Greg Robinson's Top 5 Blu-ray Discs of 2012: BigPictureBigSound

Published: 2012-12-17 - 09:32:29

Greg Robinson's Top 5 Blu-ray Discs of 2012

By Greg Robinson

I'd like to meet whoever it was that first came up with the idea of writing a "Best of" list at the end of the calendar year. And then I'd like to punch him in the face. (Please note: I say "him" not because I'm sure this person was a man. It's just that I would never hit a lady.) Whether you're ranking books, albums, movies, or Blu-ray Discs, the task is nothing short of impossible. Distilling an entire year's worth of honorable and deserving candidates into one bite-sized bill of five favorites? It's madness I tell you, madness!

But we're gonna do it anyway.

Looking back on 2012, this was a year where Netflix, Vudu, Amazon Instant Video, and other video streaming apps were everywhere you turned. With so many HDTVs, Blu-ray Disc players, game consoles, and other devices capable of delivering myriad video on-demand (VOD) options, it was undoubtedly a challenging year for physical media. And while it'll be interesting to see how these VOD options may have affected Blu-ray's sales numbers come year end, you certainly wouldn't think there was anything to worry about when when you consider the slew of first rate Blu-ray titles we saw released this year.

It's worth noting that Ultraviolet finally seemed to make some headway this year and its Vudu integration is a major step in the right direction, but the continued absence of support from Disney, and a confusing labyrinth of multi-website accounts and passwords leaves plenty of of room for improvement.

In the end, whether you're talking about beautifully-restored Hollywood classics or state-of-the-art modern marvels, Blu-ray had a banner year. And with that in mind, I humbly present my list of the Top Five Blu-ray Releases of 2012. There are many others like it, but this one is mine:

1.)Bond 50 (MGM)

With all 22 James Bond films in one ginormous box set, it may be a cheat to count this as just one, but we've only got five slots to work with here, so work with me. MGM does 007 right with a superb technical presentation on just about every title in the collection, and there's enough bonus material here to keep even the most boffo Bond buff busy for days. The icing on the cake is a handy disc slot reserved for Skyfall, ready and waiting for its arrival on Blu-ray early next year.

2.) Dark Knight Trilogy (Warner)

Christopher Nolan's dark and thoughtful take on the caped crusader stands in stark opposition to the bright, colorful, and smart-talking superheroes in Joss Whedon's Avengers, but that doesn't mean this epic trilogy of films is any less entertaining. Although The Dark Knight may have been the high point in terms of the films themselves, The Dark Knight Rises sets a new high bar for audio and video performance on Blu-ray. Throw in the excellent Batman Begins, plenty of extras, and a sweet price tag for the complete trilogy, and this one's hard to find fault with.

3.) Jaws (Universal)

This was the only no-brainer on the list. It may be obvious or cliche, but when asked what my ONE favorite film of all time is, it always comes back to that big fish in the waters off Amity Island. And I'm not alone. Countless Jaws fans have been waiting for Spielberg's most impressive accomplishment to come to Blu-ray, and Universal knew this one was too big to get wrong. And thankfully they didn't. The film looks gorgeous, it sounds amazing, and fans will definitely want to sink their teeth into "The Shark is Still Working." It definitely is.

4.) John Carter (Disney)

If there's one film that deserved more love this year, it's Andrew Stanton's John Carter. Unjustly thrown under the bus and labeled a box office disaster, John Carter has yet to disappoint anyone I know who's actually seen it. I truly hope science-fiction and adventure fans can look past the rumors and seek this one out. Not only is Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars series one of the most influential science-fiction works of our time, but Disney has given this intelligent and entertaining saga a masterful technical presentation. This one may surprise you.

5.) Titanic (Paramount)

At this point, there's little left to say about James Cameron's Titanic achievement. Until his own Avatar knocked it off its perch, Titanic was the biggest movie the world's box office has ever known. And with good reason. Cameron's big boat movie has it all, with large scale drama and stunningly-orchestrated mayhem that is truly jaw-dropping on Blu-ray Disc, especially when projected on a large display. This is the stuff home theater dreams are made of.

Honorable Mentions