I remember back to when I bought The Criterion Edition of Robocop - brand new from amazon.com. I thought it was great. Nothing about the transfer really bothered me except for one thing - the scanlines. Still it's a great transfer (direct off an LD master). Later, the Robocop trilogy was released in R2 - I bought it immediately, as I'd never seen Robocop 2 before. I was disappointed with the quality of the transfer for the first film (not to mention the glitchy branching), but I decided it was still acceptable quality should I ever wish to watch the theatrical cut. Then the R4 was release ... a direct bit-for-bit copy of the R2 with all it's errors, I ignored the release.
The problems with the MGM version is that it's too dark, has too much contrast and lacks fine detail (it's also too blue). On the up-side the scanlines are better then the criterion. On Aug first the "definitive edition" dvd was released, and I've been tossing up whether to purchase it and I eventually decided I would yesterday. One of the main reasons I was hesitant was that MGM is misusing the "definitive edition" title to simply re-package existing releases - eg, X-Men 1.5 becomes X-Men the definitive edition ... Terminator: Special Edition becomes Terminator the definitive edition ... etc. However I did know that Robocop was not a direct port of the original R2/R4 DVD. R1 also got this release (in NTSC and under some different marketing-ploy title courtesy of MGM).
So now my Robocop collection is as thus:
Now it is true that when Criterion released the LD in 1988 Paul Verhoven did request that it be released "open matte", but this has been taken way out of context by some fans. Just because he was shooting on 1.66:1 stock didn't mean that's the way he intended it in cinemas - far from it. The only reason he released it that way on LD is because it was a home video format, and wanted it to fill up the TV screen better - it's no more "director preferred" then pan&scan, even if it was approved. It's the same as Lucas release his SW trilogy in P&S in the US - it's no use importing because it's not the director preferred version, he just approved it.
DE Disc1
The "definitive edition" anamorphic-PAL has about 45% more resolution then the Criterion's non-anamorphic NTC. The above screenshots (top to bottom - Criterion, original R2/R4, Definitive Edition disc2, DE disc1 link) clearly shows another problem with the criterion transfer - it's over-sharpened.
DE Disc1
This screenshot clearly shows the criterion disc having the best overall brightness level.
DE Disc1
This screenshot highlights the problem the criterion disc has handling the scanlines (this is one of the better scenes they look much more uneven in others). They look a little too deep on the original R2/R4, and here the Definitive Edition clearly shows a superior picture. This screenshot also illustrates differences in the framing between the three versions.
DE Disc1
This screenshot highlights the differences in detail. All three show similar detail, but the criterion is much more grainy.
DE Disc1
This screenshot highlights the problems of all three transfers. The criterion is over-sharpened, and not all the hues are even. The original R2/R4 is just plain bad - too dark and too blue. The DE shows a clear image, and is vastly superior to both the other, but is just a little dull and soft. Notice also that both the Criterion and the original R2/R4 have a black-boarder completely around the image, and this is not the case with the DE transfer.
DE Disc1
the image shows the DE handling the colour-levels better then either of the others, as well as having better contrast to the original R2/R4 (but the blacks aren't quite as deep as they could be).
DE Disc1
The Criterion again has the better black-level, and again the original R2/R4 is too dark, and too blue. The DE highlights it's trouble with showing the skin-tones being too-pink.
Conclusions:
I am far happier with the DE then I ever was with the original MGM-label trash. It's not perfect, but for the most part it's consistent. One would think in 2007 MGM could pull their fingers out and deliver a presentation far superior to Criterion's effort which predates this release by 19 years.
Some SW fans have complained about the fact that Lucas used a 1993 LD-master to release the theatrical cuts, but Robocop fans are treated to modern-transfers that barely-rival a 1988 LD-master. I think at least if you do want to watch the movie in anamorphic widescreen, well it's the best version available thus far. But if you prefer to open-matte version (which actually has better framing in many scenes), well the anamorphic versions do not have much to offer. If you like the theatrical version, then the DE is the one for you.
The problems with the MGM version is that it's too dark, has too much contrast and lacks fine detail (it's also too blue). On the up-side the scanlines are better then the criterion. On Aug first the "definitive edition" dvd was released, and I've been tossing up whether to purchase it and I eventually decided I would yesterday. One of the main reasons I was hesitant was that MGM is misusing the "definitive edition" title to simply re-package existing releases - eg, X-Men 1.5 becomes X-Men the definitive edition ... Terminator: Special Edition becomes Terminator the definitive edition ... etc. However I did know that Robocop was not a direct port of the original R2/R4 DVD. R1 also got this release (in NTSC and under some different marketing-ploy title courtesy of MGM).
So now my Robocop collection is as thus:
Now it is true that when Criterion released the LD in 1988 Paul Verhoven did request that it be released "open matte", but this has been taken way out of context by some fans. Just because he was shooting on 1.66:1 stock didn't mean that's the way he intended it in cinemas - far from it. The only reason he released it that way on LD is because it was a home video format, and wanted it to fill up the TV screen better - it's no more "director preferred" then pan&scan, even if it was approved. It's the same as Lucas release his SW trilogy in P&S in the US - it's no use importing because it's not the director preferred version, he just approved it.
DE Disc1
The "definitive edition" anamorphic-PAL has about 45% more resolution then the Criterion's non-anamorphic NTC. The above screenshots (top to bottom - Criterion, original R2/R4, Definitive Edition disc2, DE disc1 link) clearly shows another problem with the criterion transfer - it's over-sharpened.
DE Disc1
This screenshot clearly shows the criterion disc having the best overall brightness level.
DE Disc1
This screenshot highlights the problem the criterion disc has handling the scanlines (this is one of the better scenes they look much more uneven in others). They look a little too deep on the original R2/R4, and here the Definitive Edition clearly shows a superior picture. This screenshot also illustrates differences in the framing between the three versions.
DE Disc1
This screenshot highlights the differences in detail. All three show similar detail, but the criterion is much more grainy.
DE Disc1
This screenshot highlights the problems of all three transfers. The criterion is over-sharpened, and not all the hues are even. The original R2/R4 is just plain bad - too dark and too blue. The DE shows a clear image, and is vastly superior to both the other, but is just a little dull and soft. Notice also that both the Criterion and the original R2/R4 have a black-boarder completely around the image, and this is not the case with the DE transfer.
DE Disc1
the image shows the DE handling the colour-levels better then either of the others, as well as having better contrast to the original R2/R4 (but the blacks aren't quite as deep as they could be).
DE Disc1
The Criterion again has the better black-level, and again the original R2/R4 is too dark, and too blue. The DE highlights it's trouble with showing the skin-tones being too-pink.
Conclusions:
I am far happier with the DE then I ever was with the original MGM-label trash. It's not perfect, but for the most part it's consistent. One would think in 2007 MGM could pull their fingers out and deliver a presentation far superior to Criterion's effort which predates this release by 19 years.
Some SW fans have complained about the fact that Lucas used a 1993 LD-master to release the theatrical cuts, but Robocop fans are treated to modern-transfers that barely-rival a 1988 LD-master. I think at least if you do want to watch the movie in anamorphic widescreen, well it's the best version available thus far. But if you prefer to open-matte version (which actually has better framing in many scenes), well the anamorphic versions do not have much to offer. If you like the theatrical version, then the DE is the one for you.
