The Nightmare Before Christmas Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

The Nightmare Before Christmas Blu-ray Movie Review

Disney has re-released the fan favorite Tim Burton stop-motion musical film 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' to Blu-ray. The film was previously made available in a 2D-only Collector's Edition in 2008 and again in a 3D Combo Pack in 2011, in addition to some other scattered re-releases. This release ships with a new DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack and new sing-along versions of the film's songs. Otherwise it's a fairly basic re-issue that includes only the 2D version of the film. Several store exclusive packaging options are also available: a Best Buy SteelBook, a Target DigiPack, a Disney Movie Club Exclusive, and an FYE Exclusive.

The Nightmare Before Christmas Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

This new Blu-ray release of The Nightmare Before Christmas contains the same 1080p transfer found on the previously released 2D discs. It runs at a slightly higher average bitrate but it's visually identical. For a full video review, please click here.

The Nightmare Before Christmas Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

This Blu-ray release of The Nightmare Before Christmas features a new DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack, replacing the Dolby TrueHD 7.1 lossless presentations from previous releases. The presentation is very effective, a sonic delight that makes use of an expansive soundstage predominately in support of music but also to deliver ambience and some modest action elements. The track takes immediate advantage of the added surrounds over the opening title music, which plays with a prominent, pronounced, and perfectly integrated surround structure that swings through all four back channels with impressive, seamless fluidity. Music and lyrics both feature prominently in the rears, though the front sides certainly carry more than enough content. The center channel serves as the base of operations for lyrics, with travel beyond supportive, not primary, in functionality. Musical cues, on the other hand, are prone to discrete and dominant placement in any given position, even if the fronts rightly carry the bulk. Beyond the musical numbers, Danny Elfman's score enjoys precision placement and pinpoint clarity. Both songs and score enjoy a striking instrumental precision, which is a little more plainly obvious with the latter without lyrics to contend with. For all musical pieces, the subwoofer channel delivers a healthy, prominent, and balanced low end support, adding the appropriate weightiness to the soundtrack. Ambient effects are full and present widely, with pinpoint stage placement and a good amount of balanced bass as necessary to effectively, and with detail, draw the listener into the film's stylized worlds. More prominent sound effects are unsurprisingly not shy, either, in terms of low end response and stage usage. Dialogue is clear, center-focused, and expands only as necessary. This is a first-class soundtrack from Disney and not one of the studio's reluctant and reserved audio presentations.

The Nightmare Before Christmas Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This "25th Anniversary" Blu-ray release of The Nightmare Before Christmas features an all-new sing-along option as well as most of the legacy extras from the previous Blu-ray releases, found under the "Classic Bonus" tab. Below is a list of what's included as well as what's not included. For reviews of the carryover material, please click here. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code is included with purchase.

• NEW! Sing-Along (1080p, DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, 31:43 total runtime): Karaoke-style presentations of several songs from the film. Songs are avialable individually or under a "Play All" option. Song options include "This Is Halloween," "Jack's Lament," "What's This?," "Town Meeting Song," "Jack's Obsession," "Kidnap the Sandy Claws," "Making Christmas," "Oogie Boogie's Song," "Sally's Song," "Poor Jack," and "Finale/Reprise."
• What's This? Jack's Haunted Mansion Holiday Tour
• Tim Burton's Early Films: Frankenweenie and Vincent (Frankenweenie was eventually made into a feature-length film).
• Tim Burton's Original Poem Narrated by Christopher Lee
• The Making of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas
• Deleted Storyboards
• Deleted Animated Sequences
• Storyboard-to-Film Comparison
• Audio Commentary
• Posters and Trailers

• The Worlds of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas
• Deleted Scene: Jack's Scientific Experiments
• The "On Track" version of What's This? Jack's Haunted Mansion Holiday Tour

The Nightmare Before Christmas Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Nightmare Before Christmas has emerged as a fan-favorite and one of the more cherished works in Tim Burton's canon. It's certainly unique in story and style, not for all tastes but an interesting blend of spirit, spook, and song. Disney's new Blu-ray adds little of consequence, highlighted by sing-along versions of the film's songs. It's a shame that the studio did not go the extra mile and release this as a new UHD release. There's simply little incentive for fans to double-dip, particularly with this wide release version. At least the store exclusives offer something a bit more unique. Buy one of those instead.