MSRP: £19.99
Picture
Even those who aren't sucked in by the story will find it hard to deny the sheer power of Metropolis' visuals. Presented here anamorphically in the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, the image is absolutely flawless thanks to a seemingly pristine source print and magnificent encoding. There's no sign of edge-enhancement or digital artefacting, while the colours are saturated, image detail is staggering and delineation is first-rate.
Sound
For purists, the only choice will be the Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, which is near reference quality, with solid, deep bass, crisp, clear dialogue and wonderful use of spatial effects. However, even the English language dub provided on the disc (in both DD5.1 and DTS ) is well done, with strong voice acting and the same tremendous mix. To accompany these soundtracks Columbia has also provided a host of subtitle options including English Hard Of Hearing, Original Japanese Translation (a more exact translation of the dialogue) and US Theatrical (the more fluid subtitles from the theatrical release).
Extras
In addition to the theatrical trailer there is the Animax Special: The Making of Metropolis TV special, which runs for around half an hour and is presented in Japanese with English subtitles. You also get brief interviews with the director Rintaro and screenwriter Katsuhiro Otomo, two multiangle comparisons so you can study the development of the animation, filmographies and art galleries.A truly memorable film on a disc with a reference quality transfer strong enough to help you forget about the slight lack of extras.
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