Casino 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Casino 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Universal has released Director Martin Scorsese's brilliant 1995 Crime saga 'Casino' to the UHD format. The new specifications include a stunning 2160p/HDR video presentation and a DTS:X Master Audio soundtrack. The UHD disc includes no new supplements but the bundled Blu-ray, which is identical to that which Universal released in 2008 (with the exception of disc artwork), contains all of the legacy content.

Casino 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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

Bet the house on Casino's 2160p/HDR UHD presentation. As is so often the case, the white lettering against a black background to begin the movie offers the first hint of the HDR color spectrum's excellence, honing blacks and presenting the whites with a dominant, high luminance intensity and crispness that blows away what the Blu-ray has to offer. And it takes little time to appreciate HDR's full impact on the presentation. Casino looks brand new, and the movie greatly benefits from the HDR application. Lights at night on the Strip look fantastic. There's an authenticity, intensity, and luminosity that the Blu-ray simply cannot match. Someone really needs to release a UHD that's like those fire place videos but with various shots around Vegas or Times Square to allow viewers to soak in that extreme spectrum and multitude of colors. Indeed, for Casino, the spectrum appears more intense, more solidified, deeper yet brighter at the same time. And the nighttime black levels behind are perfectly dense and true. It's eye candy of the highest order that doesn't end there. Various blinking lights and assorted colors around the casino floor -- green felt, red carpet, chips of various value, and of course some of the colorful dresses and jewels -- are perhaps not quite so purely dazzling as the exterior lighting but they do offer a punchy refinement over the Blu-ray that takes full advantage of the added depth, range, and nuance. Skin tones appear accurate to any given scene's lighting influences and black levels, including lower light interiors and black suits, are terrific.

Casino was shot on film. The UHD brings about a textural excellence that's pleasing and precise. To be sure, there's a bit of airiness to the image, various examples of diffuse shots and scenes that give the movie a more naturally soft and somewhat flat appearance, but for the most part this is a handsomely filmic, sharp, and refined presentation that breathes new life into the movie. Grain is light and complimentary, a constant companion that brings the movie to true, cinematic life with a stability and clarity that the Blu-ray cannot hope to match. Facial textures are exact, with pores and hairs and various lines and blemishes appearing with resplendent accuracy. High dollar suits and dresses are likewise precise down to the finest stitching and fabric details. Felt tables, slot machines, and so many of the finely appointed accents around the casino are clear and practically tangible. The movie looks nothing short of amazing. There's a stray speckle here and there, minor inconveniences in the larger picture of startling, striking visual excellence. This is one of the finer UHD catalogue releases Universal has so far put on the market.

Casino 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Universal's DTS:X Master Audio soundtrack is not a roll of the dice. It's a dependable sure-fire winner, even if it's not endlessly active and wholly robust. The presentation is not subdued and does rise in intensity as needed, but the film is dialogue heavy and music intensive, and both of these key elements are presented in good working order. The track finds vitality and natural, expansive spacing to its soundtrack, both score and popular music alike. It's big and detailed and with some healthy, natural push through to the back channels and even some overhead atmospherics to better compliment the experience. To be sure, the front channels carry the bulk, but the other speakers are often engaged in some supportive capacity. Casino floor din is not quite as active, robust, and wholly immersive as one might expect, but vocal nuance, whether in-film or narration, is so vital it would be a disservice to amplify the din. Still, there's a good general sense of place, even if listeners won't feel fully immersed in the happenings around the Tangiers Casino. A few heavier action elements and sporadic one-off sound effects engage the low end, never with ferocity but certainly with enough depth to compliment any given moment. It's clear that the movie was not engineered to be a sonic powerhouse, but the collective sound elements play in good, complimentary harmony for the duration. This is not an expansive track or a reengineering but rather a carefully attuned experience that suits the film's sonic needs quite nicely, with clear, well prioritized, and naturally placed dialogue the primary driver.

Casino 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Casino's UHD release only includes the "Moments" commentary track with cast and crew. The bundled Blu-ray, identical to that which Universal released back in 2008, contains the content listed below. For full supplemental content reviews, please click here. This release ships with a slipcover and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code.

• U-Control: Universal's antiquated picture-in-picture feature contains additional content not listed under the "Extras" tab.
• Deleted Scenes
• Vegas and the Mob -- NBC News
• History Alive: True Crime Authors: Casino with Nicholas Pileggi -- The History Channel
• Moments with Martin Scorsese, Sharon Stone, Nicholas Pileggi, and More

Casino 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

More Scorsese on UHD, please. Casino is one of the director's best films and one of only a couple currently on the UHD format; Goodfellas is also out, albeit to very poor result (so poor this reviewer has abstained from taking the plunge). Universal, please get to work on a UHD of Cape Fear! Casino looks terrific and sounds very good. No new extras are included, and the Blu-ray is a little unwieldy with the PiP bonuses, but at least all of that has been included one way or another. Highly recommended for the film and the A/V presentation.