balanced for a truly effective audio experience. On Blu-ray, The Dark Knight is an aural annoyance.

Extras:
All of the extras are on Disc 2. You get much less content than with the Blu-ray, though the “Batman Tech” and “Batman Unmasked” featurettes bored me to tears anyway.

You can watch the six sequences that were shot with IMAX cameras. Christopher Nolan and his team shot The Dark Knight with 35mm cameras using 2.40:1 anamorphic lenses and IMAX 70mm cameras with a final aspect ratio of 1.44:1. In IMAX theatres, the movie shifted between 1.44:1 and 2.40:1. The IMAX sequences are presented in window-boxed 1.44:1--as originally shown in IMAX theatres.

In “Gotham Uncovered”, there are two featurettes (one about the sound design, including the music, and one about the the costumes and general production design).

“Gotham Tonight” is a collection of six TV shows (also running 45 minutes total) that presents “news” about Gotham City as if it were a real place. Actors from the movie and previously unseen faces appear in “interviews” to expand upon the Nolan universe.

You can browse through two Stills Galleries (“Poster Art”, “Production Stills”) instead of the four on the Blu-ray Disc.

Finally, there are three trailers and a Digital Copy. You don’t get the six TV commercials on the Blu-ray Disc.

--Miscellaneous--
The cardboard slipcover is the “real” cover, with Batman on the front and the disc specs on the back. The artwork in the case itself has Joker on the front and defaced disc specs on the back.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Two-Disc Special Edition (David Filoni, 2008)

Region 1 Warner/Lucasfilm (USA)
NTSC, 2.40:1 16x9 enhanced
98 minutes
Audio: DD 5.1 EX English, DD 5.1 EX French, DD 5.1 EX Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras: audio commentary; The Clone Wars: The Untold Stories; The Voices of The Clone Wars; A New Score; Concept/Production Art Gallery; Webisodes; Deleted Scenes; previews; Digital Copy

Released: 11 November 2008
slim double keepcase

Every so often, George Lucas talks about directing a small art film that no one will see. “I’ve earned the right to fail,” he once told an interviewer. Well, George, you’ve failed many times over as evidenced by so many of your Star Wars efforts. You’re lucky, though, because there are plenty of schmucks who want to keep sending you their hard-earned dollars while you continue to shovel drivel.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars is a kick-off to an animated TV series set between Attack of the Clones and The Revenge of the Sith. As with the other movies, this one is overplotted. So many factions are involved that you stop caring after a certain point. You know, it is certainly possible to have multiple story threads, but the writing and editing have to be done in a graceful, elegant way that supports all the commotion. In the Star Wars universe, every bit of dialogue and plot development is perfunctory and going-through-the-motions.

Watch some of Criterion’s releases of Akira Kurosawa’s movies, and you’ll find Lucas talking about how the Japanese master influenced his career. Thus, if you want swordfights and epic intrigues, then you might as well watch The Hidden Fortress, Seven Samurai, Kagemusha, and Ran. At the very least, you won’t have to listen to those stupid droids and Jar Jar Binks.

Video:
I’m of two minds about the picture quality. From a technical point of view, the 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is top-notch, especially for an SD DVD. The movie was taken from a purely digital source, so you’re obviously not going to see “print damage”. Colors are vivid and vibrant. You won’t see any compression artifacts, either.

On the other hand, the character designs look terrible. Attempts to impart facial impressions are not credible in the least. (It’s a boon to the animators that so many of the characters wear masks or don’t have a lot of facial muscles anyway.) Even though this is completely CGI, the movie has a very flat look.

As people on the Internet like to type...YMMV (your mileage may vary).

Audio:
The movie may’ve been originally intended as a TV pilot, but the audio sure sounds big. The primary DD 5.1 EX English track is dynamic and punishing, as is appropriate for a story about intergalactic warfare in a variety of forms. The familiar sound effects, such as lightsabers, lasers, cannons, space cruisers, and droidekas, are all here. Sound effects fly in every direction, and my rear speakers helped with the heavy lifting more than usual. Bass response is a bit anemic and sloppy compared to what you can get with Blu-ray lossless audio, though if you haven’t upgraded to Blu-ray at this point, then you’re not really going to notice the difference anyway.

Extras:
--Disc 1--
Upon loading, the disc plays a promo for the TV series launched by this movie.

There is an audio commentary by the movie’s director, producers, and other key personnel. They talk about inspirations, comparisons, allusions, and technical/creative processes.

--Disc 2--
“The Clone Wars: The Untold Stories” is basically an extended promo for the animated TV series.

“The Voices of The Clone Wars” introduces viewers to the voice actors.

“A New Score” shows how composer Kevin Kiner approached the daunting task of following in John Williams’s footsteps.

You also get a Concept/Production Art Gallery, Webisodes (Internet promos); and Deleted Scenes.

There are two previews for the main feature as well as a spin-off videogame.

Finally, you can download/transfer a Digital Copy to a computer and portable media players.

--Miscellaneous--
My copy came with a cardboard sleeve that has a 3-D lenticular cover.

Tropic Thunder Blu-ray Disc (Ben Stiller, 2008)

Paramount/DreamWorks (USA)
2.40:1 1080p
120 minutes
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English, DD 5.1 French, DD 5.1 Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Extras: audio commentary by filmmakers; audio commentary by cast members; Before the Thunder; The Hot LZ; Blowing Shit Up; Designing the Thunder; The Cast of Tropic Thunder; Rain of Madness; Deleted and Extended Scenes; Alternate Ending; Full Mags; Make-up Test With Tom Cruise; MTV Movie Awards clip; BD-Live (Dispatches From the Edge of Madness; Additional Full Mags; Video Rehearsals)

Released: 18 November 2008
Blu-ray case

The first half hour of Tropic Thunder is about as funny as anything that I’ve ever seen. Ben Stiller lampoons everything that is weird and silly about Hollywood, from pre-movie commercials, trailers, agents, studio executives, excessively pampered actors, and war movies. However, after a certain point, the movie stops being funny. The jokes keep coming, but they get old from repetition. Also, having an actor stay in character (Robert Downey Jr. playing Kirk Lazarus playing Lincoln Osiris) while under fire from drug makers/dealers in Southeast Asia and having a bunch of untrained civilians take on an armed cartel are so ridiculous that the movie loses credibility. To be fair, the material is very tricky, so the filmmakers were navigating difficult waters. Nevertheless, once Steve Coogan’s character disappears, Ben Stiller loses his previously-sure grip and relies on the usual war-movie clichés to Tropic Thunder’s general detriment.

