Transformers Bluray, UK or US?

[V1N]

Hi there.

I've just been making some preorders for blurays coming out in September.
Quite a few for me, including 21, Godfather remastered, various others which elude me as I write this and I've just added Heroes Seasons 1+2, and am now thinking about Transformers.

The US edition is region free, and is listed as the two disk special edition.
Reviews are promising, good pic quality, etc.

I checked the UK edition at the UK rainforest site, and it shows the same 2 disk special edition version, at a few quid cheaper than the US price I saw. However, the actual specs of the disk show it as a 1 disk version.

I expect this is just rainforest cocking up, and that it's really 2 disks, as shown in the picture.

However, all the reviews I've read for it so far have been reviews for the US copy. Seeing as they're out at near enough the same time, but the UK one can be had for cheaper, I'm more inclined to go for the UK release this time, so long as I'm sure we won't be missing out on anything from the US version?

Special features aren't usually something I base my purchase on, but for this film, I could be tempted to watch some of them, and am more concerned that if a UK version really was only one disk, that they'd try to fit some features on there, and reduce the bitrate of the main movie to accomodate it.

Saying that, I feel pretty confident that the UK release will also be the 2 disk special edition version, does anybody know of any other differences between the versions? Did the BBFC chop any scenes for the UK release of the DVD? I'm afraid I've never really gotten over the fact that the BBFC editied out all the headbutts from the original Matrix movie, and sometimes wonder what they cut out of other films. Speaking of which, seeing as the Matrix trilogy is coming out in November, for £35 in this country for a basic pack of the films, and over £50 in the US for a mega 7 disk version, I may opt for the UK release in this case, despite knowing that edits were made.

It's a shame there are still differences in releases for UK and US. Now that we all use the same screen res, rather than have to worry about PAL/NTSC, you'd think it would be easier for them to release the same disk in both regions. Well, just wishful thinking I guess

Anyway, if anybody has a review handy for the UK version of Transformers, I'd greatly appreciate it, so I can decide which region to buy it from.

Thanks,
Vin.

EDIT: Damn, and now I'm in a similar situation for The Godfather Trilogy on bluray. Comes out next month in the US as a remastered, full restored special pack, 4 disks. I've just found it in the UK, albeit 5 weeks later release, for £20 cheaper... so, I can wait a month for £20 off, but again, want to be sure we're getting the same pack. The US import site says 4 disks, the site I've found it £20 cheaper doesn't state at all, and rainforest UK have 3 disks listed in their list of specs. I found the UK price info on dvdtimes.co.uk, but no news on specs yet. I'll hold off on my preorder from the US for now then.

EDIT2: I just phoned a competitor, who's selling this for £35, and they said they're sure it's a 3 disk pack we'll get, not the 4 disk special edition the US are getting.

 

[sunderland]

transformers is out had it for since tuesday and picture quality is the same as the hd version 5/5 cant comment on sound as havent got a sound system yet,p.s got the american version

 

[V1N]

transformers is out had it for since tuesday and picture quality is the same as the hd version 5/5 cant comment on sound as havent got a sound system yet,p.s got the american version

Thanks.

The site I was looking at importing it from says it's not out until Sept 02... still, I'm in no rush.

What I really want to know is if the UK edition is the same 2 disk special edition, as if so, I'll wait a week longer, and get it from the UK for a few quid cheaper. If not, I shall get the US edition.

Vin.

 

[Hen_Dawg]

Quality wise, compared to the HD-DVD version, it's just as good. See here
Would hope for a 2 disc BD in the UK, after all the waiting. But maybe we're left with one.

Being rated a 12, I doubt it'll be edited. Didn't know about the Matrix edits. I expect BBFC didn't have to cut them, would have been a choice by WB to keep it from going to 18 cert.
Oh, and I'm totally stoked that the Matrix is coming to BD

 

[atpbx]

Quality wise, compared to the HD-DVD version, it's just as good. See here
Would hope for a 2 disc BD in the UK, after all the waiting. But maybe we're left with one.

Being rated a 12, I doubt it'll be edited. Didn't know about the Matrix edits. I expect BBFC didn't have to cut them, would have been a choice by WB to keep it from going to 18 cert.
Oh, and I'm totally stoked that the Matrix is coming to BD

The BBFC cut the Attack of the Clones and that was a PG wasnt it? (it was a headbutt they cut out).

 

[V1N]

The BBFC cut the Attack of the Clones and that was a PG wasnt it? (it was a headbutt they cut out).

Always the headbutts, and similar. The UK release of the PS3 game Ninja Gaiden had decapitations cut out.

(and actually, I didn't know that [about Attack of the Clones]. I think it seems fair to say that wherever possible, it's usually best to import US copies of films. Generally released sooner, with no BBFC cuts, and often (but not always) cheaper too) When Star Wars eventually makes it to bluray, I think I may import the US copy of that as well then.


Regarding Transformers, usually I'm a cheapskate and go for the cheapest, but just this once, I'm going for the US import I think. Both disks are region free, so hell to it, that extra £2 wouldn't even get a pint these days!

Vin.

EDIT: by the way, can anybody recommend a good bluray review site, for UK releases? I use the following sites regularly

This is my main bluray reviews site:-
http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/reviews.html

and this one
http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/

but they both concentrate mainly on US releases.
It's still good to read reviews before the disks come out, and get an idea of what the pic quality is going to be like, but as I've found in this last week, UK and US releases can differ a fair bit, so would be nice to have some UK based bluray reviews, and even better, a comparison site, like there used to be with DVD back in the day (and probably still is)

I had a quick browse of dvdtimes.co.uk earlier, and had a flick through a review of Basic Instinct on bluray, and they were saying that the region B version was of higher quality than region A. So again, it would be nice to be able to read comparisons sometimes, due to differences between UK and US releases. As I said before, it's a shame there still are differences in this day and age, but what can you do. I'm still surprised at the differences between the UK and US upcoming releases of Godfather Trilogy and The Matrix trilogy. You could say we get the better end of the stick this time, as our releases are approx £20 cheaper, but also less in them. If they're going to go to the bother of making two completely seperate releases, you'd think it would be in their best interests to release them both, in both regions, so the customer can decide whether they want "bare bones" movie only release, or pay extra, and have lots of special features. The Matrix is 3 disks here, and 7 in the US. I'd still prefer a US copy, to replace my R1 DVD, unedited by the BBFC. But, is it worth £20 for the extra 35 seconds or so of headbutts? Probably not!