Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Spacey stars as Jack Abramoff, the real-life Washington power player who resorted to jaw-dropping levels of fraud and corruption. High-rolling excess and outrageous escapades are all in a day's work for Abramoff, as he goes to outrageous lengths to promote the Indian gambling industry, earning him the nickname "Casino Jack." But when Jack and his womanizing protégé Michael Scanlon enlist a dimwitted business partner for an illegal scheme, they find themselves ensnared in a web of greed and murder that explodes into a worldwide scandal.

Fox delivers a great looking transfer for this HD release. Detail and dimension are strong, which at times actually works against some of the rather hokey looking digital effects (mostly backdrops). Color rendition is excellent with very natural tones and saturation, and the brightly lit film will look quite crisp on most flat panel displays. The soundtrack is what you’d expect from this type of film. Not much in terms of dynamics but the balance of dialogue, score and the occasional music is great.

Extras include some deleted scenes and a gag reel. There is also a photo journal from the late director.

While I thought this was a decent film overall I had some issues with the tone. This is a true story, and a disturbing one at that (aren’t most political films??). But the tone and whimsical way in which the story was told make it hard to take serious at times. Still, Spacey is pitch perfect and the supporting cast is good. But overall I’d call it a rental at best.