Blu-Ray disc movie review of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
March 14, 2009
It’s easy to see why some consider Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid one of the greatest western movie. Paul Newman and Robert Redford play two of the most iconic characters in the history cinema. The movie is not so much plot driven as it is character driven. And, this will appeal to almost everybody including non western fans. The movie does not fall into one genre. Instead, it is a comedy, action, and a great drama rolled into one movie.
The story starts off in the Midwest where Newman and Redford lead “The Hole in the Wall Gang.” They rob trains and banks. The Pacific railroad hires the best trackers and lawmen to capture or kill Butch and Sundance. The rest of the movie is about Newman and Redford evading the capture or outright murder. The story is not so much about the pursuit. It is about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The examination of the two criminals. They are as likeable as any two criminals can be liked. You hate to see it end.
The acting is as good as it gets with Newman and Redford. They deliver funny and very sincere performance. They probably should have been nominated for the Oscar. The two actors make this movie entirely on their own.
This is simply a solid entertainment from start to finish. The director George Roy Hill surrounds two characters with decent story and chase scenes. He did great job of just staying out of the way of two great actors. No one should miss this great film.
What do you think about this movie? Please leave your thoughts below.
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A Classic Western
This is a movie that entertains throughout. It has a bit of history, a lot of legend, and nonstop action.
It features Paul Newman and Robert Redford as Butch Cassidy and ‘The Sundance Kid’ respectively. These two were part of the notorious ‘Wild Bunch’ gang that operated in the west during the late 1800s and early years of the 1900s. They primarily did bank and train robberies. Their claim to fame was that they did not kill people during their crimes.
During the course of the film, Butch and Sundance end up getting separated from the rest of their gang. They are being hunted relentlessly and finally decide to relocate to South America. I will limit my comments about the rest of this show to avoid spoiling it.
The ending is one that makes a great movie climax, but may not be historically accurate. There are accounts out there that Sundance died in Casper, Wyoming (under a different name) in 1957 as well as claims that Cassidy died in Washington in the 1930s. Regardless of the accuracy of any of the accounts of their ultimate demise, this movie is a lot of fun.
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Blu-ray versus Standard DVD SPECIAL EDITION version!! (explained)
This 1969 WESTERN ( Listed as a TOP 100 AFI Film in 1998) CLASSIC is an OUTSTANDING Movie period!!!
The STANDARD SPECIAL EDITION DVD is wonderful and if you own it and have a a DVD player with the HDMI upconverting feature will give you near HD Quality Picture (1080i lines) and sound for many years. This SPECIAL EDITION is loaded with every extra feature to include; 45 min documentary, interviews with the stars, audio commentary, production notes and trailers.
If you have a Blu-ray/HDMI Home Theatre System and want to know why buy a 1969 movie NOW, here’s the answer. This Blu-ray version includes everything the Standard DVD has, BUT there is one UNBELIEVABLE difference. THE FEATURE PRESENTATION (at 1080P (1920 x 1080 lines with HDMI)) AND DTS 5.1 SOUND IS TOTALLY INCREDIBLE period!!!!! The picture clarity and sound are so fantastic. It feels like you are there in the movie. Youthful Paul Newman and Robert Redford are quite alive for this enjoyable western classic.
Believe me, the colors, detailed sets, costumes beautiful panoramic landscapes in TECHNICOLOR is awesome!! This is a must have for your HD Blu-ray w/HDMI Home Theater Library. A great film period. ENJOY!!
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One of my favorite movies of all time
I love this movie, having watched it many times. When I saw it was coming out in blu-ray I didn’t hesitate to buy it. Although I’m still glad I did, the video quality was on the poor side for a blu-ray. The audio quality was slightly better. I was definitely expecting FOX to do more to improve the quality of this blu-ray. I was definitely disappointed in what I saw/heard.
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Great movie… don’t watch it on free TV though
This is one of my favorite movies and I remember watching it for the first time sometime in the 70′s and was blown away by the sharp, cutting dialog, which seemed spare, witty and utterly compelling, especially for a Western. I saw it then several times, mainly to enjoy the banter between Redford and Newman. I think the highlight of the film is their quick banter on the cliff, before the perilous leap. Redford’s expression is priceless as he confesses that he can’t swim. One advice though – whatever you do, don’t watch it on free TV. I saw it recently and was amazed that they cut out some priceless banter when Redford and Newman land up in Bolivia with Katherine Ross all dressed up before a bunch of llamas, pigs and other animals scampering in the mud. There are at least five or six great lines there and on TV, they completely cut out the entire scene except for a brief mutterance about Bolivia by Butch.
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NEEDS REMASTERING. FILM: Wonderful. Transfer: Not so much…
The transfer of this film appears to be the same MPEG transfer as the one used for the DVD version. It DOES NOT appear to be a new 1080p 4k re-mastering of the film. 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 1080p 4k transfer made expressly for Blu-Ray release. This can cause some problems, depending on your display system and settings. You may have to select a different input palette or profile on your display, or adjust your settings.
If your system is setup to show Blu-Ray films using the “Cinema” and “Movie” profile of your display, which assumes a low contrast, subdued display of a wide range source that takes full advantage of the display’s capabilities, then this film may look washed out, have milky blacks and generally be displeasing. You may have to select a “Standard” profile, with a narrower contrast band, higher gamma and so forth, to bring the film back into the range for which it was originally transferred. Doing so with this film yields remarkable results, it suddenly “snaps to” and produces the sort of effect you were after with a Blu-Ray disc.
