1. WALL-E proved once again the people at Pixar know how to make a great animated film. WALL-E was a delight for young and old and made us full in love with an adorable little robot in the cautionary tale. Computer animation in particular, shines in the blu-ray format and WALL-E is no exception. The film came with a great bonus short and even has a digital option for you to add the film to your iPod.
2. The Third Man is one of those classic black and white films I have bought from video, DVD, to blu-ray. This is a release by the Criterion Collection company and it’s about time they started producing their superior editions on the blu-ray format. Criterion introduced the consumer to the letterbox format, pioneered the idea of bonus material like the commentary track, and The Third Man is a wonderful idea to be one of their first films to be released in the blu-ray format. The classic film noir film from 1949 proves that even a film that old will reap the benefits with HD. The film has never looked better with this new restored transfer and is a welcome edition to anyone’s blu-ray library.
3. Sleeping Beauty was picked as Disney’s first animated film from their classic era as the first available in their Platinum blu-ray edition for a reason. The film has been restored in all its majesty and can now be seen for the first time in its correct full negative aspect ration of 2:55:1. Fans can finally see the animated classic in its full wide screen glory and the film has never looked more beautiful then when it was first released in 1959. Disney will continue to release their classic animated films next year starting with Pinocchio.
4. Bottle Rocket was the first film by director and auteur, Wes Anderson. Although the film was initially a box office flop, the film has become a cult classic through the years introducing the world to Anderson’s quirky vision. The film is another that has been given the full Criterion Collection upgrade. Criterion has in turn, has brought us a great edition with a wealth of bonus material, including the original short film that the feature film is based on. It’s worth the money and worth the time if you are a Wes Anderson fan and Luke and Owen Wilson who star in the film.
5. Planet of the Apes is one of those guilty pleasures and the box set is one of the best of the year. Its slick rectangular case is a show stopper that includes all five of the original classic films. Some of them in extended and unrated editions and all of the films include bonus material. If that’s not enough there is a 200 page book of great pictures and a ton of behind the scenes information. This is a wonderful collection for anyone that is a fan of the films.
6. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull finally brought Harrison Ford back one more time as the swashbuckling archeologist with the whip. It’s also the first of the Indiana Jones series available on blu-ray. Although not the best of the series it still proved to be a wild ride. The film looks great and it’s a film that grows on you with each viewing. Try to pick up a copy at one of the Target stores that carries the exclusive edition that includes a behind the scenes book of photos. It’s worth it and the 80 pages of photos by David James’ images are a wonderful bonus.
7. The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration includes all three films plus a ton of over four hours of bonus material (including the screen tests from the first film). This is everything you will ever need in a nice tidy four disc set. Director Francis Ford Coppola is one of those perfectionists and this box set shows. The films have never looked better and you can finally see these films in all their beauty.
8. James Bond Blu-ray Collection Three-Pack Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 finally brought six of the classic James Bond movies to hi-def. Daniel Craig may be holding the license to kill these days, but Sean Connery started it all back in 1962. Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Thunderball along with two more from Roger Moore and one from Pierce Bronson, James Bond is looking fantastic for his age.
9. Dirty Harry: The Ultimate Collection brings all five of the Dirty Harry films to blu-ray. IT comes with all-new bonus material including commentaries and featurettes on each of the films. The box set is a little bit clumsy and cumbersome. Still the collection is perfect for anyone that is a fan of the successful franchise.
10. The Day the Earth Stood Still, the original classic b&w and not the recent Keanu Reeves version, looks surprisingly good for a 1950’s B-Movie. The film is vibrant and rich in b&w. It’s a bit short and seems to quickly wrap up in the final act. Still, it’s a film ahead of it’s time and proves worthy as a sci-fi classic.
Honorable Mentions:
Comic book films have never been more popular and have never been better. This genre has finally been taken serious and for good reason. Technology has finally caught up with the ability to make these stories look real. This year some of the best came out in the theater and are now looking incredible on blu-ray.
1. Iron Man
2. The Dark Knight
3. The Incredible Hulk
Animation is another genre that is benefiting greatly from the richness of blu-ray. In particular, computer animation seems to shine the strongest and here are some of the one's worth checking out.
1. Nightmare Before X-Mas
2. Kind-fu Panda
3. Shrek the Third
4. Madagascar
5. The Pixar Short Films
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