Specs:
- Full 1080p High Definition Widescreen 16x9
- 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus
- Pop-up menus
- Scene Slections
- English Subtitles
- Zoom/pan feature
- Original Theatrical Trailer (480i Standard Definition)
Video
I'm disappointed with this new catalogue title from Warner. Unfortunately this has received some of the de-interlacing filters resulting in jagged edges and reduced verticle resolution. The whole image appears rather flat with none of that high definition "wow" factor that other titles have. Also, it appears that the old 1998 transfer was used and not the newer 2001 because the blooper featuring a random crew man's face that was erased for 2001 appears again. Perhaps many of these problems listed above could have been avoided had Warner done the right thing and used
the newer master. It does have positive sides. Colours do appear accurate with many slick shades. Dirt never becomes a major problem either. But on the whole the disc falls short. This is not a true HD picture.
Audio
There isn't as much of a difference in the audio as the video between the DVD and HD-DVD, but it still shows an improvement. The higher bit rate makes it that much better. The opening titles are a great way to test the sound on the disc.
Extras
The HD-DVD recycles all the extras from the 2001 DVD edition. We get the two featurettes, the useless introduction, the average commentary and the trailer. It's too bad we aren't seeing a lot more catalogue titles with new extras but we are still early in the world of HD.
Final Thoughts
It's hard to recommend this title. If you're looking for a good, crisp showcase title than this isn't it. But if you really enjoy the movie and never grabbed a copy then this is probably the one to get, even though the SE DVD has a better transfer.
HD-DVD
Video: 4/10
Audio: 6/10
Extras: 5/10
