The Italian Job (2003/Blu-ray)
Picture:
B+ Sound: A- Extras: C+ Film: C+
Here is
another Paramount title we have looked at three times now in three formats,
with the link to the HD-DVD version here:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/4022/The+Italian+Job+(2003/HD-DVD)
It itself
connects to reviews of both versions of the film (this remake and the 1968
original) on regular DVD.
Also, the
sound and picture performance are the same for both HD versions of this 203
version. To recap, the 1080p 2.35 X 1
digital High Definition image can only do so much for the modern, limited color
and Super 35mm cinematography. With that
said, this is rich, fuller and just more refined enough to rate higher than the
surprisingly good standard DVD. That is
thanks again to cinematographer Wally Pfister, A.S.C., for bringing a subtly
underlying gloss to the usual action happenings. The sound on the standard DVD was plain old
standard Dolby Digital 5.1 and one of the best Dolby 5.1 tracks we had
heard. We had hoped for DTS 5.1 and get
that along with Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 and they are also fuller and more
well-rounded.
That DTS
HD and Dolby TrueHD are not here points to the fact that even the producers and
studio knew that soundtrack would hit some kind of wall if pushed too far. Paramount could have even used DTS 96/24, but
despite the disc saying DTS is present, it turns out it is not and was
something I originally missed. Here is
the story.
I have
been thinking the disc run was not defective or in error, but after a few
people told me others were not finding the DTS track, it turns out they were
right and we thought we were hearing DTS when we were hearing Dolby. The Dolby sounds different here than on the
HD-DVD and when I though I was hearing DTS, I was convinced there was no
problem, which is ironic since I do not like Dolby as much as DTS and the
regular DVD of this title was one of the rare times I liked the Dolby enough to
be impressed. Of all the times anyone
made such an error it had to be on a title I liked both soundtracks on. Oh well.
The same
extras are here as in the standard DVD and HD-DVD, but in a neat little move on
Paramount’s part, the trailer is an HD version.
Too bad they did not include one for the 1969 version as well. The
Brazilian Job is the sequel to the remake still not here, but Paramount
wants this film all over the place as much as possible before then. We’ll see if that pays off.
- Nicholas Sheffo