Video:
Although the story quickly descends into the madness of a real armed conflict, the 2.40:1 1080p picture is very sharp and highly detailed. You can even see clearly delineated smoke swirls in distant explosions. The image gets a little dark sometimes (perhaps due to the cinematographer approximating shooting with natural light), but this isn’t really a problem.

Audio:
Well, this is a contemporary action movie, so the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English track is a balls-to-the wall demonstration of firepower from every direction, haunting music cues, and room-shaking bass. Dialogue is always audible even during the heaviest carnage, and there are some cute aural allusions to other movies (such as when Ben Stiller’s character momentarily loses his hearing ala Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan).

Extras:
First up is an audio commentary by some of the behind-the-scenes crew. The participants cover the expected territory.

Next up is an audio commentary by Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., and Jack Black. The kicker is that Downey actually stays in character as Kirk Lazarus/Lincoln Osiris. The three actors also crack jokes about audio commentaries in which the chatters just narrate what’s happening on screen.

“Before the Thunder”, “The Hot LZ”, “Blowing Shit Up”, “Designing the Thunder”, and “The Cast of Tropic Thunder” detail various aspects of the production.

If Tropic Thunder is a parody of Vietnam-War movies, then “Rain of Madness” is a parody of Hearts of Darkness, the documentary about the making of Apocalypse Now. There are some amazing moments, such as when Robert Downey Jr.’s character completely freaks out in a hotel room.

There are several Deleted and Extended Scenes as well as an Alternate Ending, which is rather grim.

“Full Mags” is deceptively named as you only get an intro with Ben Stiller and the editor as well as one full mag. Basically, you see an entire roll of footage from one film magazine. The SD DVD set includes several such full mags.

“Make-up Test With Tom Cruise” is self-explanatory.

The “MTV Movie Awards clip” is a hilarious mockumentary depicting a pow-wow with Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., and Jack Black trying to create a viral video marketing campaign for the movie.

Finally, you have to access a BD-Live server to watch “Dispatches From the Edge of Madness” (several scenes that were deleted from “Rain of Madness”, “Additional Full Mags”, and “Video Rehearsals”. These are actually substantive extras and not random promos for un-related movies.

--Miscellaneous--
As home theatres incorporate computer and Internet technologies, it makes sense to have Internet downloads enhance a movie-viewing experience. However, it makes no sense for a Blu-ray edition to have fewer extras than an SD DVD version, which is what happened with Tropic Thunder. You have to access the movie’s BD-Live Internet server in order to watch “Dispatches From the Edge of Madness”, three “Additional Full Mags”, and “Video Rehearsals”. You’ll have to deal with either slow downloads of huge files or fast downloads of files that are inferior in quality to what’s hard-coded on the SD DVDs. Moreover, there’s no guarantee that the BD-Live features will be available indefinitely.

Tropic Thunder Two-Disc Director’s Cut (Ben Stiller, 2008)

Region 1 Paramount/DreamWorks (USA)
NTSC, 2.40:1 16x9 enhanced
120 minutes
Audio: DD 5.1 English, DD 5.1 French, DD 5.1 Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Extras: audio commentary by filmmakers; audio commentary by cast members; Before the Thunder; The Hot LZ; Blowing Shit Up; Designing the Thunder; The Cast of Tropic Thunder; Rain of Madness; Dispatches From the Edge of Madness; Deleted and Extended Scenes; Alternate Ending; Full Mags; Video Rehearsals; Make-up Test With Tom Cruise; MTV Movie Awards clip; previews for other movies; Public Service Announcement

Released: 18 November 2008
slim double keepcase

The first half hour of Tropic Thunder is about as funny as anything that I’ve ever seen. Ben Stiller lampoons everything that is weird and silly about Hollywood, from pre-movie commercials, trailers, agents, studio executives, excessively pampered actors, and war movies. However, after a certain point, the movie stops being funny. The jokes keep coming, but they get old from repetition. Also, having an actor stay in character (Robert Downey Jr. playing Kirk Lazarus playing Lincoln Osiris) while under fire from drug makers/dealers in Southeast Asia and having a bunch of untrained civilians take on an armed cartel are so ridiculous that the movie loses credibility. To be fair, the material is very tricky, so the filmmakers were navigating difficult waters. Nevertheless, once Steve Coogan’s character disappears, Ben Stiller loses his previously-sure grip and relies on the usual war-movie clichés to Tropic Thunder’s general detriment.

Video:
Although the story quickly descends into the madness of a real armed conflict, the 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen picture is very sharp and highly detailed. You can even see clearly delineated smoke swirls in distant explosions. The image gets a little dark sometimes (perhaps due to the cinematographer approximating shooting with natural light), but this isn’t really a problem.

Audio:
Well, this is a contemporary action movie, so the DD 5.1 English track is a balls-to-the wall demonstration of firepower from every direction, haunting music cues, and room-shaking bass. Dialogue is always audible even during the heaviest carnage, and there are some cute aural allusions to other movies (such as when Ben Stiller’s character momentarily loses his hearing ala Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan).

Extras:
--Disc 1--
Upon loading, the disc plays previews for other movies.

There’s an audio commentary by some of the behind-the-scenes crew. The participants cover the expected territory.

Next up is an audio commentary by Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., and Jack Black. The kicker is that Downey actually stays in character as Kirk Lazarus/Lincoln Osiris. The three actors also crack jokes about audio commentaries in which the chatters just narrate what’s happening on screen.

There’s also a Public Service Announcement that encourages the respectful treatment of people with mental disabilities. (The movie has an extended riff involving the use of a derogatory term.)

--Disc 2--
“Before the Thunder”, “The Hot LZ”, “Blowing Shit Up”, “Designing the Thunder”, and “The Cast of Tropic Thunder” detail various aspects of the production.

If Tropic Thunder is a parody of Vietnam-War movies, then “Rain of Madness” is a parody of Hearts of Darkness, the documentary about the making of Apocalypse Now. There are some amazing moments, such as when Robert Downey Jr.’s character completely freaks out in a hotel room.

“Dispatches From the Edge of Madness” is a collection of several scenes that were deleted from “Rain of Madness”.

There are several Deleted and Extended Scenes as well as an Alternate Ending, which is rather grim.

In “Full Mags”, you’ll find an intro with Ben Stiller and the editor as well as several full mags. Basically, you see entire rolls of footage from film magazines.

