By Ryan Parsons | Image property of Paramount Pictures
Iron Man
When I first received Iron Man in the mail I was stoked. Knowing that the film was due out to DVD and Blu-ray at the end of the month I was glad to see the package arrive as early as it did. There was a catch, however, as I only got the DVD and not the Blu-ray. I knew the other format was coming, but I couldn't wait. I loaded the DVD into my PS3 and began upconverting.
Iron Man on Blu-Ray and DVD
First off, I don't think the extras on either the DVD or Blu-ray are going to matter, as this film should sell like hotcakes. I am happy to say that the DVD version of Iron Man upconverts beautifully on a Blu-ray player. The opening menu options weren't that exciting and the featurettes were as cool as can be for a "Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition," but the look of the film gets strong marks across the board. And this is only the DVD.
Only one day later I got my hands on the Blu-ray version of Iron Man and immediately threw that in. While I was disappointed to see the same opening menu -- for the most part -- there is an obvious boost in clarity with a Blu-ray that needs no upconverting whatsoever.
I do have to point out though, that there is one catch to the video quality. Like Transformers on Blu-ray, Iron Man can't help but to sometime become too sharp. I know that sounds strange, but there are a few close-up segments that do show some pixelation. As long as you stand more than six feet away from your HD television you likely won't even notice the grain; so it really is no big deal.
Another vast improvement is the sound. Though I don't have a receiver attached to my PS3 as yet, I can hear the sound differences even through my TV speakers. Crazy I know, but some of the effects even sound as if they were re-recorded. In short, sounds fantastic. I can only imagine what you audiophiles with huge sound systems are hearing.
The Blu-ray is packed with extra features. Using BD-Live, the Blu-Ray allows for a grand tour of all three Iron Man suits. You can take an Iron Man IQ test, and watch Robert Downey Jr.'s screen test. Wait - Robert Downey Jr. still has to screen test?
Iron Man arrives on DVD and Blu-ray on September 30th.
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