One of my very favorite movies. I too held off on buying the original release and can't wait to pick this one up. A DTS track and a new transfer would have made it better, but I still will enjoy the Mann commentary and extras.

While I'm happy to hear the reviewer liked the video, I can't put too much stock into his writing when he thought De Niro and Pacino played the same character in Godfather II.

I'm one of those that hastily sold my existing copy, so I'll be picking up the new version regardless. Odds are I won't notice the difference in the video, but the commentary will be a nice addition.

How is the 5.1 sound on this new Special Edition compared to the previous release?


I was pretty disappointed by the 5.1 on the original DVD. I saw Heat at Mann's Chinese Theatre and although I don't expect my system to replicate that experience I thought the sound had better potential. If the SE has a better DD track I'd consider getting the SE.

That's hilarious. What a tool.

The transfer is the same. The audio is the same except for the added commentary track. The actual bit rate of the movie is higher for the first edition over the special edition. I tend to think that the reviews claiming a slight improvement is more of their eyes playing tricks on them. You can see the same dirt and worn in the same places of both transfers. The added disc and commentary I guess make the new set worth a new buy but it is such a terrible shame that a great film 10 years old was not given a brand new upgraded transfer. Shame on Warners.

I agree entirely.

Interesting about the bit rate --- though I think the screen shot comparison over at HTF shows the original with a tad more detail...and artifacts to go along with it.

Yes well that totally would fit in line with the bit rate being higher on the original although in all honesty the difference between the two is around 100mbs so it is not much.

Even if the numerical bit rate was higher on the old disc, digital compression techniques have improved substantially over the past few years. This can lead to slight improvements in color rendition and visible detail, despite using the same transfer.

Notice that all of the sites that have cited a difference all claim it to be "slight" at best. No one has claimed that the new disc is a huge improvement over the old one.

My copy just shipped so I'll be able to see the difference for myself. But so long as it's no worse than the original, I don't mind. It is a shame it's not a stunning new transfer, but at least I gain a keepcase and some extras.

He never says that. He says 'they both starred in "The Godfather Part II" though never actually shared a scene for obvious reasons'. I think the obvious reason he's referring to is the one of them playing characters in different time periods, not that they're playing the same character.

The problem may be with your reading, not his writing...

That review has been edited since flyersfan made his post. The guy must have received multiple nasty e-mails about his f-up.

...or maybe he finally got around to actually watching Godfather 2.

Obviously Mann was too busy with other projects. I thought this was one of his babies. Guess not.

I'm keeping my original.

Comparison from the Beaver...

Nice Beaver!