“Video Rehearsals” and “Make-up Test With Tom Cruise” are self-explanatory.

The “MTV Movie Awards clip” is a hilarious mockumentary depicting a pow-wow with Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., and Jack Black trying to create a viral video marketing campaign for the movie.

--Miscellaneous--
The discs are kept in a transparent slim double keepcase so that you can see a collage of the actors on the inside cover art. You also get a cardboard slipcover.

Kung Fu Panda Blu-ray Disc (John Stevenson and Mark Osborne, 2008)

Paramount/DreamWorks Animation (USA)
2.40:1 1080p
88 minutes
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English, DD 5.1 French, DD 5.1 Spanish, DD 5.1 Portuguese
Subtitles: Optional English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Extras: The Animators’ Corner; audio commentary; Trivia Track; Meet the Cast; Pushing the Boundaries; Help Save Wild Pandas; Sound Design; “Kung Fu Fighting” music video; Do You Kung Fu?; Learn the Panda Dance; How to Use Chopsticks; Inside the Chinese Zodiac; Animals of Kung Fu Panda; What Fighting Style Are You?; Dragon Warrior Training Academy; Dumpling Shuffle; Learn to Draw Po; Food Network Exclusive: Alton Brown at Mr. Ping’s Noodle House; DreamWorks Animation Video Jukebox; BD-Live features; previews for other movies

Released: 8 November 2008
Blu-ray case

Kung Fu Panda grossed more than $200 million at the North American box office, which isn’t unusual these days as DreamWorks Animation has built up a brand name that is nearly as strong as Pixar’s. The movie also fared well in China, racking up high ticket sales and a lot of cultural contemplation. How come we can’t make as good of a movie as the Americans can about our culture, many Chinese people wondered. Such thinking, especially in a year when the Chinese hosted the Summer Olympics, intrigued me.

Imagine how stunned and disappointed I was when I actually saw Kung Fu Panda. It is nothing more than a mish-mash of faux empowerment messages, misinterpretations of Eastern philosophies, and misrepresentations of the Chinese language. For example, it takes years to become a true martial artist, but the “hero” of the movie belly flops his way to the top of the fighting pyramid. Po the Panda learns that the secret to becoming a great warrior is to be content with whatever abilities he already has, which immediately reminded me of The Last Samurai’s hamfisted attempts to show audiences what it means to have “no mind”. The filmmakers couldn’t decide on using transliterations of Mandarin or Cantonese, so there is a hodge-podge of both. The coup de grace was naming a character “Master Shifu”, which is the same as calling someone “Master Master”. Maybe someone read Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 (“Major Major Major Major Major”) while writing the screenplay.

Video:
The 2.40:1 1080p video transfer is probably among the ten-best Blu-ray images so far. Gone are the shimmering and muddy resolution of the DVD, and all of the colors of the spectrum benefit from Blu-ray’s superior picture rendering.

Audio:
As expected, the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 English track is rather hyperactive. Jack Black’s constant yammering is carried loudly and clearly, though (curiously) some of the other actors’ voices are a bit muted or muffled. There is quite a bit of commotion across the front soundstage, though the rears contribute mostly music cues. The action scenes have very intense low frequencies, so you might want to keep the remote control handy to avoid scary young viewers (or annoying your neighbors).

Extras:
Upon loading, the disc plays previews for other movies.

There are three ways of watching the movie with accompaniments. You can watch the movie with an audio commentary by the directors. “The Animators’ Corner” is a video commentary that incorporates some portions of the audio commentary as well as storyboards. There’s also a subtitle-based “Trivia Track”.

“Meet the Cast” introduces the voice actors. “Pushing the Boundaries” shows viewers how the animators created the character designs and the movie’s general “look”. Jack Black pops up for a very annoying “Help Save Wild Pandas” public service announcement.

“Sound Design” reveals the work that went into creating the aural landscape. The “Kung Fu Fighting” music video is self-explanatory. “Do You Kung Fu?” and “Learn the Panda Dance” teach you basic kung-fu and dance moves.

“How to Use Chopsticks”, “Inside the Chinese Zodiac”, and “Animals of Kung Fu Panda” are also self-explanatory featurettes. “What Fighting Style Are You?” is this disc’s equivalent of a “personality gauge”.

“Dragon Warrior Training Academy”, “Dumpling Shuffle”, and “Learn to Draw Po” are kiddie-time activities.

For me, the best extra on the disc is the “Food Network Exclusive: Alton Brown at Mr. Ping’s Noodle House” featurette. One of the Food Network’s personalities visits Mr. Chow, a restaurant in Beverly Hills. A restaurant chef demonstrates his ability to make thin noodles by whipping and twisting dough by hand instead of using a machine.

The “DreamWorks Animation Jukebox” is a collection of song-and-dance clips from various movies.

Finally, if your Blu-ray player is connected to the Internet, you can download access some Internet-based extras.

--Miscellaneous--
This Blu-ray Disc has all of the bonus materials offered by the DVD Two-Pack...except for the 24-minute “Secrets of the Furious Five” short film. The exclusion is rather odd, though the short film is one of those “Lessons to be Learned from Kung Fu” panderings that got old before there ever was a Mr. Miyagi.

Kung Fu Panda and “Secrets of the Furious Five” Two-Pack (John Stevenson and Mark Osborne, 2008)

Region 1 Paramount/DreamWorks Animation (USA)
NTSC, 2.40:1 16x9 enhanced
88 minutes
Audio: DD 5.1 English, DD 2.0 surround English, DD 5.1 French, DD 5.1 Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English, French, Spanish, English Closed Captions
Extras: audio commentary; Meet the Cast; Pushing the Boundaries; Help Save Wild Pandas; Sound Design; “Kung Fu Fighting” music video; Do You Kung Fu?; Learn the Panda Dance; How to Use Chopsticks; Inside the Chinese Zodiac; Animals of Kung Fu Panda; What Fighting Style Are You?; Dragon Warrior Training Academy; Dumpling Shuffle; Learn to Draw Po; Food Network Exclusive: Alton Brown at Mr. Ping’s Noodle House; DreamWorks Animation Video Jukebox; previews for other movies; DVD-ROM extras

Released: 8 November 2008
two keepcases

Kung Fu Panda grossed more than $200 million at the North American box office, which isn’t unusual these days as DreamWorks Animation has built up a brand name that is nearly as strong as Pixar’s. The movie also fared well in China, racking up high ticket sales and a lot of cultural contemplation. How come we can’t make as good of a movie as the Americans can about our culture, many Chinese people wondered. Such thinking, especially in a year when the Chinese hosted the Summer Olympics, intrigued me.

