Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Two narcotics detectives, "Popeye" Doyle and his partner Buddy Russo, start to close in on a vast international narcotics ring when the smugglers unexpectedly strike back. Following an attempt on his life by one of the smugglers, Doyle sets off a deadly pursuit that ultimately takes him far beyond mere New York City limits. Based on a true story, this action-filled thriller, with its renowned chase scene, won five Academy Award including Best Picture and Best Actor for Gene Hackman.

This was actually the first time I’d seen this film which is surprising given the notoriety and genre of the film. I’ve always been a fan of Friedkin’s work and Hackman is always solid. But with this film I found myself a bit underwhelmed. It is a bit of a cat and mouse story and the pacing can be a bit tedious. I also thought the climax was a bit underwhelming and abrupt. The cinematography is outstanding though and the actors do a great job with their portrayals.

This is one of those love/hate types of transfers that I can see people being very divided on. This is probably one of the grainiest film presentations I’ve seen yet on Blu-ray but Fox does a tremendous job of keeping the natural look intact and not adding any compression or enhancement issues into the image. Contrast is strong and borders on clipping with its inky blacks. Shadow detail is a bit crushed but that seems intentional for the most part. Colors are slightly muted and some objects actually have some blooming due to the film grain structure that caught me off guard a bit. I don’t know how much people will like the gritty look of the film but the Blu-ray does do a great job of capturing the natural film appearance.

The soundtrack is delivered in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 but it may as well be a stereo composition. Surrounds are used sparingly at best and the soundstage stays pretty locked in up front. Fidelity isn’t near the quality we are used to today and the whole soundtrack sounds a bit tinny and forward. Sound effects have an edgy quality and the balance within the mix is a bit back and forth. Dialogue sounds pretty good but some of the dubbing could have been better.

This two disc set covers all the bases of this production and features some great insight into the film. The first disc has two commentary tracks; one with the director and one with the two lead actors. You also get an intro from the director, a trivia track and an isolated score. Disc two is where you’ll find the main production features including deleted scenes and insight into the making of the film, its stunts and production. There are also some documentaries, a look at the real crimes portrayed and a retrospective on the film itself.

I was a little underwhelmed with this movie as a whole. Fox has done a great job with the package but the movie didn’t grab me like I thought it would. I also had quite a few issues getting this disc to play on multiple players so be patient with the loading if you purchase it.