All Rise...

Judge Erich Asperschlager has universal appeal.

Editor's Note

Our reviews of Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection (Blu-ray) (published December 11th, 2012), All Quiet On The Western Front (published February 12th, 2007), All Quiet on the Western Front (Blu-ray) Digibook (published February 12th, 2012), American Graffiti (Blu-ray) (published May 19th, 2011), American Graffiti: Special Edition (published May 23rd, 2011), Animal House: Collector's Edition (published May 31st, 2000), National Lampoon's Animal House (Blu-ray) (published July 25th, 2011), Apollo 13 (published April 21st, 1999), Apollo 13: 10th Anniversary Edition (published April 25th, 2005), Apollo 13 (Blu-Ray) (published April 12th, 2010), Back To The Future (published February 23rd, 2009), Back To The Future Trilogy (Blu-Ray) 25th Anniversary Edition (published October 26th, 2010), The Birds (published March 16th, 2000), The Bourne Files: 3-Disc Collection (published August 3rd, 2007), The Bourne Identity (published February 17th, 2003), The Bourne Identity (Blu-Ray / DVD) (published January 29th, 2010), The Bourne Identity: Explosive Extended Edition (published August 10th, 2004), The Bourne Identity (HD DVD) (published August 3rd, 2007), The Bourne Trilogy (published November 4th, 2008), The Bourne Trilogy (Blu-Ray) (published January 27th, 2009), The Brat Pack Movies And Music Collection (published November 14th, 2005), The Breakfast Club (published May 23rd, 2000), The Breakfast Club (Blu-Ray) (published July 28th, 2010), The Breakfast Club (HD DVD/DVD Combo Format) (published February 22nd, 2007), Buck Privates (Blu-ray) DigiBook (published April 23rd, 2012), Despicable Me (published January 30th, 2011), Despicable Me (Blu-Ray) (published December 23rd, 2010), Do the Right Thing: Criterion Collection (published March 12th, 2001), Do The Right Thing: 20th Anniversary Edition (published June 30th, 2009), Do The Right Thing (Blu-Ray) (published June 30th, 2009), Dracula (published December 15th, 1999), Dracula: The Legacy Collection (published June 21st, 2004), E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (Blu-ray) (published October 2nd, 2012), The Fast And The Furious (published December 17th, 2001), The Fast And The Furious Trilogy (Blu-Ray) (published March 24th, 2009), The Fast And The Furious: Limited Edition (published March 30th, 2009), Field Of Dreams: 15th Anniversary Edition (published July 26th, 2004), Field Of Dreams (Blu-Ray) (published May 26th, 2009), The Gregory Peck Film Collection (published November 24th, 2008), The High School Flashback Collection (published September 17th, 2008), Jaws (published June 28th, 2000), Jaws: 30th Anniversary Edition (published July 4th, 2005), Jaws (Blu-ray) (published August 14th, 2012), Jurassic Park (published September 20th, 2000), Jurassic Park: Ultimate Trilogy (Blu-ray) (published October 21st, 2011), Out of Africa (Blu-ray) (published April 19th, 2010), Out of Africa (Blu-ray) DigiBook (published March 14th, 2012), Pillow Talk: 50th Anniversary Edition (published April 14th, 2009), Pillow Talk (Blu-ray) (published June 7th, 2012), The Ron Howard Spotlight Collection (published November 25th, 2008), Scarface (1983) (published November 17th, 2003), Scarface (1983) (Blu-ray) (published September 5th, 2011), Scarface (1983) Platinum Edition (published October 24th, 2006), Scarface (1932) (published November 16th, 2007), Spartacus: Criterion Collection (published July 3rd, 2001), Spartacus (Blu-Ray) (published May 24th, 2010), The Sting (Blu-ray) DigiBook (published May 29th, 2012), The Sting: Legacy Series Edition (published September 26th, 2005), To Kill a Mockingbird (Blu-ray) 50th Anniversary Digibook (published January 31st, 2012), and To Kill A Mockingbird: Legacy Series Edition (published October 24th, 2005) are also available.

The Charge

"Uncle Carl Laemmle / Has a very large faemmle"—Ogden Nash

Opening Statement

At the beginning of 2012, Universal Studios announced it would celebrate its 100th Anniversary by releasing, restoring, and repackaging its most important movies on DVD and Blu-ray. As the year comes to a close, Universal caps off that centennial celebration by gathering 25 of those films in the limited edition Universal 100th Anniversary Collection box set.

Facts of the Case

The Blu-ray version of the 100th Anniversary Collection comes with the following films…

• All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
• Dracula (1931)
• Drácula (1931)*
• Buck Privates (1941)
• Pillow Talk (1959)
• Spartacus (1960)
• To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
• The Birds (1963)
• American Graffiti (1973)
• The Sting (1973)
• Jaws (1975)
• National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)
• E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
• Scarface (1983)
• Back to the Future (1985)
• The Breakfast Club (1985)
• Out of Africa (1985)
• Do the Right Thing (1989)
• Field of Dreams (1989)
• Jurassic Park (1993)
• Apollo 13 (1995)
• The Fast and the Furious (2001)
• The Bourne Identity (2002)
• Mamma Mia! The Movie (2008)
• Despicable Me (2010)

* The Spanish language version of Dracula is included as a bonus feature on the Dracula disc, and is exclusive to Blu-ray set. The standard-def 100th Anniversary Collection comes with Schindler's List instead, which is not yet available on Blu-ray.

The Evidence

The Universal 100th Anniversary Collection is an odd box set. Most Blu-ray collections dig deep into one director or franchise, while the movies in this grab bag set have little in common except their general mainstream appeal. Although movie fans will argue over which films are deserving of this deluxe treatment, each disc was chosen for a reason. Even the oddest selection, Mamma Mia!, makes sense considering how many boatloads of krona it made overseas.

Not every movie will appeal to every viewer. Snooty cinephiles clamoring for hi-def restorations of All Quiet on the Western Front and To Kill a Mockingbird aren't likely to care about Animal House; just as the popcorn-munchers who know The Fast and the Furious by heart might not have the patience for a subtitled Drácula. This set's broad cinematic spectrum has inspired some grumbling on the Internet, but I give the studio credit for standing behind its full catalog. The collection's $350 list price will be a tough sell to consumers who want only a handful of the included movies, but those people are free to bypass the box set and pick up individual releases instead, many of which also include DVD and digital copies. (Every Blu-ray in this set can be bought as a standalone disc, with the exception of Back to the Future, Jurassic Park—available in their respective trilogy box sets—The Birds and both versions of Dracula, which are included in the recent Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection and Universal Classic Monsters sets.) Say what you will about the Universal 100th Anniversary Collection. At least the studio didn't hold back a key restoration of one of their most beloved films and make it exclusive to this set. It could have happened.

This collection may not be for the savvy movie collector on your list, but it would be perfect for a family with a brand new Blu-ray player and nothing to watch. With dramas, action, and romance for the adults, musicals and comedies for the teens, and an animated movie for the kids, the 100th Anniversary Collection has something for everyone. It's the movie gift equivalent of a Hickory Farms Cheese and Sausage Sampler.

Universal's 2012 campaign was an overall success, but the individual movies didn't always earn top marks. While the best of these anniversary releases stand among the best Blu-rays of the year, many of the mid-tier releases fell short of hi-def greatness. Universal granted "100th Anniversary" status to a wide range of discs, from frame-by-frame restorations to middling hi-def upgrades to old Blu-rays with new slipcases. That disparity is evident in this 100th Anniversary Collection. In general, the newest transfers look the best, especially the restorations of All Quiet on the Western Front, both Dracula films, To Kill a Mockingbird, Jaws, and E.T.. The picture quality of the remaining titles is all over the place, with only a couple outright clunkers in the set—I'm looking at you, Spartacus and Animal House. The biggest complaint for videophiles will be an over-reliance on DNR, a digital crutch that seems (thankfully) to be going out of style. Even with the mixed results, the good outweighs the bad.

The audio specs of the included titles is just as diverse, from stereo to room-shaking 5.1 and 7.1 mixes. It's worth noting, however, that just because a movie doesn't have full surround sound doesn't mean it's at the bottom of the list. One of the best tracks in the set is the 2.0 Mono mix of Dracula, not because it's crystal clear but because it is such an improvement over the hiss-heavy audio of its previous incarnations.

