7.8 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
This wildly popular fantasy series recounts the adventures of Kansas teen Clark Kent, who uses his still-emerging superpowers to fight crime even as he copes with the normal growing pains of adolescence, young love and family dramas. As he matures during high school and college, Clark falls in love with Lana Lang, accepts his alien origins and becomes enemies with former friend Lex Luthor.
Comic book | 100% |
Adventure | 95% |
Fantasy | 93% |
Sci-Fi | 86% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p (upconverted)/1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 2.0 (192 kbps)
English SDH, French, Dutch
Blu-ray Disc
42-disc set
Digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Warner Bros. has finally released the complete series of Smallville on Blu-ray, a collection fans have wanted for a full decade since the stand-alone Blu-ray editions of Seasons 6-10 (released between 2007-2011) and a DVD-only series collection in 2011. Much like Universal's belated box of The Office, this mammoth 42-disc set marks a long overdue win for half-represented hit shows and physical media buffs alike. All 10 seasons are packed in separate keepcases inside an outer box but, for reasons discussed below, it's not likely they will be released separately in the future.
Seasons 1-5 are new to Blu-ray, so separate evaluations of the video can be seen in the new reviews linked above.
Seasons 6-9, though already released separately on Blu-ray and also linked above, have now been re-encoded with the newer MPEG-4 AVC codec and are more visually impressive than the previous VC-1 encoded discs. In lieu of separate evaluations for the re-encoded discs, consider them on par with Season 10 which remains unchanged.
Evaluations of Season 1-5's lossless 5.1 audio mixes can be found in the reviews linked above.
Similar to their new video upgrades, Seasons 6-9 also now sport lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio rather than the old discs' lossy Dolby Digital 5.1, which again makes this a much more consistent and engaging presentation. Likewise, Season 10 remains technically unchanged and offers a similar audio experience.
This 42-disc collection ships in a cube-sized box containing all ten seasons in separate, multi-disc keepcases slightly thicker than normal width. A Digital Copy redemption slip can be found in the keepcase for Season 1. In total, 28 hours of extras are included here; all of them have been ported over from previous DVD and Blu-ray season sets and can be found on each respective set of discs. For lists of these legacy bonus features, see our reviews below.
Two additional DVDs of bonus features are also included inside a separate paperboard case; until now, most were exclusive to the Complete Series DVD set released back in 2011. While these bonus discs again offer nothing more than recycled extras, many of them are quite substantial and well worth digging through. They include:
Though many fans bemoaned the lack of a Blu-ray series collection in 2011, I'm almost glad that Warner Bros. waited: not only have Seasons 1-5 earned a fine debut, the previously-released Seasons 6-9 have been re-authored with the modern MPEG-4 AVC codec, lossless 5.1 audio, and better menus to make this feel like a consistent presentation from start to finish. The packaging isn't as lavish as the older DVD boxed set, but it's at least relatively sleek and to-the-point. Add in a wide majority of the legacy bonus content (including a few long-form extras mostly exclusive to the Complete Series DVD set), and you've got a surprisingly definitive release. Highly Recommended.
2001-2002
2002-2003
2003-2004
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
2008-2009
2008-2009
2009-2010
2010-2011
Cinematic Universe Edition
2017
2019
2017
2006 Original Release
2006
Cinematic Universe Edition
2018
2007
Cinematic Universe Edition
2016
Cinematic Universe Edition
2012
Cinematic Universe Edition
2019
2015
2013
plus Theatrical Cut on standard Blu-ray
2016
2005
DC Universe Animated Original Movie #1
2007
Extended TV Cut & Special Edition
1978
2006
2023
The Richard Donner Cut 4K
1980
2017
Extended and Theatrical versions
2011