Imagine how stunned and disappointed I was when I actually saw Kung Fu Panda. It is nothing more than a mish-mash of faux empowerment messages, misinterpretations of Eastern philosophies, and misrepresentations of the Chinese language. For example, it takes years to become a true martial artist, but the “hero” of the movie belly flops his way to the top of the fighting pyramid. Po the Panda learns that the secret to becoming a great warrior is to be content with whatever abilities he already has, which immediately reminded me of The Last Samurai’s hamfisted attempts to show audiences what it means to have “no mind”. The filmmakers couldn’t decide on using transliterations of Mandarin or Cantonese, so there is a hodge-podge of both. The coup de grace was naming a character “Master Shifu”, which is the same as calling someone “Master Master”. Maybe someone read Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 (“Major Major Major Major Major”) while writing the screenplay.

In “Secrets of the Furious Five”, “Master Master” tells Po to teach some kids about kung fu. Po tells the kids about how Tigress, Viper, Mantis, Crane, and Monkey learned about values and virtues before they became true masters of the martial arts. “Secrets of the the Furious Five” is pandering and pedantic in the extreme.

Video:
As has been known to happen with animation titles, Kung Fu Panda sometimes exhibits shimmering and moiré effects on DVD. Oranges and blacks are bold and vivid, but the other colors seem lacking in vibrancy. The 2.40:1 image isn’t “soft” the way that live-action movies can be, but it certainly isn’t as sharp as one would expect of a digital source. Maybe high-def video has spoiled us.

Audio:
As expected, the DD 5.1 English track is rather hyperactive. Jack Black’s constant yammering is carried loudly and clearly, though (curiously) some of the other actors’ voices are a bit muted or muffled. There is quite a bit of commotion across the front soundstage, though the rears contribute mostly music cues. The action scenes have very intense low frequencies, so you might want to keep the remote control handy to avoid scary young viewers (or annoying your neighbors).

Extras:
--Disc 1--
Upon loading, the disc plays previews for other movies.

You can watch the movie with an audio commentary by the directors, though you don’t get either “The Animators’ Corner” or the “Trivia Track” of the Blu-ray.

“Meet the Cast” introduces the voice actors. “Pushing the Boundaries” shows viewers how the animators created the character designs and the movie’s general “look”. Jack Black pops up for a very annoying “Help Save Wild Pandas” public service announcement.

“Sound Design” reveals the work that went into creating the aural landscape. The “Kung Fu Fighting” music video is self-explanatory, as is “How to Use Chopsticks”. “Dragon Warrior Training Academy” is a kiddie-time activity.

For me, the best extra on either disc is the “Food Network Exclusive: Alton Brown at Mr. Ping’s Noodle House” featurette. One of the Food Network’s personalities visits Mr. Chow, a restaurant in Beverly Hills. A restaurant chef demonstrates his ability to make thin noodles by whipping and twisting dough by hand instead of using a machine.

The “DreamWorks Animation Jukebox” is a collection of song-and-dance clips from various movies.

There are some DVD-ROM features, including printable designs and weblinks.

--Disc 2--
“Do You Kung Fu?” and “Learn the Panda Dance” teach you basic kung-fu and dance moves.

“Inside the Chinese Zodiac” and “Animals of Kung Fu Panda” are also self-explanatory featurettes. “What Fighting Style Are You?” is this disc’s equivalent of a “personality gauge”.

“Dumpling Shuffle” and “Learn to Draw Po” are kiddie-time activities.

There are some DVD-ROM features, including “Sound Machine” (sound re-mixing software), videogame demos, and printable designs.

--Miscellaneous--
“Secrets of the Furious Five” is very so-so and isn’t worth watching more than once, so if you’re going to plunk down hard-earned money for Kung Fu Panda, you should get the Blu-ray.

Sabrina (Billy Wilder, 1954)

Region 1 Paramount (USA)
NTSC, 1.33:1
112 minutes
Audio: DD 2.0 mono English, DD 2.0 mono French, DD 2.0 mono Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English, French, Spanish, English Closed Captions
Extras: Audrey Hepburn: Fashion Icon; Sabrina’s World; Supporting Sabrina; William Holden: The Paramount Years; Audrey Hepburn: In Her Own Words; Behind the Gates: Camera; Paramount in the ‘50s; galleries

Released: 11 November 2008
slim double keepcase

Paramount Pictures is re-releasing some of its beloved catalog titles in new Centennial Collection editions to celebrate the studio’s 100th birthday. Sabrina carries the Number 3 on its spine.

Although Casablanca is about as revered as any movie can be, one gets the impression that Audrey Hepburn is a lot more popular than Humphrey Bogart these days. After all, Hepburn is usually easier on the eyes than Bogart is, no matter what your sexual orientation. Plus, smoking isn’t very attractive, and Bogart had a cigarette dangling from his lips nearly non-stop. Thus, the 1954 version of Sabrina is widely considered to be a Hepburn vehicle, with Bogart and William Holden relegated to the backgrounds of people’s memories.

I’d argue the opposite--Sabrina is really Bogie’s time to shine. Sure, Hepburn looks stylish and adorable, but her character is little more than a naïve dolt. Holden certainly had better roles in movies like Bridge on the River Kwai. That leaves us with Bogie, who schemes and smirks with self-satisfaction, only to find himself falling victim to his own traps. Bogart is frequently hilarious in this movie, especially when his character is trying to decide on what to wear for a outing with Sabrina; the sight of Bogart with a beanie on his head is as memorable as his final scenes with Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca.

Alas, the rest of the movie is bogged down by the usual mainstream inanities. “Lovey-dovey” scenes between Hepburn and Holden are boring because their characters are so two-dimensional and because their mutual attraction is so clearly superficial. At least the ending has a bit of integrity, with Holden’s playboy character deciding that, since he’s irredeemable anyway, he might as well yield the floor to his (slightly) better brother.

Video:
The 1.33:1 black-and-white image looks very good, especially for a movie made prior to 1980. There is some print damage, and the “soft focus” close-ups of Audrey Hepburn’s face can look paradoxically harsh. Otherwise, sharpness and detail are excellent for an SD DVD.

