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

ADDITION: Arrow - Region FREE - Blu-ray August 2017: This is being simultaneously released by Arrow on Blu-ray in both Region 'A' + 'B'. Regarding differences in the US and UK Blu's - This appears to be as Michael Brooke informed us on Facebook about Day of Anger: 'As the producer of Arrow's release, I can confirm first hand that the UK and US discs are absolutely identical: we only paid for one master, so there's no doubt about this at all! Which means that no matter which package you buy, the discs will play in any Region A or B setup (or Region 1 or 2 for DVD - and in the latter case the video standard is NTSC, to maximise compatibility). The booklets are also identical, but there are minor cosmetic differences on the disc labels and sleeve to do with differing copyright info and barcodes, and the US release doesn't have BBFC logos.' Ronin is the same case.

Obviously, the 2007 and 2009, using the clunkier MPEG-2 encode as opposed to AVC and can't hold a candle to the 4K restoration, advertised as 'cinematographer-approved'. The superiority is duly noted in colors - especially skin tones that look far more realistic. If you compare the large captures - toggling between - you can see some aspect ratio distortion on the old US and Japanese BDs as well. There are no visible compression artifacts (present on the older Blu-rays) that I could see on the new Arrow HD transfer. It's quite apparent in-motion. No contest, at all in terms of image.

The audio is also improved, although technically the same offering a robust DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround track. But Arrow add the option of a linear PCM stereo (also 24-bit). The aggressive score by Czech composer Elia Cmiral (Stigmata) sounds fabulous matching the car chases and gunfights - bullet by bullet. It's clear, deep and for the 5.1 - floor rattling. The Arrow offers optional English (SDH) subtitle - see sample - identifying the French language when utilized. As stated the Arrow Blu-ray is Region FREE (or both 'A' + 'B').

The Arrow adds all the extras from the previous digital releases including the audio commentary by director John Frankenheimer - as found on the DVDs but absent on the older Blu-rays. They have added a new 1/2 hour video interview with director of photography Robert Fraisse about the production - mostly his part in the filming and a 30-minute, 1994, documentary on Robert De Niro by Paul Joyce. It includes input from Quentin Tarantino. The archival featurettes are all here, Ronin: Filming in the Fast Lane, Through the Lens, an archival interview with Robert Fraisse, Natascha McElhone: An Actor's Process, Composing the Ronin Score, In the Ronin Cutting Room, an archival interview with editor Tony Gibbs plu the Venice Film Festival interviews with Robert De Niro, Jean Reno and Natascha McElhone - all in almost 2 hours of the older video supplements. There is a brief alternate ending, a theatrical trailer and the package has a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork and for the first pressing, only, a collector's booklet illustrated by Chris Malbon, featuring new writing on the film by critic Travis Crawford.

If you're not convinced that this is the Blu-ray edition to own, then I'll give my two cents - this package is, by far, the ultimate for Frankenheimer's adrenalin-packed, high energy crime drama with a stellar cast. Buy with extreme confidence. 

***

ADDITION: MGM - US Blu-ray - February 09': Bad news - unfortunately the US Blu-ray is still single-layered and MPEG-2 and exactly the same image as the Japanese. Audio is exactly the same as well at 4246 kbps. This is still bare-bones and in fact the only differences are in the addition of a French and Spanish DUB and Chinese (traditional), French, Korean, Spanish subtitles. This is kind of a joke - it took MGM over a year to make this available in North American and when they do they don't upgrade one iota.

Although this is better than the DVDs - it is still a weak high-def transfer.

****

ON JAPANESE VERSION: NOTE: Firstly - to clear things up - this is the 2007 Japanese Blu-ray - also 'region A' which includes North America, Central America, South America, Japan (where this Blu-ray is from), Taiwan, North Korea, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia. So it plays on North American Blu-ray  players.

We expect the upcoming US release will be a different package (ex. English menus instead of Japanese etc.) but the video transfer may be the same. We will compare when we have the US Blu-ray.

This is single-layered with very warm skin tones but improves in detail. It shows grain but also some noise and artifacts, in monochromatic darkness. We can hope the upcoming Blu-ray advances upon this with dual-layering - hence producing better compression. Also this Japanese edition uses only the MPEG-2 encode which leaves plenty of room for demonstratively superior visuals if rendered with MPEG-4. In short, it improves upon the DVDs but it can, and will, look a lot better in my opinion. 

Audio: The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track sounded reasonably buoyant - accentuating much of the explosive action to the rear channels. It sounded rather heavy at times to my ears and, like the image, could show more depth and range. This is till a strong track though and may not be bettered. There is a Japanese DTS 5.1 DUB and subtitle options in English or Japanese.

Extras: I didn't dig too deep getting frustrated by the Japanese menus but there are some trailers (for Ronin) and some, what appears to be (I could be wrong), high-def examples including X-Men 3. There are no commentaries or any of the extensive supplements found on the Collectors edition in SD. This is another area I would expect the upcoming US Blu-ray edition to advance. We will compare here as soon as we receive it.

 - Gary Tooze

 - Gary Tooze

RONIN - This is a remarkable film and the last great work of the always underrated Frankenheimer. Made before the Spy Genre made a full post-Cold War return, the great action sequences, all-time amazing car chases and suspenseful pace are matched by a solid script that is above what the Spy franchises keep offering. It is more realistic than any of the Brosnan Bonds, XXX films, purposely commercial MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE films and except for TAILOR OF PANAMA, is one of the few serious-minded Spy films of the last thirty years. The DVD picture is not bad, but not great. After going through the trouble of creating a double set, you'd think Sony-controlled MGM would have added the still-stunning DTS mix the film continues to offer, but they only offer lesser Dolby Digital.