Man, I can't wait for this!

Oh man that looks good!
not getting it though, already own 2 versions of OldBoy :P

Me too, and I'm replacing both versions with this one!

DVD Talk review is up. Enjoy!

So this is the same transfer as the first r1?

I remember there being some controversy over that dvdbeaver comparison, so I may be wrong about this, but isn't the only version with the correct color the original korean r3 dvd? Or was that debunked?

No, I think that is still bunked.

The dvdtalk review mentions:
So no trailer on this 3-disc? If so, that's a shame.

Forgive my ignorance, but I constantly see this being named as the second in a trilogy. Is this an actual trilogy, or a loose trilogy. What I mean, do I need to see the first film to understand what's going on, and do I need to see the third film for the end?

no each movie stands alone, though it is considered a trilogy in the same respect as John Ford's calvary trilogy

Thanks for that, it just gets me even more excited about it. Not that I'm complaining, but what pushed you over the line to keep it from getting the DVD Talk Collector Series rating? Was it just the video quality?

hmmm....another round-edged tin with digipak inside, meaning worn corners on the digipak!

As Cameron said, each movie stands on its own. However, I would strongly advise that you go ahead and get Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and (Sympathy for)Lady Vengeance as well. I enjoyed those two films as much as I did with Oldboy.

Okay, so I compared the following 3 versions of Oldboy:

- Korean R3 (2nd release):


- UK R2 PAL:


- And this new R1 tin


Video:
While the R1 has a more than good enough transfer, the transfer on the R2 is a little more clear and little less fuzzy. The R3 transfer, however, is considerably better than either. I tried each version in the order of the region, staring with R1, and with each version, it was like my vision was getting a little better, and with the R3 it was like I had 20/20 vision.

Audio:
Because of PAL speedup, the R1 is obviously the better audio choice over the R2, and even though the R3 is NTSC, it doesn't have dts, so for audio, I guess I'd go with the R1, as it has the only non-sped-up dts track.

Subtitles:
They are all white, though each are a slightly different font, but at the same size. The subs on the R2&3 are at the very bottom of the frame, dropping just below the 2:35 image and sometimes into the bottom black bar. The subs on the R1 are placed just a little higher, and well into the image.

Menus:
I like the R3 menus best BY FAR. The other ones are okay, but they just don't have the same sense of style and design that the R3 has.

Extras:
The R1 takes this, as the R2 and the R3 have the same extras (though the extras are NOT subtitled on the R3), and the R1 has the same and a whole lot more (like the 3rd disc with the 3+ hour docu, and the manga). Though there's a director interview on the R2, that's not on the R1 - but it's redundant, and kind of annoying, as he has a translator instead of subtitles.


And a rant to Tartan concerning the R1:

didn't the R3 first release have the green tint that was director-approved, and was later removed in subsequent R1, R3 releases?

Yes, but more than just a green tint, the director wanted it to look "dirty". But when that dvd came out, there was enough of an uproar of people that just wanted a clean image, that they released another one with "cleaner" transfer to please them.

I personally prefer the "dirty" transfer of the very first Korean release over all of them.
God, I can't believe I own 4 versions of this movie - at least I'll be able to sell off my R2, which is a redundant after this R1 tin. So I'll be left with 3 versions...

Partly, but also because most fans of the film may already have one or two different versions. I own the 2-disc PAL Special Edition myself, and I'd probably have been happy with that (though the packaging and trade paperback would've been mighty tempting). I usually only reserve the highest rating for double-dips that really blow away all other versions of the film.

Still a very good release, though. Most fans should be perfectly satisfied with it.

Slop, thanks a million for your comparison! I have the 2nd release Korean R3, and have always been quite happy with it despite the lack of a DTS track, but of course wondered whether this new one was sufficiently good to warrant an upgrade. Thankfully, I can save my money for something like those pricey Greek Angelopoulos discs.

This this will be my introduction, as I don't haver any versions, and will be blind-buying this film, I couldn't be happier with this release. Can't wait to receive it from DDD.

has anyone seen this b&m?

Whatever you do, do NOT read any possible spoilers before you see the film.

Agree with Mr. Opus on this. I really love this film and the new dvd set is awesome.

And yes....I found it at Best Buy...they had 5 copies. Same place I grabbed the stunning tin set collection of Forbidden Planet, which I thought I would have to order on-line. The only release today I could NOT find locally was the SE of Maniac Cop...which just got ordered and should arrive tomorrow. I'm a slut when it comes to "ship me that bastard today"...regardless of cost.

I'm good about spoilers. I have only the very superficial idea about the plot. And most of what I know about it comes from DVD Beaver. I'm a fan of visually interesting cinema, so this release sounds like very much up my alley.

I got mine today, and though I haven't watched it at all yet, I'm VERY happy about the packaging. I got 2 film cels, too! Lucky me.

sorry, i'm being lazy...how much did best buy have it for?

29.99...although I used some reward dollars and got it for about $15.