This Is England
Director: Shane Meadows
Cast: Thomas Turgoose, Stephen Graham, Joseph Gilgurn
Info: Optimum/DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1/1.85:1/MPEG-4/£17.99

The best Brit film to emerge in years, Shane Meadows\' portrait of growing up in Thatcher\'s Britain is boosted by a great performance from its young lead.

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Ocean's Eleven
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Cast: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon
Info: Warner Bros./ English Dolby Digital Plus 5.1/2.40:1/VC-1

As if a movie starring the likes of Clooney, Pitt and Damon wasn’t going to look good enough, the VC-1 transfer makes the most of Soderbergh’s well-paced heist film. Night scenes on the Vegas strip are ones to look out for, as is the generous amount of supplementary material that accompanies the feature.

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Apocalypto
Director: Mel Gibson
Cast: Rudy Youngblood, Dalia Hernàndez, Maria Isabel Díaz
Info: Icon/Dolby Digital, PCM 5.1/1.85:1/AVC

This tribal epic sees the Braveheart director tackling ancient Mayan civilisations, and the results are remarkably vivid. While the visuals are suitably ancient, the authentic dialogue and backing soundtrack are nothing short of breathtaking.

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2001: A Space Odyssey
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Cast: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester
Info: Warner Bros./PCM 5.1/2.2:1/VC-1

It really is encouraging that the movie that has polled the highest in our list is also one of the oldest, as it goes to show that studios – in this case Warner Bros. – are willing to go that extra mile to ensure that Blu-ray will become the format of the future. To date, far too many distributors have been releasing one substandard catalogue release after another in the hope that consumers are stupid enough to hand over their hard-earned cash for what is essentially an upscaled DVD.

With 2001: A Space Odyssey, though, Warner has gone above and beyond the rest, gifting us with a disc that excels in every way. First and foremost we should thank Kubrick for the main feature, which is filled with so much iconic imagery that it’s hard to keep track. However, it’s pleasing to see that his stunning vistas have been captured so perfectly for this release. Black levels – highly important for a film set in deep space – are absolutely perfect on this high-def transfer and give a sense of depth that the DVD release can’t hope to match, while the attention to detail throughout is staggering. We’ve lost count of the little incidental details on this encode that were just not visible on previous versions, with the famous starfields proving a perfect showcase for this; on Blu-ray we can see these distant suns for what they actually are, instead of hazy indistinct dots scattered across the screen. It’s almost inconceivable that this movie was created four whole decades ago, as the print looks as if it was only created yesterday, with virtually no blemishes, scratches or softness to speak of.

This stunning transfer is also supported by a commendable audio mix, which helps the classical soundtrack really hit home. The soothing sound of HAL’s voice has never sounded so velvety and is expertly balanced with the hiss and groan of machinery. The audio does tend to be a little front-heavy at times, but this is only to be expected from a film of this age. When you’re done with the AV delights of the main feature then there’s the selection of outstanding extras to digest, which not only offer a great insight into this landmark film but also examine its reclusive auteur. Quite frankly, it’s hard to see how this package could be any better than it currently is – 2001: A Space Odyssey is undoubtedly the definitive disc by which all future catalogue releases should be judged.

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Planet Earth
Director: None
Cast: David Attenborough (Narrator)
Info: 2 Entertain/DTS-HD 5.1/1.78:1/VC-1

Shot almost entirely on HD cameras, this awe-inspiring documentary series is the product of a collaboration between the BBC and National Geographic. Over four years in the making, the 11- episode programme is built for HD and a great demo disc.

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Pan's Labyrinth
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Ivana Baquero, Sergi López, Maribel Verdú
Info: Optimum/ Dolby Digital 5.1/1.85:1/VC-1

An early example of the complete Blu-ray package – the picture quality holds up against any subsequent release, squeezing every detail out of del Toro’s dark, fantastic visuals. The surround mix is impressive, and the broad selection of extras is the icing on the cake. A must-have Blu-ray.

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Blade Runner
Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Harrison Ford, Sean Young, Rutger Hauer
Info: Warner Bros./Dolby TrueHD 5.1/2.40:1/VC-1

Ridley Scott’s noir classic is a science-fiction masterpiece, destined to finally stand untinkered with thanks to a monumental Blu-ray. A superb all-round package is embodied by a sharp transfer and great audio.

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Unforgiven
Director: Clint Eastwood
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman
Info: Warner Bros./Dolby Digital 5.1/2.40:1/VC-1

Clint’s love letter to the Western revises the genre for the present day. Attaining classic status almost immediately after its release, the gun-slinging action really comes alive in HD with Unforgiven’s timeless visuals recreated in tremendous detail throughout.

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Ratatouille
Director: Brad Bird and Jan Pinkava
Cast: Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm, Lou Romano
Info: Disney/Dolby Digital, PCM 5.1/2.40:1/AVC

Another success story for Pixar represents another triumph for Disney on Blu-ray. With a transfer digitally encoded from the animation’s original frames, the picture is simply faultless, while the sound and extras conform to the studio’s usual high standards, resulting in a disc you simply must own.

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Bonnie & Clyde
Director: Arthur Penn
Cast: Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Gene Hackman
Info: Warner Bros./Dolby Digital Plus Mono/1.85:1/VC-1

The film that kick-started American cinema’s gritty New Wave at the start of the Seventies gets a new lease of life with a fantastic picture on Blu-ray. You’ll have to settle for mono audio, but this crime classic really looks the part in HD.

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