Best of 2007: James Plath

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Top 10 Blu-ray releases of 2007:

1) Hairspray

My top pick is a potential Golden Globe winner that features newcomer Nikki Blonsky in a dynamic performance and John Travolta in drag singing to Christopher Walken. It's a funny, high-energy musical from start to finish, with a socially relevant theme to boot. And this two-disc release has plenty of great bonus features.

2) 2001: A Space Odyssey

The top catalog title for the year features stunning visuals in 1080p, and some solid extras. Last year "The Searchers" was the catalog title that took your breath away in Blu-ray. This year it's "2001."

3) Cars

The best-looking animated feature currently available on Blu-ray, bar-none. You can even read the sponsor labels on the cars, it's so detailed, and it has so much 3-D depth that you'd swear it was real. Put this on for the kids or if you're just a big kid yourself.

4) Letters from Iwo Jima

This half of Clint Eastwood's diptych is really helped by an HD picture and a Dolby TrueHD soundtrack. You're going to have to appreciate war films or historical dramas to appreciate this film, or Eastwood's decision to film with de-saturated colors to reinforce a sense of historicity. But it's an achievement in filmmaking and this Blu-ray release does it justice.

5) Ratatouille

Another animated delight in 1080p, with the Disney-Pixar bunch really outdoing themselves. What they accomplished is really pretty amazing. This is a film that entertains even if you don't pay attention to the story, the details are so wonderful. Strong visuals, strong storyline, strong characters, and decent bonus features.

6) Rocky Balboa

The biggest surprise of 2007, both in terms of quality of film and quality of audio-video. Stallone is superb in this comeback story that has as much heart as the original, and it's one of the best-looking pictures in Blu.

7) Planet Earth

Mostly for nature-lovers, but this series features some amazing footage of some of the most extreme locations on the planet. Because of atmospheric conditions, the picture quality varies somewhat, but it's overall pretty amazing to look at. Don't look for any bonus features, though.

8) Bruce Springsteen and the Sessions Band: Live in Dublin

The best concert Blu-ray I've seen thus far features Springsteen and the gang performing one energetic American folk tune after another and seamlessly segueing into Irish folk music as well. If only there were a few bonus features.

9) Casino Royale

Craig is Bond, and Bond is back. All of the new 007's stunts and shenanigans look great in Blu-ray, and the bonus features are decent, especially one on the Bond girls.

10) Close Encounters of the Third Kind

This three-film set nudged out the year's best-selling Blu-ray ("Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End") because while the picture and sound aren't as stunning as "Pirates," the total package is stronger. The film is classic, and the treatment is classic.

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