Close Encounters of the Third Kind 30th Anniverary Ultimate Edition on Blu-ray

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The Bottom Line

The Blu-ray disc version of Close Encounters of the Third Kind marks the first release of a Steven Spielberg-directed film in a high definition disc format for consumers.

If you own a Blu-ray Disc player, you will want this for your library, not only for its historical significance, but as an example of a well-packaged Blu-ray disc release.

Although I have definitely seen better Blu-ray image quality from recently-made films, none-the-less this high-def release is definitely an improvement over the previous standard DVD releases of this film.

It is worth it just to watch the second disc of supplemental material.



Pros

• Three complete versions of the film accessible on one disc.
• Definite improvement in image quality over previous DVD versions.
• DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby Digital TrueHD audio encoding.
• Excellent supplemental materials on second disc.
• 30th anniversary collector's book and Poster included in box.

Cons

• Transfer is soft and grainy in sections - may be result of filming technique.
• Special effects look flat by today's standards.
• Audio quality good - but doesn't shine until the climax of the film.
• High price point.
• Only available in high definition in Blu-ray format - Not available in HD-DVD format.

Description

• Three versions of the film (Original, Special Edition, and Director's Cut) all included on one dual layer 50GB Blu-ray Disc.
• Supplementary Materials included on second single layer 25GB Blu-ray Disc.
• Video Specifications: Video codec used - MPEG-4 AVC, Video resolution - 1080p, Aspect ratio - 2.35:1.
• Audio Specifications: English - DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (English, French, and Spanish).

• Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, Thai
• Bonus Feature: New Steven Spielberg interview - 30 Years of Close Encounters.
• Bonus Feature: Storyboard to Scene Comparisons.
• Bonus Feature: Retrospective Documentary
• Bonus Features: Original 1977 Featurette Watch the Skies, Original Theatrical Preview, Deleted Scenes.
• Additional Bonuses: "View From Above" Version Comparison Chart, Poster, and 30th Anniversary Collector's Book.

Guide Review - Close Encounters of the Third Kind 30th Anniverary Ultimate Edition on Blu-ray

As the high-definition disc formats become accepted by consumers, more films are being added to the growing library of the Blu-ray and HD-DVD formats. What makes the release of Close Encounters of the Third Kind on Blu-ray Disc important is that it is the first Steven Spielberg-directed film to be released in high-def.

However, it may end up being one of the few, as Mr. Speilberg has apparently requested that his Paramount and Universal-directed films, such as the Indiana Jones Trilogy, Jurassic Park, and ET not be released on HD-DVD (Paramount and Universal's hi-def releases are currently on HD-DVD only).

Upon viewing "Close Encounters" on Blu-ray, I found the transfer a little grainy and soft in the special effects scenes, but was very good in the natural daylight exterior shots. Facial closeups were also very good. The high def transfer also reveals more flatness in the pre-CGI era special effects. However, it is still amazing how well the special effects do hold up, despite their age.

As far and sound quality goes, the surround sound imagery was excellent throughout the film. However, the best clarity in low frequency response was in the last portion of the film in both the exterior daylight Wyoming scenes, and the film's final climax.

Having originally seen "Close Encounters" in the first day of its wide-release in 1977, I must say that the new Blu-ray Disc is the closest to that experience that is possible, and is definitely the best quality version to be put on video.

My only major complaint is that it doesn't provide the "jump out at ya'" experience as some other recent Blu-ray Disc releases, but, after all, it is 30 years old.

I give the Close Encounters of the Third Kind 30th Anniversary Ultimate Edition on Blu-ray Disc an overall rating of 4 Stars out of 5.

For a look at what comes in the box, check out my Photo Gallery.