Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This review is for the Black & Chrome version only. If you've already sampled clips via YouTube let it be known that shot by shot comparisons are one thing, witnessing the entire film in stark black and white is another. Honestly the first time I watched the B&C (Black & Chrome) edition I thought it looked cool but I decided I liked the color version better since I knew it was originally shot to be in color and felt I was looking at an afterthought idea. I was also analyzing shot composition constantly and not immersing myself into the film itself. A few days later I decided to watch some of the B&C version again, then I put in the color disc in to compare and suddenly I realized I actually like the B&C version better. Yes, even the director admitted some shots don't translate very well in black and white (especially the dark scenes at night) but what you gain with black and white is a complete different feel overall. When I went back to the color version it felt more like a typical Hollywood blockbuster action film... when you watch the B&C version you feel like you're being drawn into another world... bleak, gritty and steampunk apocalyptic. Sounds strange when we're talking about the same film with the same visuals, but believe me there is a perceptive difference. I'm one of the suckers who bought the initial blu ray release when the first version was released, but fortunately the B&C edition is fairly priced and I have no regrets owning it in addition to the original. The Black and Chrome edition is the version I'll watch more often. What may seem like a gimmick is actually a masterful idea. On a final note if you think they simply de-saturated the picture that's not the case. Each shot was enhanced / reformatted with a true black and white representation.