It's A Wonderful Life: Colourised & Original Black And White - Special Edition (Blu-ray)

Omg... omg... omg! I can't even begin to tell you how wonderful this movie realy is. If you love Christmas, and you love movies; this is a must in any collection. I seen this as a child. I bought it on DVD and avidly watch it every xmas. I just can't wait to see it this wonderful movie this Christmas on wonderful Blu-ray.

George Bailey played by James Stewart is an ordinary guy who wants to rid himself of his home town of Bedford Falls and see the World......Fate however has it that he stays in Bedford Falls and gets married to Mary aka the beautiful Donna Mills and has kids taking on his fathers Building and Loan small business struggling to make ends meet he comes up against a ruthless business shark in Mr Potter played with perfection by Lionel Barrymore....what transpires from here is a desperate man at his wits end looking for an answer only to find it in an angel named Clarence.....will George survive and see the light? It's a Wonderful Life is undoubtedly the best film ever to hit celluloid and probably James Stewart's greatest ever role...This film inspires you to a higher level when watching it ...taking you on an emotional roller coaster ride of life which there is a lot of identification.....This Blu-ray has both black and white and colour versions of the film on one disc. The black and white is a big step up from the dvd version with bold blacks and crisp clear images it's a visual treat. The Colour version is a great fun extra and they have made a great attempt at making this film look really good for it's age in colour so a fantastic package overall. The cast is exemplary the storyline oozes class and this film will still be popular in another 100 years it's a gem...Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without watching It's a Wonderful Life....A must have film for all the Family.

This has to be the quintessential Christmas movie of all time, it's certainly one of the most loved, and is the epitome of classic cinema. This film has withstood the test of time and has touched millions through its charm, meaning and purpose.

This movie wears its heart on its sleeve so unashamedly and yet it never appears whimsical or cheesy. Frank Capra has delivered a movie which was seriously overlooked when first released but has long since become one of the most well loved and highest rated movies of all time.

The lead character George Bailey played by the legend James Stewart is as much loved as the movie and you will warm to him instantly. Once you allow this film into your festive viewing schedule, the Xmas period will never feel the same without it. You will find it as important as a turkey roast with all the trimmings.

Shawshank director Frank Darabont is a huge fan and has given this film as one of the biggest influences on his career, so you could say that without it the Shawshank Redemption would not of been quite the same.

It's surprisingly dark for such an uplifting experience and come the finale you will shed tears of joy.

"We'll take a cup o' kindness yet, for auld lang syne".

Essential viewing.

The transfer..............

Paramount have granted this film with an MPEG-4 AVC encoded, 1:34.1 framed, 1080p transfer onto a 50GB Blu-ray disc of amazing quality. The Hollywood heavens wouldn't of allowed anything less.

Avid fans already familiar with this movie are in for a wonderful surprise when they first lay eyes on this transfer, the detail and sharpness of the image will shock and delight you. To say this is a worthy DVD upgrade is a resounding understatement.

This gives a whole new perspective and makes for a viewing experience which appears fresh and new. This is framed in its original aspect ratio so we do have black bars left and right. The print is virtually immaculate with barely a pop, scratch or speckle visible.

Fabric and object detail is at times staggering when you consider that this is near to 70 years old. Contrast is perfect and the blacks always remain inky and strong. Film grain is extremely fine and is never obtrusive, the image looks surprisingly natural and is a credit to the Paramount team who could have rushed for the digital enhancement buttons.

Despite this being a single disc we have a colourised version as well but we do not appear to suffer any compression artefacts. Many purists will lament the colourised version without giving it a chance and I have to say its the best I've ever seen. Skin tones do appear a little pasty but this is very impressive and is definitely worth checking out to give you a fresher perspective on it.

This is an essential purchase for your festive calendar.

Film 5/5 Transfer 4.5/5

This has to be the quintessential Christmas movie of all time, it's certainly one of the most loved, and is the epitome of classic cinema. This film has withstood the test of time and has touched millions through its charm, meaning and purpose.

This movie wears its heart on its sleeve so unashamedly and yet it never appears whimsical or cheesy. Frank Capra has delivered a movie which was seriously overlooked when first released but has long since become one of the most well loved and highest rated movies of all time.

The lead character George Bailey played by the legend James Stewart is as much loved as the movie and you will warm to him instantly. Once you allow this film into your festive viewing schedule, the Xmas period will never feel the same without it. You will find it as important as a turkey roast with all the trimmings.

Shawshank director Frank Darabont is a huge fan and has given this film as one of the biggest influences on his career, so you could say that without it the Shawshank Redemption would not of been quite the same.

It's surprisingly dark for such an uplifting experience and come the finale you will shed tears of joy.

"We'll take a cup o' kindness yet, for auld lang syne".

Essential viewing.

The transfer..............

Paramount have granted this film with an MPEG-4 AVC encoded, 1:34.1 framed, 1080p transfer onto a 50GB Blu-ray disc of amazing quality. The Hollywood heavens wouldn't of allowed anything less.

Avid fans already familiar with this movie are in for a wonderful surprise when they first lay eyes on this transfer, the detail and sharpness of the image will shock and delight you. To say this is a worthy DVD upgrade is a resounding understatement.

This gives a whole new perspective and makes for a viewing experience which appears fresh and new. This is framed in its original aspect ratio so we do have black bars left and right. The print is virtually immaculate with barely a pop, scratch or speckle visible.

Fabric and object detail is at times staggering when you consider that this is near to 70 years old. Contrast is perfect and the blacks always remain inky and strong. Film grain is extremely fine and is never obtrusive, the image looks surprisingly natural and is a credit to the Paramount team who could have rushed for the digital enhancement buttons.

Despite this being a single disc we have a colourised version as well but we do not appear to suffer any compression artefacts. Many purists will lament the colourised version without giving it a chance and I have to say its the best I've ever seen. Skin tones do appear a little pasty but this is very impressive and is definitely worth checking out to give you a fresher perspective on it.

This is an essential purchase for your festive calendar.

Film 5/5 Transfer 4.5/5

It's no accident why this is such a perennial favourite, for underneath its homely exterior is a real chronicle of missed opportunities and regret that we can all identify with, as one man realises that his life hasn't amounted to half as much as he had hoped. And with James Stewart playing our Everyman in an impassioned performance of a lifetime, it's almost impossible for this glorious exercise not to touch your heart at the very deepest level.

This is an excellent Blu-ray transfer. The picture is sharp and clear. Certainly makes up for the skimpy extras - a trailer, the horrific pasty colorised version which needs to be avoided at all costs and a half-hearted trivia track.