Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

First Men in the Moon Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman January 29, 2020

Note: This version of this film is available as part of First Men In The Moon / 20 Million Miles To Earth.

Ray Harryhausen died in 2013 at the venerable age of 92, leaving behind what is easily one of the most unique legacies in the entire annals of the motion picture industry. Harryhausen’s legacy is so distinctive, in fact, that a mere mention of his name can send fans into nostalgic reveries about any number of iconic films where Harryhausen’s (literally) patented brand of special effects helped to create worlds of wonder. The Harryhausen oeuvre isn’t especially long, understandable given the technical requirements of Harryhausen’s stop action approach, but the sixteen feature length outings which are regularly listed as “Harryhausen films” offer a veritable cornucopia of inventive creature designs and remarkably fluid movement (the mere fact that these films are “credited” to Harryhausen despite the fact that he didn’t really direct any of them is another indication of just what a non pareil creator he really was). Umbrella has gathered together two really fun films for which Harryhausen created the special effects, one in color and one in black and white, with both demonstrating Harryhausen's virtually inerrant ability to bring otherworldly creatures to life via his amazing stop motion artistry.

First Men in the Moon received a Region A release some years ago and for a plot recap as well as for an opportunity to compare screenshots, I refer you to my First Men in the Moon of that version. It is probably worth noting that that previous version was a limited run which has evidently sold out, though there may still be copies available on the secondary market.

First Men in the Moon Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

First Men in the Moon is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Umbrella Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. I gave top marks to the video presentation in my First Men in the Moon Blu-ray review of the Region A release of several years ago, but things are not quite so pleasing looking here, and for some easy examples, I refer you to that review in order to do your own screenshot comparisons (I've tried to come close to replicating several of the screenshots from that review. This presentation lacks the clarity and overall sharpness of the Region A release, and the color timing is also quite a bit different, with this release often skewing toward blue, with blacks becoming a bit on the gray side and grays themselves kind of offering a purplish undertone. My hunch is this may have been sourced from some kind of secondary element since the grain field can be pretty gritty quite a bit of the time, apart from any expected uptick courtesy of opticals (and in fact I'm wondering if there was more than one element utilized considering some of the variabilities in densities and color timing which are on display). My score is 3.25.

Note: While this is officially a Region B release, I encountered no problems whatsoever playing it on my Region A equipment.

First Men in the Moon Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

First Men in the Moon features a nice sounding DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track which doesn't have the added low end "oomph" of the surround track on the Region A release, but which preserves the film's really fun sound effects with good fidelity. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout, and the often boisterous score also sounds full bodied. There are no subtitles on this release, for those who may wonder.

First Men in the Moon Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Somewhat disappointingly, Umbrella Entertainment hasn't included any extras on this release. Those interested (and with multi-region or region free players) may want to consult both the First Men in the Moon Blu-ray review and the 20 Million Miles to Earth Blu-ray review of Region A product, since those releases do have some supplemental material which may be of interest to some fans.

First Men in the Moon Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While it's admittedly a little slow to leave its cinematic launching pad, First Men in the Moon is a fun and exciting viewing experience, one that offers a neatly retro take on slipping the surly bonds of Earth to penetrate the dusty surface of our lunar neighbor. Jeffries is a bit much, especially as the film goes on, but Harryhausen provides a number of great moments, and children of all ages will certainly enjoy finding out about the moon's cavernous interior society. This release doesn't have the overall excellence in technical merits as the Region A release, and it also doesn't come with any supplements. That said, the Region A release is evidently sold out, so this may be the only convenient alternative for those who are considering a purchase.