Carlito's Way 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Carlito's Way 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Universal has released the fan favorite 1993 Al Pacino Crime film 'Carlito's Way' to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/HDR video and DTS:X audio. In addition to the three extras from the legacy Blu-ray (included in this set), the UHD houses two vintage extras that were not included on that disc.

Carlito's Way 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.

Universal brings the fan-favorite Carlito's Way to the UHD format with a new 2160p/HDR UHD presentation. This is a solid image, hardly revelatory or ranking near the top of the UHD heap, but in all ways an improvement over the aging VC-1 Blu-ray (also included with purchase). Universal has tidied up the image quite a bit; the first shot depicting Carlito Brigante in the courtroom is a great example. The Blu-ray is littered with speckles while the UHD is very clean and efficient. A few speckles and trace signs of print wear remain (look at a scene in the 53-minute mark for an example) but the picture is, on the whole, fairly clean and efficient. It holds to an attractive grain pattern that compliments the film source and yields a healthy, natural texture. The image is resultantly filmic and pure. Details are sharp and improved over the Blu-ray, but to be sure the picture cannot match the high yield finesse of the finest UHD presentations. This one holds to a mild inherent softness in some shots but finds exceptional sharpness and grace in others. Overall, Universal's image offers an appropriate improvement to all vital areas, revealing a nice uptick in stability and clarity in essentials like faces and attire and beyond to various environments. It's not a game changer but it is a worthwhile improvement.

Much the same can be said of the HDR color grading. Colors have been tastefully enhanced to render tones deeper, to improve brightness while maintaining integrity and depth. Whites are notably crisper, greens deeper, blacks firmer, and flesh tones healthier. The picture holds to a steady, lifelike contrast where it's never too warm or cool. Again, there is no significant alteration to "spruce up" the picture beyond core enhancements. Viewers will appreciate the more lifelike color spectrum that even in lower light locales offers improvements to tonal accuracy and stability. This is an efficient HDR pass. It tightness the color grading to satisfactory levels. Fans and audiences looking for a picture that is faithful to the image's filmic roots will be pleased, but anyone looking for a dizzying display of UHD excellence might be a little disappointed. The movie looks great for what it is and considering the qualities inherent to the original film source, even if it can't quite match the "greatness" of the format's best.

Carlito's Way 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For its UHD debut, Universal has encoded the film's soundtrack in the DTS:X configuration. The track first springs to life at the nine-minute mark at a club during a celebratory dance scene. The music bursts from speakers with terrific energy and clarity with full-on stage engagement and a well integrated top layer. A similar sonic sensation can be experienced in the 59-minute mark inside a strip club. The track is not thunderous in any way, though, not in these scenes and not in others. Whether considering score, atmosphere, gunfire, or other potentially high yield sound effects, it's rather straightforward though at least well positioned within the new channel parameters and clear within the confines (and constraints) of the original sound design. The new DTS:X encode doesn't rework or reenergize the presentation, instead mostly affirming its strengths and essential cadence with a little more opportunity for spacious immersion. Overall clarity is fine if not a bit limited by the inherent sound design. Dialogue is clear and center positioned for the duration.

Note that I experienced some audio stutters and image jitters during the scene in which Carlito meets with Lalin Miasso in chapter eight. The issue was not replicated when re-watching the entire scene.

Carlito's Way 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The UHD disc for Carlito's Way includes the three extras from the original Blu-ray while adding a couple of items that were not included with that release. The original VC-1 Blu-ray is included with purchase, as is a Movies Anywhere digital code voucher. For coverage of the carryover content, please click here.

• Deleted Scenes
• The Making of Carlito's Way
• Brian De Palma on Carlito's Way
• NEW! Original Promotional Featurette (1080p upscaled, window box, 5:13): A quick look at story, cast, the director, and more.
• NEW! Theatrical Trailer (1080p upscaled, window box, 2:40).

Carlito's Way 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Carlito's Way UHD is certainly not a top-tier release, but that does not make it a poor release. The presentation looks and sounds fine but it's far behind the format's best efforts. However, it is a solid enough upgrade from an aging, yet still very presentable, Blu-ray. The picture is tighter and more texturally refined while the color grading offers superior depth and balance: essentially, it's a very fair if not somewhat underwhelming upgrade. The new audio encode does not drastically alter the sound presentation but it does enjoy a little more spatial fullness. A couple of brief new extras are included in addition to legacy content, all on the UHD disc proper. Recommended, and packaging collectors should be on the lookout for the SteelBook variant.