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Ratatouille - Blu-ray

Pixar's latest is right up their with the best the animation studio has created. The movie follows a rat called Remy whose dream of becoming a renowned chef comes true when he meets young kitchen hand Linguini. Working together the two friends attempt to win the affections of those closest to them and the recommendation of France's most notorious food critic.

The audio and video presentation is also of reference quality and will likely replace whatever disc you were previously using to demo your home cinema. The action almost leaps off the screen it looks so real, with amazing sharpness and fine detail. There's also absolutely no sign on any pixelization which would have tarnished what is currently as good as Blu-ray gets. The audio is less spectacular but no less impressive, with pristine dialogue, exquisite use of the surrounds and a beautiful score. An excellent selection of extras, plenty of which are exclusive to Blu-ray, round off what is a must buy.

Verdict: 5/5
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Beowulf Director's Cut - Blu-ray

I first saw Beowulf at the cinema in a 3D presentation and it was very impressive. So much so that I felt I would have been thoroughly entertained even if the film was modest at best. Thankfully viewing Beowulf at home, sans 3D, doesn't damage the experience too much. Once you get over the fact that the CGI characters don't quite look human you should enjoy what is at times a jaw-dropping, action packed romp with a stellar cast - albeit slightly restricted in their CGI form.

The 1080p video is right up there with Ratatouille as true reference quality, with the digital source providing a near flawless image complete with amazing fine detail and staggering colour reproduction. Those that saw this on a digital screen in theatres will now just how good the film looks. The Dolby TrueHD track is also quite fantastic with amazingly aggressive use of the surrounds, yet is able to deliver crystal clear dialogue amidst the chaos. Extra content is also in an abundance, although it's disappointing to see the Blu-ray lacking the impressive PiP green-screen feature seen on the HD DVD release.

Verdict: 4/5
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The Assassination of Jesse James - Blu-ray

This character driven epic set in 1880s America focuses on the last days of the life of America's most famous outlaw, Jesse James. With a runtime over two and a half hours and a pacing that rarely dares to excite, The Assassination of Jesse James certainly isn't an easy watch. You won't find gun slinging shoot-outs, horse back chases or other such action sequences. What you do get is some great performances from the leads including Brad Pit as Jesse James and Casey Affleck as Robert Ford.

The Blu-ray release is rather bare bones, featuring a single 30-minute documentary and average video which is plagued with edge enhancement and some compression offences. A 5.1 track which offers sharp dialogue and full ambient sound throughout pulls things together slightly, but is somewhat hit and miss in the film's rare sequences featuring gunfire.

Verdict: 3/5
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