Region 4 Winners and Losers

    Now let's compare the R4 retail version with the R1 Collector's Edition. By the way, if you are wondering how to tell the two R4 versions apart, you won't be able to do it from the front cover — the front cover is exactly the same (except that the reasons for the M rating are listed on the rental cover as "Adult Themes, Low Level Coarse Language", while on the sell-through cover they are "Low Level Coarse Language, Adult Themes"). The spine is almost the same, except that the rental is numbered "D15170", while the retail is "E15170". The big difference comes on the back, where the retail version has an extra panel listing Special Features at the top right; the rental just has the blurb in a larger typeface.

    The Region 4 retail disc is missing:

• dts 5.1 soundtrack
• French Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack
• deleted scenes (7:51)
• theatrical trailer (2:30)
• production notes (19 pages)
• cast and crew (5 bios)
• "now showing" - advertising for Universal DVDs
• trailer: Scorpion King (1:14)
• DVD-ROM features
• animated menus with music

    The Region 1 disc is missing:

• superb video transfer

    Now this gets tough. Normally I'd be swayed towards the R1 by the dts soundtrack (except that it is not a particularly good dts soundtrack), and by the additional extras. However, the only one I really miss is the deleted scenes; it is a shame they weren't included.

    The R1 transfer shows limited shadow detail, falling off into black a bit too quickly. It displays a bit too much contrast, too. The R1 Dolby Digital soundtrack is more frontal (with less surround activity) than the R4.

    I have to recommend the R4 retail disc — it has the commentary and the alternate ending, which are the vital extras — and it has a significantly better transfer. I don't think that the remaining extras are sufficient to justify an additional disc.