As a Monty Python fan I've patiently waited for this movie to come to Blu-ray(2012) but didn't have very high expectations that it would look and sound all that good. Well I was wrong. It looks and sounds Great! And I'm not going to tell you it's an excellent movie, you already know that--great British humor(actually universal humor), ridiculously funny, great actors. And a silly price of only $9.99 (was $12.99 on release date).
Sony did a 1080p transfer(1.66:1 original aspect ratio) of this movie that looks amazing! There's lots of strong detail in faces, clothes, as well as surroundings like buildings, grass, trees. Flesh and earth tones look very natural. Blacks are deep. Strong color is not going to jump out at you, but that's just the nature of the film as the outdoor setting of much of the movie's grass, dirt, and rocks(browns, blacks, grays & greens) never contained strong color elements. But what color there is (like in the tabards,coat of arms, shields) looks very good indeed. Is the movie without soft shots or grain? No, but they've brought out a whole lot of nicely rendered detail that makes the movie a joy to watch. Until now, I feel like I've only seen this movie through a fog. Well, the fog has finally lifted and everything looks sooo fresh.
The audio is a lossless soundtrack (DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless). Voices sound very crisp and clear. Sound effects in general are very good. Audiofiles will notice some very rich sounding sections, but also some that are just acceptable. Overall, it is very enjoyable with nice use of surround sound and I think most people will be more than happy with it.
LOTS OF EXTRAS: (Some New Stuff)
Lost Animations (1080p, 12:55) Features Gilliam animations deleted from the film. ***New for this blu-ray release***
Outtakes & Extended Scenes (1080p, 18:57)***New for this blu-ray release***
MORE INCLUDED EXTRAS:(Some HD, some SD)
Subtitles for People Who Do Not Like the Film (From Henry IV pt. 11).
3 Mindless Sing-Alongs (480p, 5:10).
How To Use Your Coconuts (An educational Film) (480p, 2:58)
Quest for the Holy Grail Locations (480p, 47:00) Special Documentary
Cast Directory Photo Gallery (1080p).
Lego Knights (480p, 1:43): A lego recreation of the "Camelot's a silly place" scene.
Meanwhile, King Arthur & Sir Belvedere...
Elephant & Castle
Run Away!
The Tale of Sir Robin
The Tale of Sir Lancelot
BBC Film Night
Re-release Trailer
There are a couple more Commentaries, a Japanese version of 2 scenes(English subtitles), a UV Digital Copy and some credits AND the first subtitle from the opening credits that was missing on the Special Edition DVD is back. Comes in BLUE AMARAY CASE, NO SLIPCOVER.
If you've never seen this movie, you are seriously missing out.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail [Blu-ray]
Endless re-watchability.
FREEBIE FOR iPad Owners: Free After Rebate--get the related iPad app called "Monty Python: The Holy Book of Days" ($4.99, App Store) - Recreates the 28 days of location shooting of the landmark film. Mail-in rebate if you buy the iPad app AND the blu-ray. Rebate info is supposed to be on the back of a sticker on the outer wrapping, but some people are reporting there is no sticker so I've included all the rebate details in the first comment below this review.
According to the App Store:
"With your iPad and Blu-ray player synced via your WiFi network, the app becomes your remote control and lets you see the exact scenes talked about in The Holy Book of Days. It's an entirely new way of watching the film."
UPDATE: 7/10/12 the "Monty Python: The Holy Book of Days" app for iPad is still available on iTunes but it's $4.99 now, no longer free.