NEEDS REMASTERING. FILM: Wonderful. Transfer: Not so much...
A great film that deserves a new transfer. The source transfer of this film appears to be the same source as the one used for the DVD version. This is not to say that it doesn't look much better in Blu-Ray than it does on DVD. But it is not, evidently, a brand new remastered transfer made expressly for Blu-Ray release.
As happened in past generations of video standards, VHS to LaserDisc, LaserDisc to DVD, standard definition 480i to "high def" 1080i, and now 480p progressive scan DVD to 1080p Blu-Ray, the studios are cutting corners and, with many titles, re-issuing transfers that were "pretty good" for the prior standard on newer media without re-mastering them for the full potential of the newer standard. "Pretty good" is not why you buy a Blu-Ray, or pay a premium for it.
Sadly, some major film titles are being "shoved out there" on the new Blu-Ray format. This appears to be one of them. Although not nearly as bad as the abysmal "Silence Of the Lambs" and...
Still Great Contemporary-Feeling Western Classic in a Robust DVD Package Heavy on Extras
It amazes me how incredibly well this 1969 western has held up after all these years. At once classically structured and satirically executed, director George Roy Hill and screenwriter William Goldman have pulled together a supremely entertaining period picture that caters to contemporary sensibilities to this day. It is to their credit that the film remains true to the characters and never gets too broad during its quickly paced 110-minute running time. The story naturally revolves around the legendary outlaws who robbed banks at the turn of the last century. Their escapades are divided roughly into three sections in the film. The first is the introductory set-up where their opposite yet complementary personalities are established. Leading the motley Hole in the Wall Gang, they ultimately pull off a train robbery with an excess of dynamite. The second part is an extended chase sequence where Butch and Sundance are chased relentlessly by a group of unknown bounty hunters...
Great movie - terrible restoration!
This disc ranks right up there with one of the worst Blu-ray transfers I own (along with the first Stargate release). It is a shame, as this is a really great and fun movie. It is one of the first westerns I recall that really interspersed humor with drama in an effective way. I thought it tried to be a bit too much or to have something for everyone (the bicycle scene went on a little long for my taste, for example). Audio is fine but the failure to produce a really outstanding video transfer (as was done with Patton recently) will disappoint the many fans of this movie who were eagerly awaiting this release.
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