NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were ripped directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Blu-ray October 08': The improvements are not obvious or pronounced in the shrunken screen captures - but they are still evident. The original black + white may demonstrate the superior advancement over both previous SD-DVD images. The contrast is much more pure - grain is more visible and noise far less infiltrating. The SD B/W looks faded and has some sepia in it. On the color front - again noise shifts to good grain and skin tones show a far more realistic tone - more pink and less yellow/magenta. Lines are tighter and detail superior for both on the new 1080P whose features take up about 17 Gig each in the Blu-ray dual-layered disc.

Audio: The Blu-ray gets a TrueHD bump and which sounded decent to me. I didn't overly analyze/compare to the latest SD-DVD package but technically it must surely be an improvement. The rear speaker action was rare but it exists in the new mix. I think it's an error not to include the original mono as an option. The Blu-ray has a host of further subtitle options probably signifying it is region free.

NOTE: There are subtitles for the commentary!

It appears as though all the same extras are included, with the commentary and featurettes discussed below. I didn't find anything new but there is a bonus to having them all on one Blu-ray disc.

This isn't my favorite Harryhausen film but I really enjoyed my viewing in high-definition. It came alive just that much more - Faith Domergue looks fabulous and the sci-fi story titillated the young lad in me. Saturday afternoons were never better than when they were watching stuff like this and this Blu-ray brings the experience home with a memorable nostalgic touch. Thanks Ray Harryhausen!

***

ON THE SD-DVDs: I'll be brief - the new 2-disc set's original black and white transfer (even though both version - b/w + colorized - share the same side of the first disc) appears marginally superior in some scenes. It has fewer artifacts and is somewhat smoother without giving up detail. Essentially the image quality for both b/w is the same.

The reason the older release is not especially better visually (as is in Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers) can be possibly assumed because it shares the dual-layered disc with the hour long excellent documentary 'The Harryhausen Chronicles'. Sony have put both the original black \ white and color versions on the same side of the first disc of this new two-disc package - so the compression is, essentially divided and, not as strong as it could have been if they were on separate discs. Of course beyond the theatrical accuracy of the appearance the new two disc has bumped audio and a new Harryhausen commentary (more both below) plus extensive extras (although many are repeated from the colorized Twenty Million Miles to Earth DVD sets - 50th Anniversary Edition SD and Blu-ray) and the 2-disc Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers.   

The colorization is not bad, but far from exhilarating. It looks quite strong in some sequences (the ocean and the tentacles of the 'It') but kind of washed in others. Skin tones are not bad - nice to see Faith Domergue in color. Overall though, I believe I have seen better colorizations and personally prefer the black and white.  In fact, I'd have preferred to see a pristine b/w version... with these new supplements and 'The Harryhausen Chronicles'. Like in Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers, the 5.1 audio bump option has some moments - enough to warrant inclusion? - I suppose but in the end it's fake and there should have been an option for the original.

There is a new commentary with the obviously aged Harryhausen, and his devout followers; this time Randall William Cook, John Bruno and Arnold Kunert. Kunert again takes the lead and there is some fairly interesting information revealed. There is a featurette (actually an interview with Harryhausen) called Remembering It Came From Beneath the Sea and a look at the comic book edition and a duplicated featurette about a present day look at the dying art of stop-motion (by a student) - also found on Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers.

Also repeated from Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers and the 50th Anniversary Edition Twenty Million Miles to Earth SD  and Blu-ray - there is a brief, 10 minute, featurette on the colorization process, a Tim Burton interview with Ray Harryhausen for almost a half hour. There is some original ad artwork and another repeated featurette - "David Schecter: Movie Music's Unsung Hero" (running 22 minutes).

I enjoy this film but it's not on the nostalgic scale of This Island Earth or other Harryhausen films like The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad or Jason and the Argonauts. The extras are disappointing in that many are repeated (other DVD editions) and the image is not a pristine example of the original film (on its own dual-layered disc) or the colorization process. So we don't recommend as the new commentary and featurette, plus 5.1 bump don't seem to equal the value of the cost of this package - especially if you are 'double-dipping'. I'm glad I own the original with 'The Harryhausen Chronicles'. Anyway, we hope the screen grabs below help you make your own determination.   

Gary W. Tooze