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REVIEW: Metropolis BD+DVD

On the British import release of Metropolis, the extras were put on the main feature BD disc and it was the same mini-documentaries and other extras that were on the mini-disc that came with the original Metropolis DVD release in Region 1 back in the early 2000s (2002?). I kept my original DVD release so I wasn't miffed that the British steelbook came with a DVD (Region 2) that was unplayable on my machines. The British BD itself IS compatible on Region A players; it was soft-coded for security. It was advertised as Region B but early importers found out quickly it played without issues on Region A/American BD Players.

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The anime feature is a loose adaptation of the manga. The Tima arc is in the manga and there's an additional scene that was inexplicably cut from the original US release that I saw in the British BD release. Yes, I'm a nut -- I have both Blu ray steelbook editions. I DO think the British BD had the better steelbook edition as far as the casing was concerned. The choice of art and color of the steelbook were nicer on the British edition as far as I'm concerned.

The Metropolis anime is probably one of the prettier anime features in at least the last 25 years, I'd say closer to 30 years.

spoiler[It is the most memorable scene of the film by far, but is it typical for a story's climax to be used for the box art?]

Ummm...

This is actually the THIRD release of Metropolis on Blu ray in the States/North America.
Sony did a BD-R through their online print-order program (equivalent to the Warner Archive which by the way presses all its Blu ray discs including Warner animation titles).
They sublicensed Metropolis to Mill Creek which did an exclusive Blu ray release for Wal Mart which was barebones -- it was movie-only with both audio tracks.
The US steelbook is the THIRD release overall in North America and Mill Creek's second edition of Metropolis.
What it looks like Mill Creek did here was just reprint the BD edition they created for Wal Mart and then essentially replicated the previous DVD with the special extras on the same disc. So, in other words they recreated the 2000s release all on the same DVD instead of splitting between a 5-inch feature disc and a mini-DVD (special features disc) like the original Metropolis DVD release in the States was.

On the British import release of Metropolis, the extras were put on the main feature BD disc and it was the same mini-documentaries and other extras that were on the mini-disc that came with the original Metropolis DVD release in Region 1 back in the early 2000s (2002?). I kept my original DVD release so I wasn't miffed that the British steelbook came with a DVD (Region 2) that was unplayable on my machines. The British BD itself IS compatible on Region A players; it was soft-coded for security. It was advertised as Region B but early importers found out quickly it played without issues on Region A/American BD Players.

The video master for Metropolis has always been messed up and Sony has NEVER done a proper HD remaster of this movie because it's not a perennial best-seller like The Fifth Element which has had AT LEAST 4 HD remasters -- 3 Blu ray, the fourth for the 4K Blu release. That film pays for itself. Nobody at Sony has faith Metropolis is worth the remaster which is why we're stuck with what looks like an upscale of the DVD master tape.

Yes, everybody's noticed the banding that occurs in some scenes. It's on every Blu ray release of Metropolis because every company that's done a Metropolis (anime) BD has been forced to use the same flawed video master.

The Metropolis anime IS based on the Fritz Lang silent movie classic. It's obvious Tezuka used that as the basis for his manga. The ideas of revolt and an out-of-control creation (artificial woman) and industrialist ambitions are the common themes in both the anime and original silent classic. They complement each other well, actually, and both are films worth seeing.
The anime feature is a loose adaptation of the manga. The Tima arc is in the manga and there's an additional scene that was inexplicably cut from the original US release that I saw in the British BD release. Yes, I'm a nut -- I have both Blu ray steelbook editions. I DO think the British BD had the better steelbook edition as far as the casing was concerned. The choice of art and color of the steelbook were nicer on the British edition as far as I'm concerned.
The Metropolis anime is probably one of the prettier anime features in at least the last 25 years, I'd say closer to 30 years.

Does this latest blu ray have the after credits illustration? I hated the US release so much because it cut the illustration from the theatrical and DVD versions.

gpanthony wrote:

Does this latest blu ray have the after credits illustration? I hated the US release so much because it cut the illustration from the theatrical and DVD versions.

Yup, it's there!

gpanthony wrote:

Does this latest blu ray have the after credits illustration? I hated the US release so much because it cut the illustration from the theatrical and DVD versions.

Yup, it's there!

GeorgeC wrote:

The Metropolis anime is probably one of the prettier anime features in at least the last 25 years, I'd say closer to 30 years.

Hmm. I find that hard to believe after watching Akira, Redline, and Your Name on bluray, but I guess I’ll see in a few weeks!