Star Trek Into Darkness is the Blu-ray Disc release of Star Trek Into Darkness. The release contains a Blu-ray, DVD (omitted from releases outside North America), and a digital copy of the film. Various limited edition sets are also available with many of them, most conspicuously the "retailer exclusives", including a bonus features Blu-ray disc in lieu of the DVD.
Most regular releases came with their discs mounted in the standard plastic snapcase and packaged within the customary cardboard slipcover, but there was a twist involved for the North America Region A release; instead of a cardboard slipcover, theirs was endowed with a transparent plastic one with the snapcase cover (which is otherwise similar to the Region B cover) partially visible through the Starfleet arrow shaped ruins.
While in several cases still being marketed as region-restricted, it is in actuality a region-free release as this has increasingly become commonplace for the Blu-ray format. The European releases even lack the once customary region indication on their back covers – though they were maintained on their equally region-free Blu-ray 3D counterparts.
Video[]
The domestic release of the Blu-ray does not feature the scenes shot in IMAX resolution. It was reported that the German release contains the scenes shot for IMAX, shown in their full aspect, but this is false. [2]
Special features[]
These are the standard special features common to all Blu-ray releases.
- Creating the Red Planet
- Attack on Starfleet
- The Klingon Home World
- The Enemy of My Enemy
- Ship to Ship
- Brawl by the Bay
- Continuing the Mission (Region A only)
The iTunes Store release contains a director's video commentary, which runs a half hour longer than the film. iTunes later released all special features as included on the 2014 Star Trek: The Compendium release. [3] The deleted scenes are available on the Xbox SmartGlass app. The additional following special features are exclusive to the following stores:
- Target/Sainsbury's release,
- The Voyage Begins… Again
- Mr. Spock and Mr. Spock
- Rebuilding the Enterprise
- Vengeance is Coming
- Kirk & Spock
- Visual Affection
Sainsbury's had its bonus features included on a DVD, unlike Target which had them included on a separate Blu-ray disc.
- Best Buy/CinemaNow release
- Down With the Ship
- NIF: Home of the Core
- Safety First
- Unlocking the Cut
- The Sound of Music and FX
- Aliens Encountered [4]
The Canadian Best Buy edition contains an additional disc for these bonus features, while American buyers will have to download them.
- Tesco release
20 minutes of unspecified extra content exclusive to their Blinkbox service.
The VAM controversy[]
The decision to make the majority of special features retailer exclusives prompted intense criticism of Paramount Home Entertainment. [5] According to TrekCore, a source close to both Paramount and Bad Robot Productions stated that the latter reportedly had "100% control" over the production and dissemination of VAM ("Value Added Material" aka "special features") productions. This source speculated this material might have been delivered late as account-specific features generally have a deadline that is later than the Blu-ray. This would have resulted in the features being thrown to different SKUs (Stock Keeping Units), or contracts were negotiated with retailers wherein each was paid for the exclusive content specific to their stores. [6] Simon Pegg voiced his support for the fans, saying the inconsistent release made him "sad". [7]
In June 2014, Paramount announced an all special features inclusive Blu-ray release, in the IMAX version (but without the 3D version), of the film as the The Compendium set referenced above. [8]
Deeply loathed by "Trekkies" and film buffs in general alike, [9] and despite the upheaval, the retailer exclusive format was utilized yet again for the next, 2016 film Blu-ray outing.
![One-disc US Best Buy Region A, and UK Amazon.co.uk Region B retailer exclusive[2]](/wiki/File:Star_Trek_Into_Darkness_Walmart_%26_Best_Buy_Limited_Steelbook_Edition.jpg "Star Trek Into Darkness Walmart & Best Buy Limited Steelbook Edition.jpg (238 KB)")
![Italian "Collector's Edition" gift set with Quantum Mechanix phaser retailer exclusive[3]](/wiki/File:Star_Trek_Into_Darkness_Amazon.it_Collector%27s_Edition_with_phaser_replica.jpg "Star Trek Into Darkness Amazon.it Collector's Edition with phaser replica.jpg (188 KB)")
](/wiki/File:STID_meteor_edition.jpg "STID meteor edition.jpg (256 KB)")
- ↑ Asian Region A release dates from YesAsia.com
- ↑ The same SteelBook was in North America also circulated by Walmart as their two-disc holding Blu-ray/DVD combo "Limited Edition" retailer exclusive variant. It was this version that was included in their exclusive "Hot Wheels" gift set retailer exclusive as well.
- ↑ The Italian limited gift set release was an aberrant Blu-ray only version of the more ubiquitous similar version released in the same time-span for the Star Trek Into Darkness Blu-ray 3D release, the version of which falsely indicated on the Italian box as being present as well, and had been a 4 December 2013 Amazon.it retailer exclusive.
External links[]
- Review at TrekCore
- “Into Darkness” Exclusives, Part I: Video VAM at TrekCore
- Star Trek: Into Darkness SteelBook Releases Worldwide List at HiDefNinja.com – listing of worldwide released limited editions
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