New to Blu: October 26-November 1

Two of Hollywood’s mega-franchises thunder on to Blu-ray this week in deluxe box sets.

Jurassic Park: Ultimate Trilogy combines the dino movies with new HD and original DVD extras.

The most recent, Jurassic Park III, spruces up better in 1080p than its predecessors.

High-Def Digest rated Jurassic Park 3.5/5 for picture quality, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, 3/5, and Jurassic Park III, 4/5 (all three were judged 5/5 for audio).

It said the first two were in good shape but showed their age, with scenes suffering from the movies being at the bleeding edge of computer-generated effects.

But Blu-ray.com graded the trilogy’s PQ 4/5 overall.

“All three films bristle with fine detail, and the CGI elements look especially fantastic in that regard … These are sharp, well defined Blu- rays that offer a considerable upgrade in video quality from the DVDs.”

Both sites also gave high marks to the six-part HD documentary spread across the discs.

The week’s franchise blockbuster, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, is being released in 2D and 3D editions as well as in a Quadrilogy box set with its predecessors

“The visuals are stunning, if a bit flat compared to their sun-drenched brethren. Night shoots, location choices, and an overwhelming amount of colour correction make On Stranger Tides a very different looking film, despite having the same cinematographer.”

“The 2.40:1 visuals boast the dark yet saturated visuals the franchise is known for without any noticeable shortcomings. The perfect sharpness and rich detail do a little to satisfy you in ways the film dramatically cannot.”

But buyers of the 2D version should note that as well as missing out on 3D effects, the Blu-ray 3D plunders most of the best extras; the 2D edition’s are “a letdown in comparison to previous discs”.

Also new this week is a swag of classics, vintage and modern, ranging from West Side Story and An Affair to Remember to Kagemusha: The Shadow Warrior, The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Going direct to disc are the James L Brooks comedy, How Do You Know, and the documentary, Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon.