It's solid, but no showcase for HD.
Video:
Fans of "Wall Street" know that this is one rough-looking film. The opening title sequence is so rough and so riddled with grain that you wonder why anyone would bother with an HD release. Graininess persists throughout the film, but it's not quite as bad as on the DVD. The Blu-ray cover says this is presented in 2.35:1 widescreen, but somebody at Fox is getting slopping in the rush to get these things to market, and there's really no excuse for that. Get it together, Fox! This isn't the first time the aspect ratio has been incorrectly listed. The original screen aspect ratio was 1.85:1, and that's what this seems to be, because the frames fill out the full 16x90 TV screen.
As grainy as "Wall Street" is, it's also not a vibrant film to look at. It features a color palette that seems sedate as a business suit. You notice this when occasional bursts of color flare up, as when Hannah is decked out in a bright dress. Otherwise, everything looks slightly dull or washed-out. This Blu-ray is as good as "Wall Street" has looked, but that's not saying much.
Audio:
The audio is a little stronger, with an English DTS-HD 5.1 Master Lossless Audio clear and well-balanced, but with only an okay spread. Dialogue and sounds seem to hang around the speakers rather than travel across the room. Additional options are Spanish and French Mono, with subtitles in English (CC), Spanish, French, Cantonese, and Korean.
Extras:
If you haven't heard Stone talk before, it takes some getting used to. He speaks with such matter-of-fact seriousness that it sounds like a commuter train engineer talking about his day. There's not much in the way of excitement displayed, though Stone will crack the occasional joke. But there's plenty of information and illustrations here to show why Stone is such a successful filmmaker. I'd rate the commentary as slightly above-average. Also carry-overs from the two-disc DVD are two short features, "Greed is Good" and "Money Never Sleeps." The making-of documentary is unfortunately a snooze button. I found it just plain dull, as I did Stone's "introduction." Better were the 20-some short deleted scenes with Stone's optional commentary, which finds the director identifying scenes that he wishes he hadn't cut, telling why ones had to go, and bemoaning the "waste of money" that one scene was.
Bottom Line:
Stone gives us a strong follow-up to "Platoon" with strong performances. "Wall Street" is for all the ladder-climbers out there, and all the people under them who feel like rungs. It's solid, but no showcase for HD. And if it's limited in its appeal and effectiveness, it's because there's little in the way of surprises. From the very beginning, you can see where this inevitable film is headed.
Fans of "Wall Street" know that this is one rough-looking film. The opening title sequence is so rough and so riddled with grain that you wonder why anyone would bother with an HD release. Graininess persists throughout the film, but it's not quite as bad as on the DVD. The Blu-ray cover says this is presented in 2.35:1 widescreen, but somebody at Fox is getting slopping in the rush to get these things to market, and there's really no excuse for that. Get it together, Fox! This isn't the first time the aspect ratio has been incorrectly listed. The original screen aspect ratio was 1.85:1, and that's what this seems to be, because the frames fill out the full 16x90 TV screen.
As grainy as "Wall Street" is, it's also not a vibrant film to look at. It features a color palette that seems sedate as a business suit. You notice this when occasional bursts of color flare up, as when Hannah is decked out in a bright dress. Otherwise, everything looks slightly dull or washed-out. This Blu-ray is as good as "Wall Street" has looked, but that's not saying much.
Audio:
The audio is a little stronger, with an English DTS-HD 5.1 Master Lossless Audio clear and well-balanced, but with only an okay spread. Dialogue and sounds seem to hang around the speakers rather than travel across the room. Additional options are Spanish and French Mono, with subtitles in English (CC), Spanish, French, Cantonese, and Korean.
Extras:
If you haven't heard Stone talk before, it takes some getting used to. He speaks with such matter-of-fact seriousness that it sounds like a commuter train engineer talking about his day. There's not much in the way of excitement displayed, though Stone will crack the occasional joke. But there's plenty of information and illustrations here to show why Stone is such a successful filmmaker. I'd rate the commentary as slightly above-average. Also carry-overs from the two-disc DVD are two short features, "Greed is Good" and "Money Never Sleeps." The making-of documentary is unfortunately a snooze button. I found it just plain dull, as I did Stone's "introduction." Better were the 20-some short deleted scenes with Stone's optional commentary, which finds the director identifying scenes that he wishes he hadn't cut, telling why ones had to go, and bemoaning the "waste of money" that one scene was.
Bottom Line:
Stone gives us a strong follow-up to "Platoon" with strong performances. "Wall Street" is for all the ladder-climbers out there, and all the people under them who feel like rungs. It's solid, but no showcase for HD. And if it's limited in its appeal and effectiveness, it's because there's little in the way of surprises. From the very beginning, you can see where this inevitable film is headed.
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]22629[/release]