8.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
After an encounter with UFOs, line worker Roy Neary feels undeniably drawn to an isolated area in the wilderness where something spectacular is about to happen.
Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Teri Garr, Melinda Dillon, Bob BalabanSci-Fi | 100% |
Adventure | 66% |
Thriller | 65% |
Drama | 47% |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
German: Dolby Digital 5.1
Italian: Dolby Digital 5.1
Japanese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Arabic, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Icelandic, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Norwegian, Romanian, Swedish, Thai, Turkish
Blu-ray Disc
Three-disc set (3 BDs)
UV digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 5.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Sony has released this special edition of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' to UHD, a boxed set of the film that includes all the content of the basic UHD release as well as unique packaging and a glossy booklet. See the 'Supplements' section below for more on what's included.
For a full UHD video review, please click here.
This UHD release of Close Encounters of the Third Kind contains no new audio options. For thoughts on this exclusion, please click here. For a review of the included DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack, please click here.
Sony may not have packed this special edition of Close Encounters of the Third Kind with a monumental collection of added content, but
what's
here is very good. The studio has of course bundled in the standard 3-disc UHD release into a box that, when closed with the case inside, measures
approximately
7" high, 5.75" wide, and 2.25" deep. The box is made of sturdy enough cardboard. It splits in two, with the top lid removable to reveal a space for
the
disc as well as a companion booklet. A standard info sheet, which reproduces the back-panel content on the UHD packaging and the slipcover, is
glued
to the top section. The box is recessed a bit in the middle and depicts a 3D rendering of the diminutive aliens walking out of their spacecraft,
recreating
a key moment from the film's climax. The panoramic image wraps around just a bit to the box's sides. What really makes the presentation stand
apart,
however, is that by way of an activation button on the bottom right side of the box, the image illuminates and the famed music from the scene plays.
The effect lasts about 10 seconds. That said, the studio did miss a an opportunity. The back of the box features the light-up board that in the film
reflects the
notes being played. Unfortunately, they do not light up when the button is pressed.
The included glossy page booklet, dubbed as a "visual history" for the film, offers a collection of still photographs from the set. Some are in color,
some
in black and white. The only diversion from photographs is the inclusion at the end of the "A View From Above" timeline that compares and contrasts
all
three versions of the film. While there are no essays or anything else in the book, it's still a valuable item that fans should enjoy. Certainly, the
content here
could not be labeled as "substantial" but the packaging is going to be a fun novelty item and will look great on the shelf. A nice inclusion would have
been
the film's acclaimed soundtrack on CD.
For a breakdown of what extras are included on the bundled Blu-ray disc, please click here
Sony's special edition UHD release of Close Encounters of the Third Kind delivers a wonderful 2160p/HDR image. No new soundtrack options are included, but the studio has bundled in the old Blu-ray and a special features disc that contains two new extras. The special edition packaging is fun and functional, though the failure to illuminate the light board presented on the back is a bit of a disappointment. The booklet is a nice add as well, but the real treasure is certainly the movie and its UHD presentation. Whether the standalone release or this boxed set, Close Encounters of the Third Kind on UHD earns my highest recommendation.
40th Anniversary Edition
1977
40th Anniversary Edition
1977
40th Anniversary Edition
1977
40th Anniversary Edition
1977
Blu-ray Essentials
1977
30th Anniversary Ultimate Edition
1977
Special Edition
1951
2008
1984
10th Anniversary Collector's Edition | Limited
2014
Includes "Silent Space" version
2013
2016
2016
2007
Ultimate Collector's Edition
1989
2000
2017
Includes "The Invisible Boy" on SD
1956
1997
2019
2009-2010
45th Anniversary Edition
1978
15th Anniversary Edition
2002
2011
1975-1977
2016