I really wanted to like this in HD. Really. The story of Dune is complex, futuristic and totally fit for an awesome HD experience. Unfortunately sci-fi movies from the 80’s not named “Star Wars” are not typically fit for HD wihtout some major remastering. It is hard to recommend an HD DVD where blue screen clipping is present. Regardless, David Lynch did a great job telling this story. So much so that I can say this is the weirdest big budget sci-fi movie I have ever seen. the HD DVD contains the 2 and a half hour version – unfortunately, no 4-hour version exists.

 The picture is less than exceptional – even 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen could not save Dune. The movie is set in the year 10-thousand-someting-or-other. Its really far into the future. There is space travel which is really controlled by “the spice”,mined on the desert planet Arrakis. Giant sandworms exist on Arrakis that threaten the humans (Fremen) and spice miners. These sandworms are essential to the film so selling the effect is crucial to the film. HD DVD exposes every weakness of 1980’s miniaturues and blue-screen effects. The scenes with the worms were laughable. Similarly, the ships the characters travel in looked like colorforms placed on a starfield background. I loved this movie when I saw it in the theatres. My friends and I would run around yelling “Muad’Dib” and pretend to use the futuristitic weapons as portrayed in the movie. I want this movie to work becasue it would help HD DVD sales. Unfortunately the HD DVD video transfer weas horrible and is in need of major post-production effects rework (how about a 5-disc offering like with Blade Runner?).

The audio was a sufficient 5.1 mix. Little things that needed to sound pronounced and powerful did – namely, the thumpers used to distract or attract sandworms provided a nice bass tone. Other than that, there was nothing exceptional about the audio track, and that’s just too bad.

The extras were comprehensive, but nothing extraordinary, just the typical run of the mill info featurettes. While I am on this topic, the menu was generic.

Lack of attention to the HD DVD transfer and a lack of features geared towards the cult followign Dune attracts makes it tough to advocate buying this movie. If you can get it as part of a promotion, and you are familar with the story, do it; but you won’t convince any friends to go to HD movies with this.

ILHDDVD Rating: 3/5 (I felt too much removed from the action)
Video/Image: 1/5 (failure to address effects shortcomings ruins this)
Audio: 4/5 (acceptable)
not recommended

Did you see this HD DVD? Rankit: (3 votes, average: 2.67 out of 5)

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I want my 116 minutes back. There is no reason why this movie should have been released in HD DVD. This movie will be responsible for the fall of HD DVD. It was horrible. The only reason to watch is captured above – Jessica Biel. I just saved you 116 minuted of your life.

I’m not a bigot, this movie was just horrible. The script was bad, the jokes were not funny and the production was cheap. The image looked great, but there is no reason to have produced this movie in HD. This movie is why the DVD will never go away. Some movies will be fine upconverted with a 5.1 Dolby Digital track.

If HD DVD fails and Blu-ray wins … this movie is the reason why. No one is going to buy this crap. Do not see this movie in SD or HD.

ILHDDVD Rating: 1/5 (only because I have to rank it)
Video/Image: 3/5 (The image looked good but wasted on crap)
Audio: 1/5 (high end systems will get tired and go to sleep)
not recommended

The title of this post should really be: “HD DVD Review: Bullitt=HD DVD bullshit”. Bullshit becuase the HD DVD conversion is crap. Here is an HD DVD of an old movie that shows its age … unlike the HD DVD conversion of the racing epic Grand Prix the conversion of this movie to HD DVD was pathetic. The greatest street race scene in any movie cannot redeem the lack of effort put into this HD DVD.

Steve McQueen is one of our favorite actors.  Le Mans is one of our favorite movies. Hell, we even enjoyed Bullitt on our crappy 20th centry DVD and CRT. This HD DVD, however, ruins the Steve McQueen movie experience.

First off the image was not restored in anyway – a major foul for a re-release in HD DVD. We did not spend thousands of dollars to see a shit image. I think, however, that the graniness of this movie does retain a certain amount of character. Regardless, it looks horrible on an HD system. Secondly, and most importantly, the audio is 2.1 – that’s right – frickin’ stereo. It was horrible to listen to this HD DVD.

The movie has a decent crime plot and decent acting. The street race scene, as previously stated, is probably one of the best street race scenes in a movie – it even beats *anything* Tokyo Drift has to offer. Regardless the awesomeness of that chase scene does not help this HD DVD overcome the crappiness of watching a crime drama in ster-e-ere-o. If the HD DVD group allows studios to release movies like this (in stereo) then they should give up instead and let BD run the show.

ILHDDVD Rating 1/5 (Keep watching your VHS copy)
Video/Image: 1/5 (crap, total crap)
Audio: 1/5 (Stereo? Seriously? in HD?)
NOT recommended

Reader Ratings: (1 votes, average: 3 out of 5)

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The “Ocean’s” series is a series with alot of style and some great music. Now the series has been packaged in a convenient “box set” for sale in HD DVD format. Unfortunately the visual style does not translate well into HD DVD and the music is not inspiring. The audio was so lackluster that throughout each of these movies I was checking my system thinking that there was a mistake with the connections. The system worked on reference audio (DVR’d Star Wars EPIII). On Ocean’s 11 and 12 the video was acceptable, colors were balanced and the shots were acceptable for HD DVD. 13, however, looked washed out and was almost distracting as the lack of audio from the surround speakers. Maybe this movie sounded good in the theatre, but not in the home.

Box Set:
ILHDDVD Rating 3/5 (nice package)
Video/Image: 3/5 (nothing special)
Audio: 3/5 (ultimately the whole package is pointless for surround sound)

11:
ILHDDVD Rating 3/5
Video/Image: 3/5 (colors well balanced, but nothing special – no “wow” factor)
Audio: 4/5 (For some reason the audio in 11 sounded good in HD DVD audio)

12:
ILHDDVD Rating 3/5
Video/Image: 3/5 (nothing special)
Audio: 3/5 (seriously … hardly noticable use of 5.1 channels)

13:
ILHDDVD Rating 2/5 (worth seeing, just not in HD)
Video/Image: 2/5 (washed hot, looked like widescreen SD – just upconvert.)
Audio: 1/5 (pointless in HD)

not recommended

Compared to Transformers, Eyes Wide Shut is not a movie which highlights the features of the HD DVD format. Don’t get me wrong, Nicole Kidman nude in HD DVD is very nice, but there is nothing exciting about this movie in HD DVD.

Stanley Kubrick made some awesome movies, Dr. Strangelove, Platoon, 2001 … Clockwork Orange … All recently released in HD DVD format. The first of the Kubrick collection I will review here is Eyes Wide Shut. One of Kubrick’s best in my opinion – even though it has Tom cruise in it. There is some great imagery, great script, and awesome little literary bits. For a more expansive review of these elements, click here. Undoubtedly this is a movie you must see multiple times to really take in the literary aspects of this movie. But in HD DVD, there is nothing to really talk about. Unlike Clockwork there is no great Beethoven soundtrack; unlike 2001 there are no stunning expansive sci-fi images. Its a great movie and should be seen, but HD DVD adds nothing to the movie.

ILHDDVD Rating 2/5
Video/Image: 2/5 (Nicole Kidman looks greta nude in HD, but that’s about it)
Audio: 2/5 (Nothing interestng here)
not recommended

Reader Ratings: (2 votes, average: 4.5 out of 5)

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