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The Odyssey (2026)
The Odyssey (2026) poster
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The Odyssey (2026)

Adventure, Action, Fantasy • 2h 53m

Director: Christopher Nolan

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Best video release

Video notes:

comparison

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About the film

Odysseus, the legendary King of Ithaca, embarks on a long and perilous journey home following the Trojan War. Throughout his voyage, he is forced to confront the whims of gods, mythological monsters, and trials that stretch both his cunning and his humanity to the breaking point.

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Director: Christopher Nolan

4K · Excellent
Best Video:

Spain Selecta Vision 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab) · linkedin.com (opens in a new tab) · dvdcompare.net (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

Collector's edition of a new restoration from Umbrella

Video Notes:

Spain Selecta Vision 4K Blu-ray > other releases and old 2006 release - impressions of Selecta Vision release

Director: Christopher Nolan

4K · Solid
Best Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Caveat: mild DNR throughout the transfer, non-IMAX scenes appear soft due to being scanned from an interpositive rather than the original camera negative.

Additional Info:

Best Buy exclusive Steelbook Blu-ray has the exclusive The Dark Knight Reborn Featurette

Director: Christopher Nolan

4K · Solid
Best Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Caveat: mild DNR throughout the transfer, non-IMAX scenes appear soft due to being scanned from an interpositive rather than the original camera negative.

Director: Christopher Nolan

Director: Christopher Nolan

Best Video:

Italy Medusa Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Italy Medusa Blu-ray > US WB Blu-ray

Best Audio:

WB Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

WB Blu-ray has 24 bit DTS-HD MA

Director: Christopher Nolan

4K · Solid

Director: Christopher Nolan

4K · Solid
Best Video:

Disney/WB 4K Blu-ray

Director: Christopher Nolan

4K · Solid
Best Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Director: Christopher Nolan

4K · Excellent
Best Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Director: Christopher Nolan

4K · Excellent

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Director: Anthony Mann

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray, Universal 2008 DVD

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

2008 Universal DVD mono

Audio Notes:

The mono on the Criterion is severely filtered resulting in it sounding incredibly muffled. It is nearly as filtered as the 2003 original Universal DVD which had extreme filtering and sounds horribly thin. The 2008 DVD remaster and original LaserDisc analog mastering are mostly left alone. The original LD master is from a worn element but otherwise sounds very natural. The 2008 DVD is the highest quality version we have without the heavy filtering and the defects of the LD master. It isn't perfect but easily the best of the main four sources by a dramatic margin. 

Additional Info:

The existing 4K SDR restoration looks excellent, but the Criterion extras are limited and disappointing. The classic Stewart interview commentary from the LD is ported over but given a new mastering. Compared to past releases it has been very slightly noise reduced.

Director: James Neilson

Best English-Friendly:

Kino Lorber Blu-ray

Best Audio:

2003 Universal DVD

Additional Info:

The Universal HD master is appalling. This is a large format early Technirama film that has been hit with a massive amount of DNR resulting in a smeary appearance throughout with little detail. On one hand it is still a better scan than the old DVD with better color and element issues addressed. On the other it is barely above the DVD upscaled in other moments. The mono audio has been horribly processed to sound thin, canned and lacking in overall fidelity. The DVD clearly uses the same source element for picture and sound and here the sound is left alone. It sounds miles better. The Kino Lorber Blu-ray is technically the best US release but this master has been released in Europe where it likely has better encoding. The Kino Lorber Blu-ray adds a basic commentary. This film needs a proper transfer and audio presentation desperately. The HD master is so lackluster that the DVD despite its age is arguably preferable in visuals and certainly far superior in audio.

Director: Alicia MacDonald

Best Video:

Universal Blu-ray

Director: Michael Cimino

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

2020 Shout! Factory 4K

Video Notes:

2020 Shout! Factory 4K slightly better than StudioCanal in HDR10. Similar in DV

Best Audio:

35mm mix: 1991 Universal LaserDisc

70mm mix: StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

35mm mix: 1991 Universal LaserDisc marginally better than StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray. Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray is downmix.

70mm mix: StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray. Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray is remix.

Director: Doug Liman

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

4K · Worse Than BD
Best Video:

US Cut: US Universal HD-DVD

International Cut: International Universal HD-DVD

Video Notes:

The Universal Blu-ray is slightly filtered and DNR'd compared to the HD-DVD, and the Universal 4K Blu-ray, on top of being upscaled, adds additional DNR and is softer than both previous HD releases.

Best Audio:

Universal Blu-ray DTS-HD 5.1

Additional Info:

Versions:
- The International version contains a short additional scene (part of the "Farmhouse" extended scene from the special features). See additional detail below.
- The US version does not contain this scene during the film. Director Doug Liman confirms in his audio commentary that the scene was cut from the original US theatrical release "for time".
- "The Explosive Extended Edition" found on some DVD releases is not an alternate cut of the film, simply an access mode that plays "The Bookend Scenes" features via non-seamless branching.

