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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Customer Reviews (76 - 78 of 91 Reviews)

THE GOOD TURNS BAD BUT NOT UGLY ON THIS DVD
"The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" is Sergio Leone's ultimate spaghetti western with a plot centered on a gold treasure buried in a cemetary. It stars Clint Eastwood as the "Man With No Name" a gunfighter in the amoral/lawless American west who engages in actions that are not always legal, but never wrong. Naturally, Eastwood butts heads with Angel Eyes (Lee Van Cleef); a murderer without a conscience, and Tuco (Eli Wallach); a conflicted bandit who remains beyond redemption. Like most of Leone's great masterworks, visual style and long stretches of seemingly silent moments tell far more than any amount of dialogue could. Thus, the film is a rare example in which style is transformed into substance.
THE TRANSFER: The previously issued DVD of this film was excessively troubled by age related artifacts and a non-anamorphic transfer. Although we have been given an enhanced 16X9 transfer this time - the age related artifacts are still present - if slightly tempered. Colors remain dated, though, unlike the previous incarnation, are not as faded. Many scenes remain softly focused with minimal grit and dirt. The Techniscope widescreen process (an absolutely inferior widescreen format)dillutes the film images. The "restored" scenes are not terribly well integrated into the film. At one point the entire image turns jaundice yellow, which is obtrusive to say the least! Fine details and definition are sometimes poorly rendered, that its best to say that this visual presentation is true to its shoddy original film stock. The audio has been remixed to 5.1 but is nevertheless strident and very unnatural sounding.
EXTRAS: Audio commentary that is very informative, and several fine documentaries about Leone, the film's composer -Ennio Morricone, the civil war and the Leone's style. Also, some deleted scenes.
BOTTOM LINE: This is by far the best that the film has looked on any home video format. But the improvements, while substantial, still do not bring the video quality of this presentation up to par with films of the same or similar vintage.

Cigar?
This is a classic film to watch, no matter who you are or what you're into:
The Ugly

Ever since Quentin Tarantino announced that he was using some sort of Spaghetti Western
techniques in his latest film, I decided to get interested in it. Then I saw a small clip of this movie
on television and I was completely blown away. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is most definitely
one of the best films ever made, alongside Gone With the Wind and Citizen Kane. The
Cinematography alone is enough to make me sleep happily for forty days and forty nights. The
action and death are more than enough to satisfy even the most cynical of action lovers. And the
final showdown at Sad Hill is perhaps one of the most memorable sequences is cinema history,
from the ecstasy of gold to the final "cut." All around, this movie is at the top of every known
ranking list.

However, there are one or two complaints about this new video transfer I'd like to address:
The Bad

With the original 1998 DVD edition, the American release was sold and with a not too bad of a
DVD package either. The sound is only 2-channel mono, but that didn't really seem to matter. The
feature ran for 2 hours and 44 minutes, then there was a theatrical trailer and some production
notes. Like I said, not a bad little package.

This newly remastered edition is different. On the original release there were some deleted
scenes that were cut out of the American release. Most of those scenes have been added,

making this a full 3 hour spectacle. That's not too bad because at absolutely no point does the
movie drag, but the newer scenes are horribly remade.
-First off, the dubbing. Any Kung Fu movie has crappy American voice-overs, as with any
Spaghetti Western, which is okay once you get used to it. However, even Clint Eastwood's and Eli
Wallach's newly acquired voices for the deleted scenes are terrible. They both sound extremely
old, especially Wallach. They don't really need top be that well in sync, but at least a mono
soundtrack could be used instead of today's sophisticated technology.
-The picture. While I'll tell you about the good parts of it later, now I'll say that there's
some very annoying things about it. At one very noticeable point, there's terrible dubbing and
yellow streaks flashing about for five seconds.

And now, the moment you've all waited for:
The Good

Some of the picture is bad, but the rest of the digital transfer is sheer dynamite. The reds are
blood red, the greens are forest green, and nothing's dark that doesn't need to be. Hardly any film
scratches and most have been fixed. A beautiful 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound mix that EXPLODES
off the screen. I was jumping for joy when the first bullets went off, but in all honesty the sound
effects have just been re-worked to seem more life like. This film is magnificent.

In conclusion, this isn't the best DVD ever, but it's okay. Still, if the Alien Quadrilliogy had been
considered here, whereas a Special Edition and Theatrical Release was available (or in this case
Italian and American), this would've sold more copies and it would be something to be proud of.
Still, I like it. I don't love it, but if you're like me just watch it a few times. It'll only get better with
age.

The Good, the Bad, and the EPIC...
There are two kinds of people in this world. Those who have seen this movie this movie and those who haven't. I have and I love it. This is unquestionably the greatest western ever made. The performances of all the leads are top notch. The direction by Leone is superb. The editing is seamless. The cinematography is gorgeous and the music by Morricone is haunting and triumphant. Everything about this movie is perfect. It is a film that is truly deserving of the first-class treatment that has finally recieved. This is a cinematic experience that should not be missed by anybody who enjoys GOOD movies. The extras are worth the price alone. Wonderful interviews and recollections by Clint, Eli and various crew members give the viewers a first time look into the making of this classic motion picture. All documenteries are very well done and informative. The deleted scenes and the ultra-rare French trailer are fun to see for the first time. The film itself is as beautiful as it's ever going to be and that's good enough for me. The newly integrated scenes don't necessarily add to the story but they don't take anything away from it either. Leone put them in the film for a reason and I for one am glad to have them added in. The sound has been remastered in a welcomed 5.1 mix that further immerses you into the surreal frontiers of Sergio's old west. The audio commentary has a few interesting facts and insights but is nothing groundbreaking. I pesonally would rather have had a group commentary including Clint, Eli and others who were available but I understand how difficult that can be to do. The bottom line is that this is the best treatment and presentation of this film that is going to be released for a very long time and possibly ever. I highly recommend this film to anybody who has any shred of taste in films.

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