Most disappointing Blu-ray releases so far

[Evra]

We're now into 2011 and with another year gone, we've ushered in many great Blu-ray releases but also some utter disappointments when it comes to Blu-rays. So, what has been the most disappointing Blu-ray releases for you so far? I don't mean disappointing in terms of the quality of the film but rather the Blu-ray release.

Here are a few of mine:

Heat: A Michael Mann supervised transfer and this is the best they provided us? Don't get me wrong I love Heat as much as the next guy but with this transfer, I have no desire to revisit this film on Blu-ray no thanks to the awful audio mix.

Batman Begins: The five minute preview to The Dark Knight included in the disc made me want to break the disc after knowing that we could have had PQ as good as TDK but instead had to endure what we had to endure with the Batman Begins transfer. Boo!

Charade: One of my favorite films of all time and I was thrilled to see this on the Criterion collection but the extras or rather the lack of it, is disappointing to say the least and imho, no where near deserving the hefty price tag it has.

Any others to add?

[GunRanger]

I really don't see he problem with Heat.

[HD Goofnut]

Predator: UHE - Way too much DNR. Luckily I kept my 2008 MPEG-2 version.

Spies Like Us/Funny Farm - Both needed new masters and Warner didn't want to pay for it.

The Untouchables - Too much DNR, but it is still noticeably better than the DVD.

That's the first few that come to mind. Maybe I'll think of more later.

[ridergroov1]

I don't see a problem with Heat or Batman Begins. I thought batman was really good actually.

[BillieCassin]

None. Honestly.

I like to watch movies. And TV shows. If they look better than DVD, I'm happy. And I don't put a microscope up to my TV to check every little pixel - it either looks good, or it doesn't. I think some people spend an awful lot of time worrying about things that are pretty insignifigant to the overall viewing experience - and there is a huge difference between watching a movie and noticing a poor transfer, and putting a disc in to "examine" it, two feet away from the screen and going frame by frame analyzing it.

That's why I'm happy with all my Blu's - I haven't gotten a distracting transfer yet, they all look better than DVD counterparts - so hey, I'm a happy guy.

[miller_time22]

I was disappointed none of the extras for Escape from New York were carried over from the special edition dvd.

[nolfoc]

Originally Posted by GunRanger

I really don't see he problem with Heat.

Originally Posted by ridergroov1

I don't see a problem with Heat or Batman Begins. I thought batman was really good actually.

+1 i dont see what the problem is either.. i thought Heat and Batman Begins looked excellent

[Evra]

Originally Posted by BillieCassin

None. Honestly.

I like to watch movies. And TV shows. If they look better than DVD, I'm happy. And I don't put a microscope up to my TV to check every little pixel - it either looks good, or it doesn't. I think some people spend an awful lot of time worrying about things that are pretty insignifigant to the overall viewing experience - and there is a huge difference between watching a movie and noticing a poor transfer, and putting a disc in to "examine" it, two feet away from the screen and going frame by frame analyzing it.

That's why I'm happy with all my Blu's - I haven't gotten a distracting transfer yet, they all look better than DVD counterparts - so hey, I'm a happy guy.

I own DVDs for most of the older films I like and the only reason I buy the Blu-ray is for the transfer - hence the microscoping.

[Darthvong]

Originally Posted by miller_time22

I was disappointed none of the extras for Escape from New York were carried over from the special edition dvd.

This. Add me to the "I don't see anything wrong with Batman Begins"

[BillieCassin]

Originally Posted by Evra

I own DVDs for most of the older films I like and the only reason I buy the Blu-ray is for the transfer - hence the microscoping.

Whatever you do is up to you, but have you ever met a Blu-ray that looked *worse* than it's DVD? Some people might not like color timing, etc., but really....a Blu pretty much universally is better than a DVD.

Many of the films I have bought on Blu are DVD replacements as well. If they look better, I'm happy. So far, haven't found one that isn't.

What is odd about the microscope thing to me is - well, you don't watch a movie from two feet away pausing every second to compare pixels and frames, so why does it matter what it looks like that close? If it looks good at viewing distance, isn't that the point?

[GunRanger]

I'm sure most disappointments will come from lack of extras. Like why the hell did none from that 4 disc dvd come with Kingdom of Heaven's blu ray release? Just nonsense.

[Evra]

Originally Posted by BillieCassin

Whatever you do is up to you, but have you ever met a Blu-ray that looked *worse* than it's DVD? Some people might not like color timing, etc., but really....a Blu pretty much universally is better than a DVD.

Many of the films I have bought on Blu are DVD replacements as well. If they look better, I'm happy. So far, haven't found one that isn't.