Audio:
It appears that you get the same DD 2.0 mono English audio track that was on the previous DVD. The audio exhibits the limitations of the movie’s time--thinness, harshness, distortions, and wobbly music cues.

Extras:
--Disc 1--
You get a preview for It’s a Wonderful Life, which is already available as a two-disc special edition from Paramount.

--Disc 2--
“Audrey Hepburn: Fashion Icon” presents interviews with fashion designers who were inspired by the actress. “Sabrina’s World” showcases the lifestyles of rich New Englanders. “Supporting Sabrina” champions the colorful supporting cast members. “William Holden: The Paramount Years” waxes nostalgic about the actor’s time at the studio. “Audrey Hepburn: In Her Own Words” is actually the same “Sabrina Documentary” offered by the previous DVD.

“Behind the Gates: Camera” surveys the use of various cameras during Paramount’s history, and “Paramount in the ‘50s” is a celebration of one of the studio’s most-successful decades.

Finally, there are a handful of stills galleries (but, oddly, no trailers).

--Miscellaneous--
The discs are kept in a slim double keepcase. You also get a booklet and a cardboard slipcover.

Roman Holiday: Centennial Collection (William Wyler, 1953)

Region 1 Paramount (USA)
NTSC, 1.33:1
118 minutes
Audio: DD 2.0 mono English, DD 2.0 mono French, DD 2.0 mono Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English, French, Spanish, English Closed Captions
Extras: preview for It’s a Wonderful Life; Audrey Hepburn: The Paramount Years; Remembering Audrey; Dalton Trumbo: From A-List to Blacklist; Restoring Roman Holiday; Behind the Gates: Costumers; Paramount in the ‘50s; theatrical trailers; galleries

Released: 11 November 2008
slim double keepcase

Paramount Pictures is re-releasing some of its beloved catalog titles in new Centennial Collection editions to celebrate the studio’s 100th birthday. Roman Holiday carries the Number 2 on its spine.

With each passing year, people like to lament that movies aren’t as good as “the classics”. What people don’t seem to understand is that they only remember old movies that they like and that, for any given year, bad movies outnumber good movies by at least a 100:1 ratio. Furthermore, people are frequently disappointed by old movies that they re-visit. For example, during a screening-and-interview session with The New York Times, Harvey Weinstein kept talking about what Exodus got wrong even though the movie was his pick for the occasion.

I’d imagine that Roman Holiday will be a similar (unpleasant) surprise for many viewers. Oh, most professed “fans” will not admit it verbally, but just look at their body language while they’re watching the movie. Droopy eyelids, crossed arms, slouched postures, and squirming bottoms are good indicators of boredom and disinterest. To be fair, Roman Holiday has a pair of winning leads, and there are several charming moments (such as when Gregory Peck pretends that his hand is being eaten by the Mouth of Truth). However, the movie also has several dead spots and is too long by about 15 minutes.

Video:
The 1.33:1 black-and-white image looks very good, especially for a movie made prior to 1980. There is some print damage, and the “soft focus” close-ups of Audrey Hepburn’s face can look paradoxically harsh. Otherwise, sharpness and detail are excellent for an SD DVD.

Audio:
It appears that you get the same DD 2.0 mono English audio track that was on the previous Special Collector’s Edition DVD. The audio exhibits the limitations of the movie’s time--thinness, harshness, distortions, and wobbly music cues.

Extras:
--Disc 1--
You get a preview for It’s a Wonderful Life, which is already available as a two-disc special edition from Paramount.

--Disc 2--
“Audrey Hepburn: The Paramount Years” is a celebration of the actress’s time at the studio. “Remembering Audrey” features interviews with the actress’s family members and friends. “Rome With a Princess” visits some of the movie’s locations and other famous locales in Rome. “Dalton Trumbo: From A-List to Blacklist” covers a screenwriter’s misfortunes during the Hollywood witch hunt of the 1940s/1950s. “Restoring Roman Holiday” shows viewers some of the work that was done to prepare the movie for DVD. Also, there are four photo galleries and three trailers.

--Miscellaneous--
The Centennial Collection DVD edition of Roman Holiday is a very good presentation of the movie, but you’ll have to keep the Special Collector’s Edition DVD to be able to watch the “Remembering Roman Holiday” making-of featurette.

The discs are kept in a slim double keepcase. You also get a booklet and a cardboard slipcover.

Sunset Boulevard: Centennial Collection (Billy Wilder, 1950)

Region 1 Paramount (USA)
NTSC, 1.33:1
110 minutes
Audio: DD 2.0 mono English, DD 2.0 mono French, DD 2.0 mono Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English, French, Spanish, English Closed Captions
Extras: audio commentary by Ed Sikov; preview for It’s a Wonderful Life; Sunset Boulevard: The Beginning; The Noir Side of Sunset Boulevard; Sunset Boulevard Becomes a Classic; Two Sides of Ms. Swanson; Stories of Sunset Boulevard; Mad About the Boy: A Portrait of William Holden; Recording Sunset Boulevard; The City of Sunset Boulevard; Morgue Prologue Script Pages; Franz Waxman and the Music of Sunset Boulevard; Behind the Gates: The Lot; Hollywood Location Map; Edith Head: The Paramount Years; Paramount in the ‘50s; theatrical trailer; galleries

Released: 11 November 2008
slim double keepcase

Paramount Pictures is re-releasing some of its beloved catalog titles in new Centennial Collection editions to celebrate the studio’s 100th birthday. Sunset Boulevard carries the Number 1 on its spine.

When watching Sunset Boulevard, it’s difficult not to think that Gloria Swanson was as creepy in real life as her portrayal of Norma Desmond. After all, the movie was inspired by genuine Hollywood history, particularly the faded careers of Swanson and Erich von Stroheim. Many viewers wind up loathing both Norma Desmond and Gloria Swanson.

I used to feel that way until I read a fascinating article in Vanity Fair magazine. “The Mogul in Mr. Kennedy” was published in the April 2002 edition. In the article, Cari Beauchamp chronicles Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.’s time as a Hollywood chief. Kennedy was instrumental in creating RKO Studios and consolidating the studios’ control over distribution. He also kept Gloria Swanson as a mistress.

Kennedy was a generous sugar daddy, buying Swanson numerous expensive presents. When he abandoned her, Swanson discovered that Kennedy purchased the gifts through her production company, which was in so much debt that she never really recovered financially. Of course, there was little that Swanson could do against Kennedy, who was one of the most powerful men of his time.

