2/4  Miracle on 34th Street Quick Review
They didn't need to remake this film. The Natalie Wood version was good enough.

5/5 The BEST version (1947 w/Natalie Wood) FINALLY comes to Blu-ray!!! (blu-ray review only) (explained)
  by forrie lowell
One of the BEST Holiday movies (ever) comes to Blu-ray!!! Now we have some of the BEST ALL-TIME Holiday Classics coming to Blu-ray.

My short list of the Best of the Best for family enjoyment available in Blu-ray are; Leading the way is 1.) Miracle on 34th Street (1947), then 2.) A Christmas Story (1983), 3.) A Christmas Carol (1951 and 4.) A Wonderful Life (1946). These are must have movies!!

Miracle on 34th Street has been beautifully remastered in HD (1080p). The all-star cast are even better in this feature presentation. (better then the 35mm theater version in 1947). With the Home theater big screen we can now enjoy these classics as they are met to be seen.

NOTE: Movies prior to 1953 are Standard format 4:3 (1.33:1)Aspect Ratio versus Widescreen 16:9 Aspect Ratio. Also ONLY "A Christmas Story" is in COLOR!!!

This Blu-ray version of a Cherished Holiday Family Tradition has such clarity and pure Dolby Digital sound that you experience the movie in a never before felt appreciation. I can only say WOW!!!!!!!!!

Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood and Edmund Gwenn playing Kris Kringle (winning a Best Supporting Actor Oscar) are the perfect cast for this Wonderful movie. Don't miss this Blu-ray version.

Bottomline: ALL THE SAME EXTRAS/SPECIAL FEATURES AS THE STANDARD VERSION (EXCEPT THE COLORIZED VERSION). In my opinion the original movie presentation personifies the message of the feature and introduces us to story and characters.

I highly recommend this feature for your Holiday Home Theater Library!!! IMMEDIATELY a family tradition with multiple viewings each year GUARANNTEED!!!

ENJOY!!!!

5/5 Finally proof that Santa is real.
  by bernie (Arlington, Texas)
I will not bore you with a recap of the whole movie or state, which is obvious to all that this 1947 black and white movie is one of the major Christmas Classics.

Kris Kringle (Edmond Gwenn) is appalled to find a Santa preparing to be in the Thanks Giving Day parade is intoxicated. Kris is hired to play the part of him self. He befriends a child Susan (Natalie Wood) who does not believe in Santa or the tooth fairy or giants. His employer Doris Walker (Maureen O'Hara) is dubious of her decision to hire him after learning that he believes he is Santa. In the spirit of Christmas he brings two rival stores together and is in the process of bringing the girl around to believing. Naturally I left out many other controversial questions and fun scenes. Among them is one where a Dutch girl recognizes him as Santa and he speaks Dutch to her.
Through a few misunderstandings he is put on trial and must prove he is Santa. Can his friend, who happens to be a lawyer, prove this? If not what will happen to him? What effect will this have on Susan? Or you?

Them! (Snap Case)~ Edmond Gwenn


2/5 Not colorized -- BIG disappointment
  by Brian Barkley (Overland Park, KS, USA)
Miracle on 34th Street is the best colorized movie in the history of cinema. This is a CHRISTMAS movie. Christmas is the most colorful time of the year. This is a HUGE disappointment . . . they could have easily put both B&W and colorized versions on one blu-ray disc. What sap in Hollywood made this decision? . . . they just lost tens of thousands of sales because of this major screw up.


1/5 I have all the versions of this film....
  by Richard J. Goldschmidt (Oak Lawn, IL USA)
Happy to have it in BLU-RAY format BUT whoever put this together did a really bad job as the other reviewers have already expressed. It also has less content than the two disc DVD set that came out a few years ago...it is missing things like the TV show version, etc. If you are going to reissue as a BLU-RAY....you do not take content away. It does say in the paragraph on the back that it has the color version as well BUT it does not. I too like the black and white version better BUT what moron left the color version off? I am going to call the # on the back of the DVD and report their errors.

1/5 BIG DISAPPOINTMENT
  by Buddy's Master (Mays Landing, NJ)
Many individuals at FOX and AMAZON don't know how to treat a classic film - especially a Christmas Classic!!! Amazon fails to list the major stars in the film but lists minor characters that most people would not even recognize. When I first read the actors I though it was the wrong film but did remember that Jack
Albertson was in the film a brief minute at the Post Office and in 1947 was not a major star or well known.

The film is listed on the holder as the colorized version - it is not - thank goodness. But, why didn't Fox include both the colorized version for those who prefer this and the BW version as the soon to be released IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE!

The Blu-Ray version is a rip-off. The transfer is not as good as the standard version. The opening scene is so dark. It was actually difficult to get the disc to start. The set up is awakard and difficult to select different choices available.

I realy big disappointment!!! I hope Fox does a better job on the thousands of classics they still need to release in Blu-Ray. Waiting to see the sky in Leave Her to Heaven as Gene Tierney spreads her fathers ashes in HD.