20 Million Miles to Earth (Blu-ray)

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And what better place to hunt him down than Rome? When the creature from Venus is captured and strapped down so that scientists can study him, it's hard not to think of "King Kong" in restraints. And when he busts loose and climbs to the top of the Coliseum, you can't help but picture King Kong swatting planes from the top of the Empire State Building. As monster movies from the '50s go, this one is actually pretty decent. It's probably the only film where you're going to see a creature from Venus battle it out with a plain old Earth elephant!

Video:
The big selling point here is that the film has been digitally re-mastered AND colorized, so, as with the recent DVD version, it's possible to watch Ymir in the original black-and-white or in GREEN, the way that he was envisioned. There's a bonus feature on the colorization process that shows Harryhausen giving his approval, saying, basically, "We always wanted to shoot in color, but didn't have the money." He's opposed to colorizing movies like "Citizen Kane" or ones that were never intended to be shot in color, but why not finally add a splash to films like his when it was what they wanted in the first place?

An angle button allows you to toggle back and forth between the versions--though on my stand-alone player, the temperamental Samsung BD-P1200, the "angle" icon never leaves the screen (so be warned, Samsung people).

So how's it look in 1080p? Well, Hi-Def ironically exposes some of the visual unevenness that you just didn't see in standard definition. Some scenes are practically grain-free, while others have not just an atmospheric graininess but also some "nervousness" in the pixels. There's a little shimmering in the backgrounds of some exterior shots. Interiors and close-ups are typically more stable and sharper. I gave it a 7 in standard def because it is an old film, and B-movies were never shot with expensive stock with an eye on preservation. The restoration is solid, but it's still an old film with visible defects. I can say, though, that in frame-by-frame comparisons, the Blu-ray version is consistently superior to the DVD. It's as good as this picture is going to look, I'm convinced.

The film is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, and some may prefer to watch it in the original black-and-white because B&W is more forgiving. You don't notice the "nervousness" nearly as much.

Audio:
When I reviewed the DVD I said there wasn't much you can do to dress up mono, but when you re-master the soundtrack in English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (with a Spanish mono option and subtitles in English, Portuguese) you certainly get a richer sound. I'm surprised at how natural the 5.1 sounds. Too often, when we get a 5.1 track of an old mono standard, it just feels too "big" for the film. Not in this case. The bass is rich and full, the high and low notes well balanced, and a clarity that feels honest and natural. Nice job, Sony.

Extras:
Harryhausen is joined on a commentary track by visual effects artists Dennis Muren, Phil Tippett, and Arnold Kunert. It's really Harryhausen's show, and the Master does most of the talking. Even at that, there's some dead air. But if you're a sci-fi fan or a fan of Harryhausen's, it's always fascinating to hear him reveal a trick or two, then back up and say how he doesn't want to reveal any tricks.

This 50GB disc apparently has all the features from the two-disc DVD. The colorization process feature is pretty standard, but nice to have when you're dealing with a sensitive issue to some. The interview with Joan Taylor isn't bad. Same with a feature on the film's music. Video photo galleries, ad artwork, and a digital sneak peek of the comic are included. But the best feature, aside from the commentary track, is Burton's interview with Harryhausen. You can really get a sense of how each man relates to the other's work.

Bottom Line:
For a B-movie, "20 Million Miles to Earth" is awfully entertaining, and the big reason is Harryhausen and his big green creature from Venus. Like Godzilla, this guy has no respect for landmark buildings. Ya gotta love him!

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