Review Detail

Wraith has put together a unifying one stop shop for those for whom this film touches a deep nostalgic note. The grading overall feels like cinema - Like film indeed, and the little fixes made along the way smooth out even the bolted on Special Edition finale. The coalition of all scenes not in common with each release stops you wondering what to expect - "which version were we watching again?". I don't favor the SE ending personally, but it needs to be included here. The grading used to add vibrancy to the closing scenes are very in keeping with 35mm film projection as it looks in an auditorium. In places it was a little bright and grainy for me, but it was the editors passion to emulate his experience in the cinema and it is certainly an improvement on the trend for fogged highlight detail in hi def releases these days. The re-introduction of contrast for this edit was a net gain all round.

The world Speilberg created back then stands up as a world I wish still existed, even if it didn't reflect the real world in the first place - it is the vibe cinema is capable of and brings me back for more, just for the details and cultural references, the timbre and atmosphere.

The inclusion of the workprint is a welcome luxury, but the tidiness and ...well completeness of the Complete Edition makes it a very worthwhile go to.