Casino Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Casino Blu-ray Movie Review

Universal brings one of Martin Scorsese's best back to Blu-ray with 'Casino: Remastered Editon', which comes loaded with a MPEG-4 AVC 1080p transfer and a DTS: X audio track. All of the legacy features from the original 2008 release are brought forward to this new Blu-ray release with the sole exception of "U-Control". Neither a slipcover nor a Digital Code are included with this release.

Casino Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The new MPEG-4 AVC transfer that Casino: Remastered Edition has received is a definite winner. It's a clear improvement over the 2008 release in every way. The fact that colors are richer and better saturated is apparent from the opening scene of the film when DeNiro walks to his car in his iconic, vintage jacket. The red carpet outside the Tangiers, Nicky's red Lincoln, and the green of the felt gaming tables pop off the screen. So too do the vibrant yellows and purples of Sharon Stone's wardrobe. The lights inside and out of the casinos register with a greatly increased degree of clarity and precision. Blacks are also more convincing, boasting greater depth and inkiness, but don't swallow detail to any great degree. Skin tones are universally healthy and realistic. However, the single greatest improvement found in the new transfer is the significantly enhanced level of detail that is visible in every shot. Facial close-ups yield a wonderful level of fine hairs, pores, lines, and make-up for our inspection of Stone's face, while wrinkles, blemishes, stubble, and crags on the landscape of DeNiro and the gangsters' faces are visible like never before. Terry cloth bathrobes are delightfully tactile and fibrous, as are couches and other upholstered furnishings, and the incredible amount of beadwork and sequins on Stone and other women's wardrobes are truly a sight to behold.

Based on the video scores for the 2008 release and this one, some may not believe that there is not really that much improvement between the two releases, but please keep in mind that the prior disc came out in the early days of the format. Without the benefit of years of other discs to provide points of comparison, older scores can sometimes seem inflated. That is to be expected and it's certainly the case here. To my eye, the 2008 release of Casino doesn't quite live up to a 4.5 rating in relation to today's best Blu-ray releases. Having watched the 2008 disc multiple times over the last decade, I believe it is a solid enough transfer, but would rate it no higher than a 3.5.

Casino Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Casino: Remastered Edition features a DTS:X audio track that is a clear step above the original 2008 release. While the film's subject matter is rather flashy and glitzy, the audio presentation here is solid, to be sure, but it's relatively low on glamour and excitement. Although we spend a fair amount of time on busy casino floors, sports books, and other crowded and bustling environments, the surrounds are not employed to provide rich levels of immersion in these locations. The lion's share of the environmental sounds that help to place us in the various corners of Ace and Nicky's world are handled by the front channels, with the surrounds leveraged primarily for bursts of period music, some of which are mere seconds in length while others play under entire scenes. Sharp-eared viewers will detect some slight chatter from the gaming floor and other environs on occasion, but it's hardly frequent and much more subtle than enveloping. Music is reproduced with excellent clarity and fidelity. Dialogue, which accounts for most of the track's work is reproduced well. Everything is crisp and understandable and free from defect or sibilance issues, and it's always properly prioritized and never overwhelmed by music or any sound effects. Where the previous audio track felt a bit thin to my ears at times, this new DTS:X track has an increased and more satisfying bass presence. It's hardly on par with more modern fare, and sound effects such as the explosion that opens the film are not fleshed out by it, but the film's soundtrack is definitely a beneficiary. English SDH subtitles are also available.

Casino Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

All of the legacy features from the 2008 Blu-ray release are brought forward here and are listed below. For a detailed discussion of them, please follow the link above.

• Casino: The Story (8 minutes)

• The Cast and Characters (22 minutes)

• The Look (7 minutes)

• After the Filming (9 minutes)

• Moments with Martin Scorsese, Sharon Stone and Nicholas Pileggi

• Vegas and the Mob(13 minutes)

• History Alive: True Crime Authors--Casino With Nicholas Pileggi (43 minutes)

• Deleted Scenes (5 minutes)

Casino Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Martin Scorsese's star-studded Vegas epic has never looked better on Bu-ray than it does here on Universal's new Casino: Remastered Edition. Boasting higher levels of detail, richer colors, and an improved DTS:X audio track, it dramatically and definitively outperforms the original Blu-ray release in every way. While there aren't any new supplemental features to further entice fans, the improvements made to the film's presentation itself are more than sufficient to substantiate an upgrade. Recommended..