I felt an immense sense of sadness and pity after reading the article. While I’m not really judgmental about extra-marital affairs, I was astounded (still am) that Kennedy went to such lengths to destroy Swanson.

It is clear that the Kennedys never fell far from the tree.

You can read “The Mogul in Mr. Kennedy” at http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2002/04/joekennedy200204.

Video:
The 1.33:1 black-and-white image looks very good, especially for a movie made prior to 1980. There is some print damage, and the “soft focus” close-ups of Gloria Swanson’s face can look paradoxically harsh. Otherwise, sharpness and detail are excellent for an SD DVD.

Audio:
It appears that you get the same DD 2.0 mono English audio track that was on the previous Special Collector’s Edition DVD. The audio exhibits the limitations of the movie’s time--thinness, harshness, distortions, and wobbly music cues.

Extras:
--Disc 1--
There’s a comprehensive audio commentary by Ed Sikov, the author of On Sunset Boulevard: The Life and Times of Billy Wilder.

You also get a preview for It’s a Wonderful Life, which is already available as a two-disc special edition from Paramount.

--Disc 2--
“The Making of Sunset Boulevard” on the previous Special Collector’s Edition DVD has been replaced by several featurettes that discuss the movie’s development and post-release reception:
“Sunset Boulevard: The Beginning”, “The Noir Side of Sunset Boulevard”, “Sunset Boulevard Becomes a Classic”, “Stories of Sunset Boulevard”, “Recording Sunset Boulevard”, “The City of Sunset Boulevard”, and “Franz Waxman and the Music of Sunset Boulevard”.

“Morgue Prologue Script Pages” offers two sets of script pages accompanied by deleted footage.

“Hollywood Location Map” is an interactive bonus in which you can click on icons on a map to see video footage of places shown in the movie.

“Two Sides of Ms. Swanson” and “Mad About the Boy: A Portrait of William Holden” introduce the movie’s two leads to viewers.

“Edith Head: The Paramount Years”, “Paramount in the ‘50s”, and “Behind the Gates: The Lot” celebrate some of the studio’s best years.

Finally, you get a theatrical trailer and some stills galleries.

--Miscellaneous--
The discs are kept in a slim double keepcase. You also get a booklet and a cardboard slipcover.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Blu-ray Disc (David Filoni, 2008)

Warner/Lucasfilm (USA)
2.40:1 1080p
98 minutes
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 EX English, DD 5.1 EX English, DD 5.1 EX French, DD 5.1 EX Spanish, DD 5.1 EX Portuguese
Subtitles: Optional English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Extras: A Creative Conversation (video commentary); The Clone Wars: The Untold Stories; The Voices of The Clone Wars; A New Score; Concept/Production Art Gallery; Webisodes; Deleted Scenes; The Hologram Memory Challenge; previews; Digital Copy

Released: 11 November 2008
Blu-ray case

Every so often, George Lucas talks about directing a small art film that no one will see. “I’ve earned the right to fail,” he once told an interviewer. Well, George, you’ve failed many times over as evidenced by so many of your Star Wars efforts. You’re lucky, though, because there are plenty of schmucks who want to keep sending you their hard-earned dollars while you continue to shovel drivel.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars is a kick-off to an animated TV series set between Attack of the Clones and The Revenge of the Sith. As with the other movies, this one is overplotted. So many factions are involved that you stop caring after a certain point. You know, it is certainly possible to have multiple story threads, but the writing and editing have to be done in a graceful, elegant way that supports all the commotion. In the Star Wars universe, every bit of dialogue and plot development is perfunctory and going-through-the-motions.

Watch some of Criterion’s releases of Akira Kurosawa’s movies, and you’ll find Lucas talking about how the Japanese master influenced his career. Thus, if you want swordfights and epic intrigues, then you might as well watch The Hidden Fortress, Seven Samurai, Kagemusha, and Ran. At the very least, you won’t have to listen to those stupid droids and Jar Jar Binks.

Menus:
This is one of the few Warner Blu-rays with a “hard” menu (i.e. the movie doesn’t start automatically after the disc loads). It is possible that Lucasfilm wanted a “hard” menu, so Warner obliged. However, Warner’s software technicians took the easy route and used Warner’s “soft” menu for the “hard” menu. This means that the “Cancel Menu” button on the far right is visible but doesn’t do anything when you click on it. This also means that the first chapter is highlighted as “Current Chapter” even though you wouldn’t have started the movie already after the disc loads.

Video:
I’m of two minds about the picture quality. From a technical point of view, the 2.40:1 1080p transfer is top-notch. The movie was taken from a purely digital source, so you’re obviously not going to see “print damage”. Colors are vivid and vibrant. You won’t see any compression artifacts, either.

On the other hand, the character designs look terrible. Attempts to impart facial impressions are not credible in the least. (It’s a boon to the animators that so many of the characters wear masks or don’t have a lot of facial muscles anyway.) Even though this is completely CGI, the movie has a very flat look.

As people on the Internet like to type...YMMV (your mileage may vary).

Audio:
Well, we finally get a Warner new theatrical release with lossless audio on Blu-ray. The movie may’ve been originally intended as a TV pilot, but the audio sure sounds big. The primary Dolby TrueHD 5.1 EX English track is dynamic and punishing, as is appropriate for a story about intergalactic warfare in a variety of forms. The familiar sound effects, such as lightsabers, lasers, cannons, space cruisers, and droidekas, are all here. Sound effects fly in every direction, and my rear speakers helped with the heavy lifting more than usual. Bass is boomy and plentiful, even when Jabba talks.

Extras:
“A Creative Conversation” is a video commentary by the movie’s director, producers, and other key personnel. They talk about inspirations, comparisons, allusions, and technical/creative processes. Sometimes, you just hear the participants’ voices over the movie, but sometimes, the movie is reduced in size so that you see the participants sitting and talking in a theatre or you see animatics/behind-the-scenes footage. (The video commentary also has subtitles.)

“The Clone Wars: The Untold Stories” is basically an extended promo for the animated TV series.

“The Voices of The Clone Wars” introduces viewers to the voice actors.

“A New Score” shows how composer Kevin Kiner approached the daunting task of following in John Williams’s footsteps.

You also get a Concept/Production Art Gallery, Webisodes (Internet promos); and Deleted Scenes.

If you play “The Hologram Memory Challenge”, then you can unlock sneak peeks of the animated TV series.

There are two previews for the main feature as well as a spin-off videogame.

Finally, you can download/transfer a Digital Copy to a computer and portable media players.

