Blu-ray

The Sting

Anton van Beek  |  Jul 13, 2012

Should you take a gamble on Redford and Newman's classic con caper in HD?

Universal appears to be throttling back a little on its fondness for digital filtering if this latest catalogue release is any indication. While there are still signs of artificial smoothing in the AVC 1.85:1 1080p hi-def transfer, there’s also plenty of grain and fine detailing on show.

More bothersome from a purely aesthetic sense is the frequently soft nature of the film itself – something the high-quality visuals make more apparent than ever before. At least there are no real issues with the disc's surprisingly immersive DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack.

Slightly disappointing extras take the form of a 56-minute three-part Making of… documentary created for the 2005 Legacy Series DVD release, the theatrical re-release trailer and three promotional Universal Centenary featurettes (Restoring the Classics, The 70s and The Lot).

Universal Pictures, All-region BD, £20 Approx, On sale now
HCC VERDICT: 4/5

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