Blu-ray Movie Reviews

An L.A. cop (Al Pacino) becomes fixated on a deadly thief (Robert De Niro) and his crew (Val Kilmer, Jon Voight) who are wreaking havoc on the streets of the city. When the cops and robbers clash outside a city bank, one of the most spectacular shootouts in film history takes place.

Many remember this film for the aforementioned shootout, but there's also an interesting tidbit of film history involved. It's the first movie in which Pacino and De Niro share a scene together. Yes, both starred in The Godfather II, but De Niro portrayed a young Vito Corleone in flashback sequences while Pacino was the current day Don. History aside, this is a very good drama that's well acted and directed.

Director Michael Mann supervised a new high-definition transfer, and the improvement over the previously released DVD is readily apparent. Black levels are improved, the grain is well resolved, and colors look more natural. Much of the film was shot on location with variable lighting, but the contrast is stable throughout the nearly 3-hour feature. The print is in excellent shape, although at times the picture is somewhat soft and out of focus, especially on longer shots.

From beginning to end, this is a remarkable Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack. Frequency range and dynamics are top-notch, bass is tight and deep, and the action scenes feature exquisite surround activity—especially during the signature shootout in downtown L.A. Dialog is always intelligible—even in some nightclub scenes with the music pounding in the background, you can still hear the actors' words come through clearly.

Supplements include an audio commentary by writer/producer/director Michael Mann, five featurettes that cover the making of the film, the downtown shootout, the inspiration for the story, a look back at some of the location shooting, and my personal favorite—an interview with Pacino and De Niro about their first onscreen action together. The only other bonus features are nine minutes of deleted scenes and theatrical trailers (all in SD).

A friend of mine thinks this is the greatest film ever made and has watched it hundreds of times over the past 14 years. This is only my second visit, but there's enough entertainment and drama to warrant a revisit every couple of years. Highly recommended.

Release Date: November 1, 2009
Studio: Warner

Movie: 9/10
Picture: 9/10
Sound: 9/10

Review System

Source
Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray player

Display
JVC DLA-RS1 projector
Stewart FireHawk screen (76.5" wide, 16:9)

Electronics
Onkyo Pro PR-SC885 pre/pro
Anthem PVA-7 power amplifier
Belkin PF60 power conditioner

Speakers
M&K S-150s (L, C, R)
M&K SS-150s (LS, RS, SBL, SBR)
SVS PC-Ultra subwoofer

Cables
Monoprice HDMI cables (source to pre/pro)
Best Deal analog-audio cables
PureLink HDC Fiber Optic HDMI Cable System (15 meters) from pre/pro to projector

Acoustical treatments from GIK Acoustics