Star Trek: The Original Series, Season 3 Re-mastered (various directors, 1968-1969)

Region 1 Paramount (USA)
NTSC, 1.33:1
1349 minutes
Audio: DD 5.1 English, DD 2.0 mono Spanish, DD 2.0 mono French
Subtitles: Optional Spanish, French
Extras: Billy Blackburn’s Treasure Chest: Rare Home Movies and Special Memories; Captain’s Log: Bob Justman; To Boldy Go...; Life Beyond Trek: Walter Koenig; Chief Engineer’s Log; Memoir From Mr. Sulu; Star Trek’s Impact; A Star Trek Collector’s Dream Come True; original episode previews; Collectible Trek

Released: 18 November 2008
custom box set

After the packaging fiascos that plagued Star Trek: The Original Series, Season 1 Re-mastered and Season 2 Re-mastered box sets, CBS and Paramount finally did something about the new plastic cases. There are rubber nubs that keep the disc trays in place, and since they’re rubber, the nubs don’t chew up the trays (as opposed to the sharp plastic protrusions in the previous boxes, which not only failed to keep the trays stationary but also contributed to their shattering). There’s also a plastic sticker on the Starfleet insignia that helps prevent chipping.

As with Season 2 Re-mastered, the discs don’t have any disc art, so they look like flippers/combos. When you try to play the discs “face down”, the machine gives you an error message. If CBS and Paramount aren’t going to use one side of the disc, then why not put something on that side instead of making it look like the discs have two sides of content??? Maybe the disc manufacturer used combo discs but didn’t encode anything on the HD DVD side, or maybe CBS and Paramount want the Season 2 and Season 3 discs to look like the Season 1 discs.

This new box set has seven discs. The discs have four episodes each except for Disc 7, which has two versions of The Cage and the bonus materials.

The original film elements were restored and re-mastered, so the episodes look much cleaner than ever. New computer-generated visuals replace the 1960s’ use of practical effects such as matte paintings, plastic model ships, and optical effects. Much of what the characters see on the viewscreen was also changed. Thus, you no longer see poor quality stock shots and gaffes such as Scotty using a phaser gun that doesn’t shoot a phaser. The new computer effects are surprisingly not intrusive at all and maintain the spirit of the show’s original aesthetics. The opening theme was re-recorded with today’s audio technology, and Shatner’s opening monologue was re-mastered.

Video:
The video transfers are native 1.33:1 encodes of the re-mastered episodes with new computer effects. The only way to get the broadcast versions of these episodes is to buy the previous SD DVD box sets or forty individual SD DVDs.

With the new transfers, some shots now have a little more information on the top, the bottom, or the sides. On the whole, you’ll see a marked improvement compared to the previous DVD releases. The most-noticeable differences are the colors, which are now very saturated. The strong hues and improved clarity emphasize details such as make-up (particularly during close-ups, to the point where Shatner and Nimoy sometimes look like drag queens!). You’ll also notice just how high and revealing those short-short miniskirts are; I was astonished to see that Nichelle Nichols and Grace Lee Whitney wore costumes that were little more than the swimsuits with skirts from the early 20th Century.

On the downside, the film prints aren’t entirely free of damage or debris. The use of soft focus and spotlights make some faces look like they’re melting (usually the women to make them “glow”), and this approach to filming is made very apparent because of the sharp contrast between regular focus and soft focus. Some backgrounds also yield blobbing/blocking.

Audio:
The primary audio is DD 5.1 English. The re-recorded theme song sounds much better than the other music and sound effects that weren’t updated. This is due to the improved dynamic range of today’s audio technology. The Enterprise’s whooshes from in front of the viewer off to the back sides will cause many heads to turn. Shatner’s monologue also sounds more commanding and robust than ever.

The remainder is impressive for a 1960s TV show--clean and intelligible, but bear in mind that the audio was originally mixed in mono. Therefore, some bass response is still rather hollow, and some music cues sound wobbly.

You can also watch the show with DD 2.0 mono Spanish and DD 2.0 mono French dubs. (Alas, you don’t get the original mono English tracks.) Optional Spanish and French subtitles as well as optional English closed captions support the audio.

Extras:
The new extras:
“Billy Blackburn’s Treasure Chest: Rare Home Movies and Special Memories” is a collection of footage that actor Billy Blackburn shot while he was on the set. The footage has been edited with interviews with Billy Blackburn talking about his experiences.

“Captain’s Log: Bob Justman” is a new featurette that pays tribute to the guy who actually kept Star Trek going.

The extras ported from the previous box set:
“To Boldy Go...” is an overview of Season 3. “Life Beyond Trek: Walter Koenig” yields the floor to a shy, often-in-the-background co-star. “Chief Engineer’s Log” features old and recent interviews with James Doohan. “Memoir From Mr. Sulu” showcases George Takei, someone who’s very active in the Asian-American community. “Star Trek’s Impact” takes a hagiographic look at the franchise’s influence. “A Star Trek Collector’s Dream Come True” examines how props are made. Finally, you can watch the original episode previews (i.e. “Next week on Star Trek” commercials).

The extra that was on the Best-Buy-exclusive bonus disc:
In “Collectible Trek”, fans talk about the paraphernalia that they’ve gathered over the years.

What’s been lost from the previous box set:
You no longer have the text commentaries for “The Savage Curtain” or “Turnabout Intruder”, “Production Art”, and six Easter Eggs.

--Miscellaneous--
The discs are held in square plastic trays that are bound together like the pages of a book. The tray-book is enclosed within a cardboard slipcase. Instead of a booklet, you get four plastic cards that provide information about the discs’ contents. Everything is housed inside a plastic shell with a front that has to be pulled forward to open the case.

Get Smart Blu-ray Disc (Peter Segal, 2008)

Warner (USA)
1.85:1 1080p
110 minutes
Audio: DD 5.1 English, DD 5.1 French, DD 5.1 Spanish, DD 5.1 Portuguese
Subtitles: Optional English SDH, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Extras: Comedy Optimization Mode; The Old “I Hid it in the Movie” Trick; The Right Agent for the Right Job; Max in Moscow!; Language Lessons; The Vomit Reel; Spy Confidential (Gag Reel); Spying on Get Smart’s Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control; DVD Game; Digital Copy

Released: 4 November 2008
Blu-ray case

Note: The Blu-ray edition has more extras than the Two-Disc DVD edition, and since it is available for $2 to $5 more than the Two-Disc DVD, it is the best purchase if you want this movie in your collection.

