2010: The Year We Make Contact Blu-ray

2010: The Year We Make Contact

 (1984)

Adventure | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller



A new time, a new odyssey, a new chance to confront enigmas arising from the daring Jupiter mission of 2001. Crew members aboard the Leonov will rendezvous with the still-orbiting Discovery. And their fate will rest on the silicon shoulders of the computer they reawaken, HAL-9000.

For more details about 2010: The Year We Make Contact on Blu-ray, see the 2010: The Year We Make Contact Blu-ray Review

2010: The Year We Make Contact Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


Presented in 1080p in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.40:1, 2010 arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Warner Brothers and their typical VC-1 encoding practices. The film is a difficult one to gauge in high definition, as many scenes are inconsistent and display signs of sloppiness in how the film's master was assembled. Take for example the text that appears over the first 5 minutes of the film, explaining the events of 2001. The sequence features floating text that shakes and moves around on screen, though not by design. While one can hardly expect for Warner to do an optical restoration on 2010 and then sell it at such a low price, most viewers would probably pay a few dollars more for a Blu-ray version that eliminated problems of this kind. It's not a fatal flaw in the transfer, but it does come across as careless.

2010 does, in general, look quite good, for the remainder of the film. It's a dark movie with plenty of space scenes and shadowy interiors; the encode performs well in these challenging scenes. I didn't detect an abundance of digital anomalies, something I had been worried about given the title's slapdash pricing. Color reproduction is accurate, though slightly muted and contrast is consistent and pleasing throughout the presentation. All told, 2010 is a nicely presented Blu-ray that will surely satisfy those who have been craving the film in high definition.

2010: The Year We Make Contact Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


Warner has, fortunately, opted for the full lossless 5.1 Dolby TrueHD experience with 2010; it's a decision that allows the film's unique soundtrack to have considerable amount of additional breathing room, while highlighting its once groundbreaking sound design. I found this action-packed and eerily effective track to be far more involving than any previous version of the film I'd ever experienced.

Despite containing a large number of what could be considered more action packed sequences, 2010 is a very dialogue heavy film. Lossless encoding has benefitted this aspect of the presentation by allowing these dialogue passages to proceed without the usual problems of under-annunciation and breakup, that are all too often present in lossy encodes. Of course, the film also features a number of stellar sequences featuring a good amount of ambient and direction surround information. While laser battles aren't on the menu, plenty of aural tension is built through the use of discreet effects that highlight the perils of space travel. It all makes for an effective and enjoyable experience that surpasses previous versions of the film. Recommended!

2010: The Year We Make Contact Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Today on Blu-ray - April 7th - April 7, 2009


• Warner Details 2010 Blu-ray - December 30, 2008


• Warner Announces 10 Blu-rays for April 7th - December 18, 2008

2010: The Year We Make Contact Blu-ray, Forum Discussions

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