The remastered version's bottom banner on the front of the case is shiny metallic silver, where the original banner is dull grey. "Experience High Definition" is written on both banners.
The number of the original BD is 15018, of the remastered release 21520.
If the plastic wrapping is still present, the anti-theft tags say: "Fifth Element, The RMSTD BD".
The colour on the artwork of the remastered version is more "metallic", on the original lighter as well as redder.
On the backside, down, the new remastered version will have an ABC logo (triangle) and Dolby TrueHD as well as a "FULL HD 1080" logo. The circular PG-icon is in the middle. The original doesn't have the three logos I mentioned (it has a single "A", down left, for region-A) and the PG-circle is on the left quarter.
Down in the middle (where the new version has its PG-circle), the old one has "15018LIT" printed, more to the right "Printed in U.S.A.". The new one has "Printed in U.S.A." at the same place as the old one, but immediately above it: "21520LIT".
Remember just one of these differences when you go shopping and they will not be able to fool you!
I'm pretty sure most stores are waiting to sell out their existing stocks of the old version before they order the new re-mastered version or place it on their shelves. The problem is at this point the market seems to consist mostly of enthusiasts who know there's a better version out, so I'd expect the old versions to sit on the shelves for awhile. In the meantime there's always Amazon, which has a specific listing for the re-mastered copy.
I just went to the Sony Style store at the Galleria in Houston where they had several copies of the old version and when I asked the clerks if they had the remastered version I got "the look". Oh well I'll just do Amazon. Greg
Thanks for the info. I got the disc at the HTF Birthday Party at EMA and wasn't sure if I would need to do the exchange. So nice of the Blu-Ray folks to give us the remastered edition!