Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

The Criterion 4K Blu-ray has marginally better detail and grain structure than ESC 4K Blu-ray

The ESC France 4K Blu-ray is an SDR grade erroneously presented in HDR, but if your player can force the HDR into SDR it looks very good.

2011 Criterion Blu-ray has the least tampered with audio of the DVD era, but it's possible the 1993 Criterion LaserDisc or the 1998 Japan LaserDisc are preferable.

Disney 4K Blu-ray

Disney 4K Blu-ray, see caps https://slow.pics/c/hE3HUCdj

Disney 4K Atmos is great, a reference quality track. It's a very slight remix (music seems to be from a better source), but it's completely seamless and faithful to the original, better fidelity than anything since the 1994 30th Anniversary Edition LaserDisc.

All DVDs (and 2010 Blu-ray) sound far worse than the 4K Blu-ray/LaserDisc and have various missing sound cues.

BFI 4K Blu-ray

BFI 4K Blu-ray has excellent master and grade, no DNR and tasteful HDR

Restored original mono mix: Toho Japan 4K Blu-ray
Unrestored original mono: 2014 BFI Blu-ray

BFI 4K Blu-ray has OG Perspecta (in 5.1 container) and a stereo downmix of it; no original mono.

The unrestored track on BFI's earlier release appears to be an almost entirely unmanipulated transfer of the original mix. It suffers from a distracting low-frequency hum. The 4K restoration comes with a restored track, which appears to be the same transfer, but which appears to be cleaned up with a moderate amount of noise reduction and some EQ, nicely opening up the high-end, and which is likely to be preferable to most listeners. All earlier releases sound poor.

Perspecta isn't a discrete surround format, instead only relying on manipulating volume and panning of the mono track across L/C/R channels, based on embedded control tones. As such, even the Perspecta track is technically just the mono mix, though the omission of the proper mono on BFI's 4K is still unfortunate.

Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray

Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray

US end credits song: US Universal Blu-ray

International end credits song: International Universal Blu-ray

The US uses the end credits score “Beside You” from composer Michael Kamen, while in other markets it is Simply Red “Besides You”.

Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray

2026 Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Kino Lorber or Capelight 4K Blu-ray

2011 Criterion Blu-ray is the best. Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has heavily filtered audio

International Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray

International Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray > US Paramount 4K Blu-ray for the US Cut.

International Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray, is significantly better than the US Paramount 4K Blu-ray (even with FEL Baked in and Dolby Vision), with more grain retention and detail
SDR Comparisons: International Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray vs US Paramount 4K Blu-ray: https://slow.pics/c/TEPHtKjl
HDR Comparisons: International Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray vs US Paramount 4K Blu-ray: https://slow.pics/c/hIFe11Hx
Comparisons in SDR using L8 Trim from CM v4.0 (both UHDs can use CM v4.0): Remux vs USA UHD: https://slow.pics/c/mkrhVtpl

The International Cut, which contains alternate, more violent shots in the final act, hasn't been released on home video to date.

International Cut contains alternate, more violent shots in the final act.

Fox Blu-ray

Fox Blu-ray

Fox Blu-ray mono mix

As noted at Blah-Ray, the mono mix on the Fox Blu-ray, although not perfect, sounds better than the 5.1 remix and at least as good as earlier LaserDiscs, which suffer from being murky.

Kino Lorber Blu-ray

Kino Lorber 4k resto

Kino Lorber Blu-ray 

The audio on the Kino Lorber Blu-ray comes from a better source than the various DVDs and the previous HD version on streaming. This audio is relatively untampered with, and is likely the best available source as no laserdisc was ever issued.

International Cut: US Magnolia Pictures Blu-ray

Original Hong Kong Cut (2 parts): US Magnolia Pictures Blu-ray or Hong Kong Blu-rays?

International Cut: US Magnolia Pictures Blu-ray

Original Hong Kong Cut (2 parts): US Magnolia Pictures Blu-ray or Hong Kong Blu-rays?

Hong Kong Blu-ray has extras not on the US release