Movies based on TV shows don’t always ring up big numbers at the box office despite name-brand recognition, so it’s obvious that such adaptations/re-makes are greenlighted due to the minimal amount of effort required to get a production started. After all, you don’t have to think of a fresh premise, and you don’t have to expend a lot of energy trying to get executives to “understand” your pitch. Still, I suppose anything can be “new”, especially when so much of the movie-going audience doesn’t remember shows like The Dukes of Hazzard and Get Smart.

2008’s Get Smart is not a completely successful effort, though it does have several big laughs and a winning performance by Steve Carell. Carell’s deadpan is probably the best in American comedy today, and he sells the laughs much better than his more “obvious” co-stars. (The other cast members are mostly loud and obnoxious, though the two tech geeks are pretty funny, too.) Anne Hathaway has an alluring screen presence, though I wonder why the filmmakers decided to make her character shrill and angry. Carell and Hathaway’s interactions are a big part of the movie’s appeal, especially during a passage where they sneak into a villain’s estate and dance with unlikely partners.

Alas, as is usual with big-budget Hollywood offerings, the movie descends into an orgy of rapidly-edited vehicular chases and explosions which suck all the charm out of Carell and Hathaway.

Video:
You get an excellent 1.85:1 1080p transfer. Images are sharp and clean. Sequences set in CONTROL’s high-tech offices have an appropriate high-gloss sheen. Outdoors scenes are (understandably) a little softer than ones set indoors. The CGI looks obviously fake, but Get Smart is a silly spoof anyway.

Audio:
The primary DD 5.1 English audio track is polished, loud, and efficient. You get all the deep booms that are par for the course for big-studio action movies these days, and the playful music score is as brassy as you’d expect. Be careful, though, as the explosions are really loud, so you may find yourself adjusting the volume dial quite frequently.

Yes, this is yet another recent Warner theatrical release that doesn’t get the lossless audio treatment.

Extras:
You can watch the movie with the “Comedy Optimization Mode”, which utilizes the DVD format’s branching capabilities to insert roughly 45 minutes of alternate takes of jokes and gags. (This is a 50% increase over the DVD, which has only 20 minutes of alternate material.)

The director explains allusions to the TV series in “The Old ‘I Hid it in the Movie’ Trick”.

“The Right Agent for the Right Job” shows the behind-the-scenes training that was necessary for Steve Carell to become a super spy who stumbles from time to time.

“Max in Moscow!” takes viewers to on-location shooting in Russia.

“Language Lessons” spotlights Carell’s attempts to pretend that he is conversant in various languages.

“The Vomit Reel” is self-explanatory. “Spy Confidential” is a gag reel. “Spying on Get Smart’s Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control” is an extended promo for the spin-off movie that was released on DVD and Blu-ray while the movie was still in theatres.

Like Speed Racer, the Get Smart Blu-ray edition also includes a DVD Game that can be played on a Blu-ray/DVD player. Basically, you just hit the direction and Enter buttons on your remote control.

Finally, you can also download/transfer a Digital Copy of the movie for use in portable media players.

--Miscellaneous--
You also get an Instruction Manual for the DVD Game and a cardboard slipsleeve with a 3-D cover.

Get Smart Two-Disc Special Edition (Peter Segal, 2008)

Region 1 Warner (USA)
NTSC, 1.85:1 16x9 enhanced
110 minutes
Audio: DD 5.1 English, DD 5.1 French, DD 5.1 Spanish
Subtitles: Optional English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras: Comedy Optimization Mode; The Right Agent for the Right Job; Max in Moscow!; Language Lessons; Spy Confidential (Gag Reel); Spying on Get Smart’s Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control; previews for other movies; Digital Copy

Released: 4 November 2008
slim double keepcase

Movies based on TV shows don’t always ring up big numbers at the box office despite name-brand recognition, so it’s obvious that such adaptations/re-makes are greenlighted due to the minimal amount of effort required to get a production started. After all, you don’t have to think of a fresh premise, and you don’t have to expend a lot of energy trying to get executives to “understand” your pitch. Still, I suppose anything can be “new”, especially when so much of the movie-going audience doesn’t remember shows like The Dukes of Hazzard and Get Smart.

2008’s Get Smart is not a completely successful effort, though it does have several big laughs and a winning performance by Steve Carell. Carell’s deadpan is probably the best in American comedy today, and he sells the laughs much better than his more “obvious” co-stars. (The other cast members are mostly loud and obnoxious, though the two tech geeks are pretty funny, too.) Anne Hathaway has an alluring screen presence, though I wonder why the filmmakers decided to make her character shrill and angry. Carell and Hathaway’s interactions are a big part of the movie’s appeal, especially during a passage where they sneak into a villain’s estate and dance with unlikely partners.

Alas, as is usual with big-budget Hollywood offerings, the movie descends into an orgy of rapidly-edited vehicular chases and explosions which suck all the charm out of Carell and Hathaway.

Video:
You get an excellent 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. Images are sharp and clean. Sequences set in CONTROL’s high-tech offices have an appropriate high-gloss sheen. Outdoors scenes are (understandably) a little softer than ones set indoors. The CGI looks obviously fake, but Get Smart is a silly spoof anyway.

Audio:
The primary DD 5.1 English audio track is polished, loud, and efficient. You get all the deep booms that are par for the course for big-studio action movies these days, and the playful music score is as brassy as you’d expect. Be careful, though, as the explosions are really loud, so you may find yourself adjusting the volume dial quite frequently.

Extras:
--Disc 1--
Upon loading, the disc plays previews for other movies.

You can watch the movie with the “Comedy Optimization Mode”, which utilizes the DVD format’s branching capabilities to insert roughly 20 minutes of alternate takes of jokes and gags.

--Disc 2--
“The Right Agent for the Right Job” shows the behind-the-scenes training that was necessary for Steve Carell to become a super spy who stumbles from time to time.

“Max in Moscow!” takes viewers to on-location shooting in Russia.

“Language Lessons” spotlights Carell’s attempts to pretend that he is conversant in various languages.

“Spy Confidential” is a gag reel. “Spying on Get Smart’s Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control” is an extended promo for the spin-off movie that was released on DVD and Blu-ray while the movie was still in theatres.

Finally, you can also download/transfer a Digital Copy of the movie for use in portable media players.

--Miscellaneous--
You also get a cardboard slipsleeve with a 3-D cover.