What is odd about the microscope thing to me is - well, you don't watch a movie from two feet away pausing every second to compare pixels and frames, so why does it matter what it looks like that close? If it looks good at viewing distance, isn't that the point?

As for Batman Begins, the point is if the film could have looked as good as The Dark Knight could, it is disappointing that we got the transfer we have had to settle for Batman Begins.

Is it inferior to the DVD? NO!
Is it as good as TDK's transfer? NO, hence the disappointment.

[slaughinghouse]

I too, am not disappointed in the Heat/Batman Begins movies. BB looks great IMO. TDK tho, is in a league of it's own. Incredible PQ. My wife even noticed it. And she also loved the movie.

As far as BB looking as good as TDK, I'm not that broken up about it. BB is a pretty good looking movie on its own.

[retablo]

Originally Posted by Evra

As for Batman Begins, the point is if the film could have looked as good as The Dark Knight could, it is disappointing that we got the transfer we have had to settle for Batman Begins.

Is it inferior to the DVD? NO!
Is it as good as TDK's transfer? NO, hence the disappointment.

Except that TDK was marred with EE and DNR. So that's not a comparison, really. I prefer the transfer for BB to TDK any day.

Biggest disappointment? WB's handling of Branagh's Hamlet. What could've been an amazing transfer of the last 70mm film turned out to be a DNR disaster.

[NathanDrakeFan]

Scott Pilgrim vs The World. The ENTIRE movie was soft and lacked any depth. Since it included the dvd, I did a side by side comparisons as I have 2 tv's in my room. Very little difference.Hands down the worst, or rather, softest looking blu-ray I've ever seen.

I was also dissapointed by Planet Earth. The grain was so extreme and distracting at points. I know the whole thing about film and grain, but this was ugly grain. Deja vu, The Spiderman Trilogy, Superbad, etc...... have very fine grain that is usually unnoticeable from standard viewing distance.
The whole reason I bought it in the first place for I think $80 was because I heard it was a spectacular looking blu-ray, but man was the grain distracting and unattractive.

That isn't,however, knocking movies that have excessive grain as a atylistic choice or transfers that are limited by the original film stock.No. Planet Earth is not the grainiest Blu-ray.Far from it, but it is the ugliest grain ever

[Beast]

Originally Posted by Evra

As for Batman Begins, the point is if the film could have looked as good as The Dark Knight could, it is disappointing that we got the transfer we have had to settle for Batman Begins.

Is it inferior to the DVD? NO!
Is it as good as TDK's transfer? NO, hence the disappointment.

It's also a completely different movie. So the transfer argument is nonsensical.

[Evra]

Originally Posted by Beast

It's also a completely different movie. So the transfer argument is nonsensical.

I get that, I just get anal when one Gotham looks better than the other.

[peter008]

i agree with some of you about the lack of extras, to me any blu-ray movie who lack the extras that the dvd movie counterpart possess is a dissapointment to me, don't get me wrong i will still buy the blu but i will be dissapointed.

[iam1bearcat]

i'm easy to please so no blu-rays really disappoint me, i just wish all films would come with a commentary track or a making of documentary - ONE OF THE TWO AT LEAST!

hell, even if it isn't the director or main stars, have someone do a commentary track. maybe i love them more than most, but what i would give for a commentary track on There Will Be Blood, Magnolia, The Fountain, The Wrestler, The Dark Knight, and many more. i don't need / want answers for things in films, but a commentary track doesn't need it.

like Inception. i would love to hear Nolan do a commentary. i don't need "answers" for the questions in the film, but just give us something in a commentary - where the idea originated from, how each actor was chosen, designing sets, the structure of the film, if he'd do a sequel... things like that.

if blu-ray is the best format, then all aspects should be fully exhausted - including special features.

[BasicGreatGuy]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

i'm easy to please so no blu-rays really disappoint me, i just wish all films would come with a commentary track or a making of documentary - ONE OF THE TWO AT LEAST!

hell, even if it isn't the director or main stars, have someone do a commentary track. maybe i love them more than most, but what i would give for a commentary track on There Will Be Blood, Magnolia, The Fountain, The Wrestler, The Dark Knight, and many more. i don't need / want answers for things in films, but a commentary track doesn't need it.

like Inception. i would love to hear Nolan do a commentary. i don't need "answers" for the questions in the film, but just give us something in a commentary - where the idea originated from, how each actor was chosen, designing sets, the structure of the film, if he'd do a sequel... things like that.

if blu-ray is the best format, then all aspects should be fully exhausted - including special features.

Good point. And that is one of the things I appreciate about Criterion. They go the extra mile, in bringing the film experience to the viewer.