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 some 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 media.
Many, if not most, of the Blu-Ray discs I have seen have been remastered at the highest levels with all the capability of Blu-Ray in mind. If you have a 1080p display, and have properly adjusted and configured it, then you are probably in video and film heaven.
Sadly, some major film titles are being “shoved out there” with just their old 1080 MPEG transfers, re-issued on the new Blu-Ray format. This appears to be one of them. If you adjust your display properly, for what’s on the disc, you will get very good results. But don’t expect it to look great with the settings you would use for a properly made, new 4k transfer for Blu-Ray.
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Great Blue-ray redo
I was impressed with the remake of this blu-ray movie. I enjoyed, so much, the original, and the remake is vivid and yet not overdone. Great job, and blu-ray is awesome. Delightful movie
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A+++ what more can I say? shipped super fast
A+++ super fast shipping. Much better than buying retail. A good memory of Paul Newmann just after he passed.
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Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Blu-ray dvd
This is a great movie that your whole family will enjoy watching. It is, of course, the first on-screen pairing of the late, great Paul Newman and Robert Redford. The film looks sharp in Blu-ray’s 1080p resolution, even in the sepia tones shot for some of the scenes.
This Blu-ray disc (as does the two-disc collectors edition on standard Dvd) also has several worthwhile extras to add to the viewers’ enjoyment, including featurettes on the real Butch and Sundance, as well as the Director’s commentary.
All in all, a fun film, well worth getting on Blu-ray.
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Butch and Sundance ride into the Sunset
“Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” is a true silver screen classic. Robert Redford and the late Paul Newman were an electrifying duo. Butch Cassidy laments his age (Newman was 44 at the time) Redford is the debonair bandit. They pull off spectacular heists on locomotives, romance the schoolteacher Etta Place (Katherine Ross) and enjoy the fruits of their robberies. Butch and Sundance are portrayed as charming thieves. William Goldman’s superb,smart script is as much a highlight as the desert vistas.
Since it was the ’60s, Butch and Sundance were romanticized,anti-establishment outlaws. When Butch romances Etta, Burt Bacharach’s “Raindrops keep fallin’ on my head” plays. There is bubbly a cappella singing as the trio pulls off heists in Bolivia. However,there is a certain ambiguity. Butch and Sundance can be viewed as antiheroes,or as charming villains who prefer robbing from others than earning for themselves. They live their lives on the run. They assume there won’t be consequences. Etta Place foretells a violent end for them both.
In reality,Butch and Sundance’s whereabouts remain a mystery. Did they end in a blaze of glory,as in the movie? Some say that Butch hid out in the Pacific Northwest,in Washington state,and that Sundance died of dysentery in a Bolivian jail. Rumor has it that Etta Place lived out her days as a madam in Dallas/Fort Worth. All three remain unknown.
Paul Newman was a great actor,but also a great humanitarian. He made a “Hole-in-the-Wall” camp (named for the thieves’ encampment in this movie) for seriously ill children. His legacy was as a great entertainer and a great man. Paul Newman RIP (1925-2008)
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A True Classic
When I heard Paul Newman passed away the other day I immediately thought of all the wonderful movies he was a part of, and Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid is one of my favorites so I had to watch it again.
So many wonderful scenes and lines that I never get tired of seeing – the jump into the river, Sundance (Redford) asking if he can move when shooting and of course Butch (Newman) trying in his own way to have the train doors open. Newman and Redford were a perfect pair for this and their back and forth throughout the movie is priceless.
Wonderful acting, direction and cinematography and the extras on the DVD are great.
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An all time western classic in a nice 2 dvd collector’s set!!! R.I.P. Paul Newman!!!
This is a great 2 dvd set from Fox,much better than the original single disc from a few years back!!! This set features a great transer of the film and some choice extras!!! R.I.P. Paul Newman we will miss you!!! Very recommended!!! A+
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My Favorite Western!
I still love this movie. I have since I was young. It’s fun, funny and utterly charming. The story of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is told as a vehicle for Paul Newman and Robert Redford who were at the height of their popularity at the time. Robert Redford actually became a bigger star and Paul Newman really never lost much popularity. He was always big! This established them as a team which went on the make The Sting. Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head is a classic song and a great interlude in the film. It just drifts on to its sad denouement. Highly recommended.
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K8
I have loved this movie for many years, and it is even better on Blu-ray. The chase scenes through the valleys and hills are absolutely beautiful. Even the bicycle scene is more enjoyable with a crisp picture.
This movie is in my top 5. The best of the old west. Newman and Redford both give great performances, and their interaction on screne is unmatched. And certainly not to be over-looked, Katherine Ross plays her strong female role beautifully.
I could watch this movie over and over and over…
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Poor image definition
What a disappointment!!! I was waiting for the release of this title for more than two months and bought it as soon as I could. However, and despite the quality of the movie, THIS IS NOT A HIGH DEFINITION PRODUCT, as the blu-ray category implicitly suggests. In fact, its image is not better than what is found in ordinary DVDs, and this made me not only quite disappointed, but also worried about my future purchases, as I noticed the same problem in other BD products (concerts, specifically). Anyway, customer surprises could be avoided with a clear indication of the image definition in the BD boxes (as well as in the corresponding catalog of Internet retailers, like Amazon).
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Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
This is a old movie and I really enjoyed it. I’ve seen it many times and still love it.
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