The Universal 100th Anniversary Collection has the same Blu-ray discs that are available individually, with all of the bonus features intact—minus, of course, DVD and digital copies of the films. A couple of movies are light on extras, but most are packed solid with featurettes, commentaries, deleted scenes, and documentaries. All together, they deliver a broad overview of Hollywood filmmaking in the 20th Century. The collection itself comes in a sturdy silver and blue box that houses a large hardcover book-style case with a two page spread for each movie with description, movie poster art, and trivia. The box also contains a 72-page softcover "100 Years of Universal" book, which covers not only the 25 films included here, but a timeline of major Universal people, moments, and movies.

Along with the 24 Blu-ray discs, the collection also comes with a 43-minute CD with selections from 15 film soundtracks, and a bonus DVD with the following featurettes, cartoons, and vintage shorts:

• 100 Years of Universal: These promotional featurettes were included on several of the Universal's anniversary discs. All of the featurettes except "The '80s" are available in HD on one or more of the individual Blu-rays in the set, but the standard-def downgrade is a reasonable trade-off for having them all in one place.

"The Carl Laemmle Era" (8:42)
"The Lew Wasserman Era" (8:51)
"Academy Award Winners" (9:35)
"The '70s" (11:02)
"The '80s" (15:03)
"The Lot" (9:27)
"Unforgettable Characters" (8:19)
"Restoring the Classics" (9:14)

• Vintage Cartoons: Universal might not have as rich an animated history as a certain mouse-related company, but this hour-and-forty-minute collection of shorts is a fascinating piece of movie and cultural history. With characters like Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Woody Woodpecker, and Andy Panda, these cartoons might have been made for a wide audience, but you'll have to decide for yourself whether they are appropriate for your kids. Several of these shorts aren't just outdated, they're offensive. Racist caricatures and ethnic stereotypes abound, from the thick-lipped African Americans in the "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company 'B'" to Woody Woodpecker terrorizing a headdress-wearing Indian in "The Barber of Seville." It can be hard to watch. Of the remaining cartoons, there's an even mix of goofy slapstick fun and snarky depictions of Hollywood stars. There's nothing here to rival the big studio cartoon collections, but I give Universal credit for giving time to lesser known, and potentially embarrassing, entries from their early catalog.

"Spooks" (1930)
"Merry Old Soul" (1933)
"Wax Works" (1934)
"Jolly Little Elves" (1934)
"Hollywood Bowl" (1938)
"Life Begins for Andy Panda" (1939)
"Knock Knock" (1940)
"Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company 'B'" (1941)
"The Barber of Seville" (1944)
"Musical Moments from Chopin" (1947)
"Maw and Paw" (1953)
"Chilly Willy" (1953)
"Crazy Mixed Up Pup" (1955)
"SH-H-H-H-H-H" (1955)

• Vintage Shorts:
"Runt Page" (1932): This parody of The Front Page is from Universal's disturbing "Baby Burlesks" series, featuring half-naked toddlers (including a young Shirley Temple) who are voiced by adults. Think Lancelot Link, but with giant diapers and casual racism.

"Slide, Babe, Slide" (1932): Babe Ruth stars in this semi-educational short, in which he teaches baseball fundamentals to some insufferable brats.

"Cartoonland Mysteries" (1936): The most interesting short on the disc is an engaging overview of the animation process, going step by step through the creation of an Oswald the Rabbit cartoon.

Closing Statement

In a holiday season packed with big Blu-ray box sets, the Universal 100th Anniversary Collection might be the biggest. Its 25 movies easily eclipse the four-movie Indiana Jones set, the Universal Monsters and Hitchcock collections, and even the massive 23-disc James Bond box. And yet, it will probably be overlooked by people who don't see the value in buying a collection that includes films they don't like. I can sympathize. Of the two dozen-plus movies here, there are a handful I'd have rather seen swapped out for other anniversary discs that didn't make the cut. At the same time, I'm sure someone else's ideal collection would look totally different from mine.

Universal has spent this past year restoring and re-releasing their biggest movies, and this collection is the natural conclusion of that celebration. They could have released multiple box sets, each catering to a different audience. Instead, they went all in on a pricey instant movie collection that appeals to no one in particular. An odd gamble, but I admire their gumption. 'Tis gift-giving season after all, and Universal has put together one gorgeous gift set. It may not be for everyone, but I can't imagine anyone being upset about getting so many great movies in one box.

The Verdict

Happy anniversary! Not guilty!

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