Deck the Halls scene:
The U.S. release is 118:17 while the European/Australian/Japanese releases are 118:36. There is no difference between the two running times from the start, but at 81:21, the U.S. version cuts from a kitchen scene of Marie and Eamon washing dishes, to a scene of Eamon bringing blankets to Jason and Marie. On the European/Australian releases, at the same point, there is a scene of Jason, Marie, Eamon and his children eating dinner while "Deck the Halls" plays in the background. There is no dialogue, the characters just each exchange uncomfortable glances. The scene goes to 81:40, then picks up the same scene of Eamon bringing blankets. This scene is included as an extra ("Farmhouse" extended scene) albeit sans the holiday themed music. Many thanks to Rewind user Mark Bowen for comparing these releases and letting us know the difference.

Director: Brian De Palma

4K · Excellent
Best Video:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

1993 Universal LaserDisc

Additional Info:

Carlito’s Way was released theatrically in both Dolby Stereo and DTS. The 2.0 on the Arrow UHD is the original stereo mix, unknown if the 5.1 mix on the  Arrow disc is the original DTS mix.

Director: H. C. Potter

Best Video:

Universal Blu-ray

Director: David Butler

Best Video:

Universal Blu-ray

Director: Marion Gering

Best Video:

Universal Blu-ray

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Video Notes:

Both come from a 4K scan of a 35mm film out which was made from the original 2K DI but the Lionsgate release has visible dust and damage marks while the Universal release is cleaned up more thoroughly. Both releases suffer from DNR which seems to have been baked into the DI. The colour grade is basically the same for both releases but the Lionsgate has Dolby Vision whereas the Universal is HDR10 only. The compression on the Lionsgate UHD base layer is apparently fine so the FEL doesn't make much of a difference.

Best Audio:

Universal Blu-ray?

Audio Notes:

The Lionsgate UHD has Dolby Atmos whereas the Universal UHD has DTS:X. Kick-ass was originally released with a 5.1 track which may be on the Universal Blu-ray.

Additional Info:

The Lionsgate UHD is on a BD-100, the Universal UHD is on a BD-66.

The Universal UHD has no extras.

More Adventure on Blu-ray

Director: John Huston

Best English-Friendly:

WB Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Warner Archive 4K Blu-ray 11/24/2026

Best Video:

Warner Archive

Director: Mike Judge

Best Video:

Paramount Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Vinegar Syndrome 4K Blu-ray coming November 27

Director: Werner Herzog

4K · Solid

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray > BFI 4K Blu-ray, see caps https://slow.pics/c/nPcxCNW4

BFI has more DNR and AI upscaling like their horrible 1979 Nosferatu 4K Blu-ray, and Shout! Factory has more over-exposed grading https://slow.pics/c/WQKmBTLJ

Best Audio:

2000 R2 Stonevision DVD

Audio Notes:

2000 R2 Stonevision DVD vs Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray?

Director: Robert Aldrich

4K · Excellent
Best Video & Audio:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

Only the Arrow has the 6-track mix.

Director: Mike Cheslik

Best Video & Audio:

UK Blu-ray

Video Notes:

> US Blu-ray

Director: Anthony Mann

Best Video:

Kino Lorber Blu-ray reissue (4K restoration)

Video Notes:

Massive picture upgrade as the 4K restoration addresses the massive color fringing that has plagued all previous dated masters. Oddly the titles are a different color now.

Additional Info:

4K restoration is a gigantic and essential picture upgrade but only available on the Kino Blu-ray reissue. No UHD has been made or announced by anyone. 

Director: Anthony Mann

Best Video & Audio:

Kino Lorber Blu-ray

Additional Info:

This is an ancient Universal master of a film in dire need of restoration. This only looks somewhat better than the old Universal DVD upscaled and is clearly the same master. Tons of wear, color fringing and other issues abound. The film is stuck at the theatrical widescreen ratio of 1.85:1 when it was composed for Academy ratio. The proper ratio is only found on the trailer, original VHS master and Region 2 PAL DVD. The Kino Lorber Blu-ray is their usual barebones affair except for flawed low res trailer files and a basic commentary. The film's 3.0 stereo mix is intact alongside the more limited mono mix thankfully. The Blu-ray does edge out over the old Universal DVD but that is merely due to it being the same master resolving better in 1080p. This presentation is sadly poor and the film deserves much better.

Director: George Pal

Video Notes:

4K restoration from Original Camera Negative

Director: Dennis Hopper

4K · Solid

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best Video & Audio:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Included in the Complete Kubrick box set with FiM encode of the same master from the Universal release without the filtering.

Audio Notes:

DTS:X mix on Universal 4K Blu-ray most closely approximates original surround mix

Additional Info:

Criterion DVD and Universal 4K Blu-ray has additional features not found on the Criterion 4K Blu-ray

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