Gladiator Blu-ray

Gladiator is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated Blu Ray releases since the launch of the format. It is therefore terribly disappointing that Universal/Paramount have done such an awful job with the transfer of this classic film.

To cut a long story short, there are major issues with edge enhancement (manifested by white “halos” surrounding people/objects) and the studio has haphazardly used a “scratch removal” tool that has removed certain key details from the film – the worst examples being flaming arrows and fireballs in the opening battle and lightning bolts during Maximus' journey home. There are also instances where soldiers' spears look like they have had entire sections scrubbed out.

To add insult to injury, the new extended scenes that are included in this Blu Ray release HAVE NOT been subjected to the same butchery and only serve to highlight what a negligent job the studio has done with the rest of the film.

All of these issues have been well documented in numerous internet reviews and the consensus appears to be that the picture quality (particularly in the opening scenes of the film) is not acceptable for such an eagerly anticipated Blu Ray release.

There will nevertheless be many who will enjoy Gladiator on Blu Ray despite it's clear failings, but those with larger screens (42" and above) and a sound understanding of the various nuances of picture quality will be distracted by the edge enhancement and (in certain scenes) the loss of detail. It really is criminal that flaming arrows that are visible in the DVD version are not visible in the Blu Ray!

I expect Blu Ray to provide the best possible picture – and it so often delivers – but sadly Gladiator falls well short. Oh, apparently the audio is fantastic so that's some small consolation.

No fault of the Ape; but the local distributor is yet to signal its intention to release the remastered version of Gladiator. An intensely visual film, you really need the best PQ you can get; and the version quietly released this year in most regions – but not here in NZ – is magnificent in this respect.

Do the local industry a favour and do not buy this release; instead, ask the Ape to pass your feedback to the distributor, so they know that local consumers are not willing to be shortchanged.

Re: Mark, "Gladiator on Blu Ray a disappointment… "

Universal Studios have offered replacement discs, which have no Edge Enhancement, or Digital Noise Reduction, for a while now. You can get your replacement disc by contacting Universal NZ (check Whitepages or Yellowpages). They accepted their mistake and did the right thing. The ones you buy off the shelve now though, will already be the corrected discs (look for the Pocket Blu logo on the back).

At $12 for the 2 disc definitive blu-ray, I couldn't resist picking this up. Having read the controversy about the terrible 2009 transfer, I was hoping that the cheap Mighty Ape price wasn't a bad sign that we were getting dumped old, non-remastered stock. After much deliberation and research, I think the version I got was the non-remastered one.

It's not clear from the packaging which version this is. Of course the packaging can be changed at a whim) but on the copy I received from Mighty Ape, the UPC code is white, and there is no Pocket Blu logo. The disc numbers are not helpful – they are not in keeping with those mentioned at Amazon, AVS forums etc. As being either the remaster or original blu release. My number end in “…R1L1” – no “B” in there anywhere.

So – I popped the disc in and started watching. Picture quality seems OK. The Gladiator logo is black and stays black (which is of uncertain significance from what I have read – could be remastered or not). Two scenes lead me to believe this is probably the remaster:

1. The fireballs and arrows in the opening battle scene do not ‘disappear’ at any stage.
2. My picture looks the same as the remastered screenshots in this thread post (http://www.avsforum.com/…p-p=18918642#…).

Oh – and the movie itself- Just as good as you remember it :) This set comes with tons of extras to keep you watching for a whole weekend, plus the theatrical and extended editions. Lots of commentaries too. Enjoy!

This is not the redone Blu-ray transfer. However, it is still very watchable and a sight to behold beyond the DVD version. The extended version adds detail and dimention to the original-making a good thing even better. As for extras, this would have to be one of the most comprehensive extra features list for any DVD movie I own. I got this from about 12 bucks so I'm not complaining too much about the Blu-ray transfer quality and I should say that the sound is magnificent. Worth getting at a discounted price, so I will give it 3.5 out of 5.