The Game (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

This is a brilliant, unheralded gem. An unexpected thriller that will have you in it's clutches until the very end.

The Game is an interesting film in that it has grown on me over the years into one of my all time favorite David Fincher films. I saw it back in the theater when it first came out and thought it was a decent thriller with some scenes I didn't really agree with (the ending in particular with the fall through the skylight) or find believable. And yet, year after year whenever this film would pop up on cable TV, I'd find myself watching at whatever point the film was at. I started to really pay attention to the subtleties in a film that doesn't seem subtle upon first viewing. I just found myself drawn to the sheer mind f*** of the entire film and the incredibly well cast characters. Michael Douglas is perfect in his role as uptight Nicholas Van Orton. And as each sequence unfolds around him and he becomes more and more disheveled and distraught I'd find myself cheering CRS and their "game." Fincher's directing and the film's art direction, cinematography, aspect ratio, Howard Shore's music, etc. are incredibly enhanced in this Blu-ray release from the always outstanding Criterion. This Blu-ray set is far superior to the other two older DVD's I own of this film. The extras are worth a look and the extra audio voice tracks are informative as well. Michael Douglas has some interesting comments regarding his experiences on this film as does Fincher. If you don't own this Blu-ray version of The Game I highly recommend that you invest in a copy. The Game is a lot of fun and I wish I could sign up for my own personally tailored adventure with CRS asap!

Was hesitant on getting this movie on blu ray. This great thriller is one of the better films by David Fincher (SEVEN wins the best) and Criterion has treated us to the best this dark movie has ever looked! This was always a hard film to transfer to home video and I was scared to risk getting another retread transfer. The first being the awesome Laserdisc from Criterion and the last on a horrible looking HD-DVD. I am glad I took the risk and upgraded to the Criterion blu ray. This is one fabulous looking visual feast. The detail in the dark picture is unbelievable. Have always been unable to see what is going on. Not anymore. I don't know how Criterion did it, but you can see in the darkness without the blacks looking gray. And they tweaked the color where the Polygram DVD looked golden colored. Just make sure you watch this in a dimly lit room because most of this movie is dark. It is presented in its original 2.35 Super 35 widescreen format. With two soundtracks in DTS-HD. The "newest" being an alternate 5.1 optimized for home theater. Looks like most of the special features are carried over from Criterion's Laserdisc (like the commentary), except for this fantastic looking transfer and this wonderful newer soundtrack. I can't say it enough: upgrade to the blu ray if you are a fan of this thriller. I realize it is costly, but with Criterion you shouldn't be disappointed. Just wished Criterion would get the rights to release SEVEN on blu ray. Their Laserdisc was awesome back in the day and the Warner blu ray can't touch the brilliance that Criterion brought to that dark movie. Criterion has always done the darker David Fincher films right.

Movie came in perfect condition & another classic for the criterion collection.

On its 15th anniversary, The Game has been given its best treatment ever by the good folks at The Criterion Collection - it's never looked or sounded better! I missed this movie in the theaters in 1997 but saw it immediately upon its video release and it instantly became one of my favorite thrillers. Michael Douglas is spot-on as an emotionally detached, wealthy investment banker given an unusual birthday gift from his younger brother. I actually prefer this performance over the similar but more bombastic role of Gordon Gekko. As Nicholas Van Orton, Douglas gets to breathe a full range of emotion into his character and he really makes the most of it. Sean Penn is great as usual as Van Orton's unstable brother Connie and Deborah Kara Unger turns in a strong performance as a mystery woman who may or may not be on Van Orton's side. Where to rank this among David Fincher's other great films is hard to say (it's my 2nd favorite) but I would say that it is the most overlooked. I don't know if that's because of the simplistic name of the film, how it was marketed or something else entirely but like The Shawshank Redemption, it seem seems to be one of those films that most people discovered far beyond its initial release. Having just watched it again, I was delighted to see that it had not aged a bit - something that cannot be said of other films of the 90s which are already showing their age. As I said, the film has never looked better. It was never given very good treatment on video as it was (and that's being charitable) but this version hits it out of the park. The dark scenes that dominate the film are more clear than ever and Fincher's use of colored light has dramatic impact. Special features include 5 major set detail pieces exclusive to Criterion, trailer, teaser and audio commentary from all the principals throughout. It also includes an alternate ending that I'm thankful they didn't use. If you're a fan of this film, this Criterion release is essential. Lastly, a little about the plot itself. There's not much that can be said without ruining the film's twists and turns but I cannot agree with the films few detractors who found it "too clever" or worse, those to whom it didn't make sense. Watch it again; it's pretty much all there within the scenes & the dialogue. Can you poke holes in parts of it? Of course you can, but I've yet to see a film where that is not the case - life itself has lapses of reason. What I like about The Game is that it does a more than adequate job of providing a tether to reality while it creates a mysterious world of its own - as long as you're willing to play along.

The good - the movie looks terrific. It's like watching it again for the first time. I was please to see Criterion pick this up and they did not let me down with the image quality. And despite what another reviewer has commented, this does have subtitles. The bad - unfortuantely there are not many special features on this disc. I have been a huge fan of the movie for the last decade-plus and was hoping for some great extras, but there wasn't much and what was included was not anything mind blowing. This is why it's getting a 4/5 from me instead of a 5. The fun - the one feature it does have (which was only available on laserdisc before this) is the alternate ending. I have been wondering about this for years, and my expectations were realized beyond my wildest dreams when the alternate ending revealed that it was, in fact, a dream the entire time! haha, not really... Worth the $20-25 if you're a fan of the film!

Arrived quickly. In perfect condition at a very good price.

Great movie. I like the extras on this DVD.