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Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures
(Screen captures are lightly compressed with lossy JPEG thus are meant as a general representation of the content and do not fully reveal the capabilities of the Blu-ray format)
The Film
[Rating:4/5]
When it came to cool and hip the “Rat Pack,” that is to say, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop had it in spades. So, it’s no wonder then that this 1960 film, Ocean’s 11, starring the fun loving, hard partying group also oozes an abundance of cool and style that its 2001 remake with George Clooney et al can barely muster.
It’s New Year’s Eve and Danny Ocean (Sinatra) has gathered together a group of his old army buddies to pull off the most outrageous heist ever, a robbery of all the Vegas strip’s casino vaults simultaneously at the stroke of midnight. The plan is to knock out the power to the Vegas strip, rig the vaults and raid them, making off with the loot.
The gang’s all here for this stylish heist, filmed on location in Las Vegas and powered by some swinging big band tunes, a sexy performance by Angie Dickinson, and the trademark off-kilter humor of the Rat Pack. For a look at these true originals at play (and a little bit of work too) you have to check out this original version of Ocean’s 11.
Video Quality
[Rating:3.5/5]
The 2.35:1 1080p/24 VC-1 encoding of the 1960 film looks above average for a catalogue release, but not spectacular. There is still a lot of noticeable source damage in the image and the overall detail level is a bit soft, but there is a layer of grain remaining in the image that keeps it looking film-like and no noticeable processing artifacts get in the way.
Audio Quality
[Rating:3/5]
Audio consists of a simple DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 mix of the original soundtrack. Dialogue is clear, but there are still some noticeable limitations of the day audible. Apart from that, the sound is what you’d expect from a monaural mix from 1960. Kudos should go to Warner for providing the original mix, however.
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:2.5/5]
Rat Pack fans should get a kick out of the old Tonight Show with Johnny Carson footage with Frank Sinatra hosting and Angie Dickinson as his guest as well as the audio commentary by Frank Sinatra, Jr. and Angie Dickinson and the interactive Las Vegas Map that allows access to clips telling of the halcyon days of the Las Vegas strip.
The supplements provided with this release are:
- Commentary by Frank Sinatra, Jr. & Angie Dickinson
- The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson Featuring Guest Host Frank Sinatra (1.33:1; 480i/60; 0:03.45) — Frank Sinatra interviews Angie Dickinson as guest host of The Tonight Show.
- Tropicana Museum Vignette (1.33:1; 480i/60; 0:01.40)
- Vegas Map
- Theatrical Trailer #1 (2.35:1; 480i/60)
- Theatrical Trailer #2 (1.78:1; 480i/60)
The Definitive Word
Overall:
[Rating:3/5]
Warner finally brings the original Ocean’s 11 film to Blu-ray in a solid release with some classic supplementary footage that Sinatra fans are sure to love. The 2001 remake can’t touch this version in its easy style and laid-back humor. Recommended.
Additional Screen Captures
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BestBuy.com:
Purchase Ocean’s 11: 50th Anniversary on Blu-ray at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com
[amazon-product align=”right”]B003QHWG9W[/amazon-product]
BestBuy.com:
Purchase Ocean’s 11: 50th Anniversary on Blu-ray at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com