True Romance (Blu-ray)

Can you believe True Romance is 16 years old? Made back in ’93, if it were a person it’d be old enough to buy a lottery ticket, get married and engage in a spot of intercourse with a partner of its choosing. Yet thanks to its endlessly likeable anti-heroes, Quentin Tarantino’s furiously energetic script and, of course, the unflappable chemistry between the two leads, the film is as fresh today as it was sixteen years ago. As such, you could be forgiven for expecting the Blu-ray to be the format to finally highlight the movie’s wrinkles. That’s most certainly not the case. While it’s not exactly a disc that you  would use to showcase high definition, it’s a bloody good polish for a film this old.

Tarantino’s tale of young couple-cum-accidental drug dealers is handled with aplomb by Tony Scott. Featuring truly standout performances from all involved and as much carnage and violence as you’d expect from a QT movie, it deserves pride of place in your collection beside Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction – even if he didn’t direct it (if fact a few people say this is the best Tarantino movie because he didn’t direct it). Quite simply, if you haven’t seen True Romance, it needs to be bought and watched again and again. That’s where the Blu-ray comes in.

Despite getting off to a shonky start where the film’s nighttime opening is rendered bloody awfully (complete with bleeding blacks and ridiculously soft edges), the rest of the film practically bursts with colour and is notably sharper than its DVD counterpart. With the transfer doing ample justice to Scott’s trademark eye for the aesthetic, it means True Romance’s age is masked even further. Outdoor scenes, and sunsets in particular, look stunning, while the many musty indoor scenes are given the atmosphere they truly deserve. Sure, it’s not quite as sharp as you’d hope, but it’s still such a vast improvement on the DVD that it’s hard not to be impressed.

Unfortunately, the package suffers somewhat on account of the extras. While everything from the 2-disc DVD is present and accounted for (bar the storyboards), the only new addition is a passable interactive branching featurette. Still, with the True HD soundtrack kicking arse and doing its bit to show off the iconic score, it’s hardly a deal-breaker.  In fact, seeing as you can pick up the Blu-ray in some places for as cheap as little a tenner, it may even be worth the upgrade even if you already own the DVD.  

Overall Verdict: A top film given a hefty and successful buffing on Blu-ray.

Special Features:
Audio commentary from stars Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette
Audio commentary from director Tony Scott
Audio commentary from writer Quentin Tarantino
Interactive Branching Featurette
Storyboard Track
Storyboards, original production notes and web links:
Deleted scenes with optional commentary from director Tony Scott
Vintage 1993 behind the scenes featurette
Animated photo gallery
Theatrical trailer
Interactive menu

Reviewer: Jordan Brown