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

ADDITION: Criterion Blu-ray (January 2020): Firstly, we have already extensively reviewed the Second Run (UK) Region FREE Blu-rays of the three films contained in Criterion's Three Fantastic Journeys by Karel Zeman;

Journey to the Beginning of Time HERE, Invention for Destruction HERE and The Fabulous Baron Munchausen HERE.

Criterion have also transferred in "New 4K digital restorations of all three films" on three separate dual-layered Blu-rays - each with a max'ed out bitrate. These are from original materials by the Karel Zeman Museum and the Czech National Film Archive. There is only some minor variance with the Criterion having marginally richer black levels and heightened color tinting in The Fabulous Baron Munchausen. Otherwise the 1080P presentations are just as stunning - minor contrast tweaking is noticeable and they are a notch superior in terms of visual brilliance with slightly more robust technical transfers.

On their Blu-ray, Criterion use linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original Czech language and include the alternate English-dubbed (lossy Dolby) "The Fabulous World of Jules Verne" version available with Invention for Destruction and the alternative English-dubbed version: a feature-length reconstruction (by Derrick Davis) of the US release cut of Journey to the Beginning of Time via a lossy Dolby audio transfer. There is music in Journey to the Beginning of Time credited to E.F. Burian, Vlastimil Pinkas and Frantisek Strangmüller. Like the Second Run, the audio is imperfect but services the film presentation considerably - flat but with depth augmenting the visual effects. In Invention for Destruction and The Fabulous Baron Munchausen the score is credited to Zdenek Liska (Cremator, The Shop on High Street, The White Dove, Fruit of Paradise). The resulting audio is flat but clean and Criterion offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-rays.

The Criterion Blu-ray has many of the same extras as the Second Run packages with the short 'Museum' featurettes are here including Karel Zeman and the World, The Birth of a Film Legend, Why Zeman Made the Film, The Cast etc. spread out on the three BDs. On The Fabulous Baron Munchausen Blu-ray disc is the feature length Film Adventurer Karel Zeman  documentary on the life, work and influence of Karel Zeman with contributions from Terry Gilliam, Tim Burton, Koji Yamamura and others. It was made in 2015. It covers so much of the history and input from modern filmmakers notable kudos some from the likes of Tim Burton who has stated "Karel Zeman and Ray Harryhausen were the two big inspirations for me... what Zeman did was amazing" and Terry Gilliam who stated "He did what I'm still trying to do, which is to try and combine live action with animation. His Doré-esque backgrounds were wonderful. The Fabulous Baron Munchausen captured the real spirit of the character". It's a great supplement - highly notable as an extra for the film. There is the previously mentioned U.S.-release version of Journey to the Beginning of Time from 1960 and alternate English-dubbed soundtrack for Invention for Destruction, and the opening sequence of the 1961 U.S.-release version. On the Invention for Destruction Blu-ray there are four early short films by Zeman: A Christmas Dream (1946) about a little girl's Christmas dream, A Horseshoe for Luck (1946), Inspiration (1949), and King Lavra (1950). The latter is about a king hides an embarrassing secret - and it causes him to execute every barber who cuts his hair. New and made by the Criterion Collection in 2019, is the 13-minute program, entitled, Directed by Karel Zeman, featuring animation filmmaker John Stevenson introducing viewers to the core elements of director Karel Zeman's work. Also is the 24-minute Making Magic filmed by the Criterion Collection in 2019, with animator and visual-effects supervisor Phil Tippett and visual-effects artist Jim Aupperle discussing their appreciation for director Karel Zeman and his cinematic techniques. There are 'Restoration demonstrations' with an interview with restoration supervisor James Mockoski, new trailers for all three films and the package has liner notes with an essay by film critic Michael Atkinson, along with limited-edition deluxe packaging featuring pop-up art. I would have liked a little Michael Brooke in there too!

Karel Zeman was known as the Czech Melies and clearly influenced the work of Tim Burton and Terry Gilliam. Criterion's Three Fantastic Journeys Blu-rays set is a beautiful keepsake package to forever re-watch and appreciate the work of this pioneering director. It has our highest recommendation! 

Gary Tooze