Saturday, February 16, 2013

Blu-Ray Review: The Insider

It's time for another blu-ray review. This time it is for another one of my favorite films, The Insider, making it's blu-ray debut!

Walt Disney Home Entertainment is releasing writer/director Michael Mann's The Insider on Blu-ray. Nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, this expertly crafted drama stars Russell Crowe, Al Pacino, Christopher Plummer and Gina Gershon, and arrives on February 19, 2013.

The Insider recounts the chain of events that pitted an ordinary man against the tobacco industry and dragged two people into the fight of their lives. Pacino gives a powerful performance as veteran 60 Minutes producer Lowell Bergman and Crowe co-stars as the titular insider, former tobacco executive Dr. Jeffrey Wigand. When Wigand is fired by his employer -- one of the largest tobacco companies in the country -- he agrees to become a paid consultant for a story Bergman is working on regarding alleged unethical practices within the industry. But what begins as a temporary alliance leads to a lengthy battle as both men struggle to save their reputations. As they soon find out, Corporate America will use all legal means at its disposal to save a billion-dollar-a-year habit.

Video Presentation:
 As to be expected from a Disney blu-ray, The Insider looks spectacular! The transfer is crisp and clean!

Audio Presentation:
 The DTS 5.1 surround sound is rich and clear. 

Extras:
 This is where it gets confusing. Disney only included two of the three features from the DVD. One makes it sound like it is an audio commentary but it is just a featurette on the movie. The "Inside A Scene" mentioned on the case is not on the disc. And the trailer for the film which is not mentioned on the case is on the disc.
 I was personally hoping for more extras like the real "60 Minutes" segment for example.

Overall:
 The power of this great movie is worth having on blu-ray, though I wish they would have included more extras.

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