1. WALL*E (A+/A-/A+)
Back when I first started to do Top Tens, Disney titles dominated them. Disney DVDs landed at the top in 2000 and 2001, and A Bug’s Life would’ve been number one for 1999 if I’d done a chart that year. As I alluded earlier, the LOTR movies then maintained a three-year stranglehold on the #1 position, and Disney hasn’t been back on top since then.

Until now and WALL-E. Granted, the lack of any super-duper-killer-diller DVDs from 2008 opens things up; a DVD like WALL-E wouldn’t have won for any other year since maybe 2001. That shouldn’t be seen as a slam on this release, though, as it’s a fine affair – and a nice return to form for Pixar, as the DVDs for Cars and Ratatouille disappointed. WALL-E isn’t my favorite Pixar flick, but it’s entertaining, and the DVD itself is a terrific little package. That’s good enough for my top slot.

2. TIM BURTON’S THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS – COLLECTOR’S EDITION (A/A-/A)
Perhaps to make up for all those years that Disney failed to earn the top spot, they land positions one and two for the 2008 Top Ten. In terms of audio and extras, the old Nightmare Before Christmas special edition from 2000 was always very satisfying. I looked reasonably good, too, especially back in the days when 4X3 TVs were the rule; I actually placed it dhsakjdhgdsa on my 2000 Top Ten. Since it provided a non-16X9 transfer, however, it needed a new issue to now be viewed as a great DVD – and it finally got that reissue in 2008. The movie now looks terrific and provides a consistently satisfying release.

3. CASINO ROYALE – COLLECTOR’S EDITION (A-/A-/A)
You’d better get used to reissues in my 2008 Top Ten, as they dominate. I easily could’ve put the terrific Casino Royale in the number two slot. I went with Nightmare because it offered superior visuals, but then again, I think Royale provides the superior film. This is also a terrific DVD, as it gives us fine picture and audio along with many good extras. It’s too bad fans had to wait a year and a half after the movie’s initial DVD release to get a definitive edition, but better late than never, I suppose.

4. ZODIAC - DIRECTOR'S CUT (A/B+/A)
For many other film buffs and me, every new David Fincher film is an event. (Or that was the case until Benjamin Button, but that’s a different story.) 2007's Zodiac lived up to expectations with a tight, gripping thriller that revisited the serial killer territory of Se7en but never felt like a rehash. This Director's Cut release packs excellent visuals, very good audio, and a strong collection of extras to become an top-notch DVD.

5. SLEEPING BEAUTY – PLATINUM EDITION (B+/B+/A)
Halfway through the Top Ten and we hit another Disney DVD! That’s three of the top five – not too bad for the Mouse. Sleeping Beauty is my least favorite of those three flicks; it’s lovely to look at but little more than a drab mix of Cinderella and Snow White. Nonetheless, this Platinum Edition of the film is a solid DVD. It improves on the prior release and offers consistently strong picture, audio and extras. It’ll never be one of my favorite Disney films, but it’s one of their better DVDs.

6. THE GODFATHER TRILOGY - RESTORED (B+/B/A)
When I compile these Top Tens, I don’t heavily factor movie quality into the placements. These charts are about the best DVDs of the year, not the best films; that’s why the disappointing DVD release for The Dark Knight is nowhere to be found.

And that’s why The Godfather Trilogy shows up so high on my 2008 Top Ten. Unquestionably, The Godfather and The Godfather Part II are the best films in this year’s Top Ten. (Part III? Not so much.) I didn’t put this “Restored Trilogy” in the number 6 slot solely because they’re great flicks, though; the new DVDs offer substantially superior picture and audio when compared to the original discs from 2001. The added extras aren’t special, but since that was one area the 2001 package got right, I won’t complain. The “Restored” set may only be number six here, but it’s really the biggest “must own” package on the list.

7. I AM LEGEND - ULTIMATE COLLECTOR'S EDITION (A/A-/B+)
Like Casino Royale, this “Ultimate Collector’s Edition” of I Am Legend offers the release fans wish they’d have gotten in the first place. At least they only had to wait a few months and not almost two years in this case. Legend isn’t a great film, but it’s well-executed and compelling. I certainly can’t find much to knock in this fine release – except for the price, I suppose, as $50 is awfully steep. Still, it’s a nice package.

8. HOW THE WEST WAS WON (A/A-/B)
As I mentioned earlier, I place movies in my Top Ten mostly due to the quality of their DVD releases. That’s why you find the often dull How the West Was Won in the number 8 slot. Oh, it’s not a bad movie, really, but it’s pretty mediocre; only the gorgeous Cinerama visuals make it interesting.

And it’s great to see those visuals brought to life in such a fine fashion. The DVD provides really terrific picture, and the audio holds up very well after many decades. We don’t find lots of supplements, but what we get – a commentary and a long documentary – work nicely. West isn’t a great flick, but it turns into a satisfying DVD.

9. BEE MOVIE - VERY JERRY 2-DISC EDITION (A/A-/B)
2007's Bee Movie came to screens with a great deal of hype. Though it didn't quite live up to its advance billing, it did provide a delightful and funny flick that works for adults and kids. The DVD provides excellent picture quality along with solid sound. The extras are a little disappointing but still pretty good. The movie never excels, but it succeeds.

10. INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL (B+/A-/A-)
Speaking of movies that don’t excel but that succeed, that’d sum up Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I have no idea how I’ll compare it to the three other Indy flicks in the long run. I liked it theatrically and thought it might be better than Temple of Doom. (It’s not nearly as good as Raiders or Last Crusade.) My second screening revealed more flaws and left me doubtful that Skull will ever rise above the bottom of my Indy chart.

We’ll see. It’s still tough to separate the actual movie from what we fans wanted it to be, so I reserve the right to change my mind in coming years. At least I can’t complain about the quality of the DVD. Okay, picture quality could be a smidgen better, but audio fares well, and despite the expected absence of an audio commentary – which are taboo on Spielberg DVDs – the extras flesh out the package nicely. All of this means that Skull deserves a spot on my 2008 Top Ten.