Scarface “The World is Yours” Limited Edition (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)

Back in September of 2011 we did an experiment here on the site.  At that time we let veteran staff writer Sean Ferguson loose with covering Scarface’s debut on the Blu-ray format.  You’re probably wondering why is that even relevant here.  Well it’s because it was Sean’s first ever viewing of the infamous Al Pacino film and the world was wondering his thoughts.  The last part is of course an exaggerated stretch, but one did definitely not expect the outcome of such a feat.  Long story short, Sean wasn’t impressed.  The film, which I have long considered a cult classic was only given a score of 2.5 by Sean.  As one would expect that raised a lot of eyebrows, scrutiny and comments of blasphemy from fellow Why So Blu readers and whatnot.  That legendary Blu-ray review of Scarface is still alive and kicking here on the site and can be viewed HERE complete the 21 comments of debate that ensued.  Ah…memories.  I promise you that you’ll see a different point of view from my review below and I even enlisted Adam Byrne (sans cowboy boots) to chime in as well to compliment any sentiments or highlights I may have missed.  Enjoy!

Brian’s Score 

I assume a lot of people know this, but just in case I’ll cover the obvious here.  Scarface is a remake of the 1932 film of the same name (included here on Blu-ray in this set).  It was directed by Brian De Palma and written by Oliver Stone.  Many people probably don’t know this fact, but De Palma wasn’t the first choice of director here.  Thankfully all worked out in the universe for him (his direction and execution is impeccable here).  And as I mentioned up above Scarface is very much the star vehicle of Al Pacino (and he brings his absolute A-game to this villain you can’t help but root for).  He portrays the Cuban refugee Tony Montana who rises to power as a notorious drug lord in 1980s Miami.  Here’s another fun fact for y’all.  Although its based in Miami Scarface was filmed in both Louisiana and Los Angeles (due to problems with angry Cubans in Miami).  The cast also features Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer, Robert Loggia, F. Murray Abraham and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio.  The film was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards (including Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Original Score), and was named one of the Top 10 Gangster Films of All Time by the American Film Institute.

Truth be told I don’t know anyone in my peer group or age range that hasn’t at least heard of Scarface.  And if you have seen it, you know then it’s referenced pretty much everywhere in pop culture over the years as its forever cemented, in my opinion, as a bonafide cult film that has transcended generations (including these millenials).  I remember back in the day (before it was released on DVD) it was also kind of taboo to like this drug movie due to its excessive violence (chainsaw shower), profanity, drug use and more.  However you choose to skin it (no pun intended) there’s no denying the impact the movie made over the years and the eventual critical praise it earned.  I don’t even care about the long runtime.   Go ahead and make it 4 hours!  Now is it one of the greatest remakes ever?  Maybe it is!  What do you think?  I do know this for sure.  It’s definitely one of the most quoted movies of all time.  Try to dispute that!

Scarface for me is simply the best gangster movie ever made (hence my perfect score up above).  Yes I fully realize that Godfather II, which also coincidentally contains Al Pacino too, paints a similar rise to power through evil.  However, I kind of judge all gangster movies that followed over the last several decades accordingly to what I refer to as the “Scarface Formula.”  When you really think about it they all utilize the same “formula.”  Let’s examine the main character here of Tony Montana in Scarface.  It’s a rags-to-riches tale for Tony.  Coupled with hard work, hustling and doing all the things others don’t want to do (getting your hands dirty so to speak) he eventually has everything he ever wanted:power, wealth and even a trophy wife. 

True to all gangster stories though that follow it’s truly only a matter of time before our main man loses it all whether its greed, compulsion, paranoia, alienation, etc.  Tell me that doesn’t sound like the majority of gangster movies you’ve seen the past 35 years.  Truth of the matter though it works!  Like Rocky who doesn’t like a rags-to-riches tale of hard work, determination and undeniable motivation to be the best a person can be no matter the cost?  I know I like these tales and regardless of that same ole’ formula I repeatedly put myself through it even though I know how depressing it’s going to be when everything falls apart.  You see Scarface is the story of my universal truth I preach in life.  All good things must come to an end.  It’s sad, but so very true.  Stew on that.  And now let’s take a look at what Adam Byrne thinks of the film below (his review is so much better than my simple look at it).  Tag!  You’re it, Adam!

Adam’s Score 

Scarface is the type of film that continues to evolve with each viewing. Upon my first viewing as a 13 year old, I was genuinely shocked by a lot of what I saw. The chainsaw scene, the helicopter hanging, and the ritual style killing in the under freeway camp all weren’t just drug war scenes, they genuinely scared me. Fast forwarding through my memories of this film, I went from fear to excitement to appreciation. I’d relish each viewing with new takeaways each time. It wasn’t just the infamous lines, the countless amounts of F-words being said or the magnanimous violence throughout. This film as a whole was a total experience. From the atmospheric 80’s soundtrack, to the pointy shoes and suits, to the acting bravado and swagger of its lead players, this film was then and now a total immersive experience.

 The scene chewing acting by Al Pacino is unrivaled in its rage and passion. Michelle Pfeiffer brings a detached sadness to the role of Elvira. Steven Bauer plays the smarmy sidekick with perfection (surprising considering he wasn’t really in anything else noteworthy after this film.) The direction by Brian DePalma is deliberate and supple with scenes built upon realistic and yet somehow outlandish structures unsurpassed by many a drama based around the drug business. These aren’t mere gangsters, they’re greedy, paranoid addicts who will stop at nothing to be on top.

Though it’s my personal belief that despite my love for the film, it is an imperfect one. There are some odd transitional moments and despite its runtime, there still are some moments left unanswered (most notably for me personally is what ever happened to Elvira after her outburst in the restaurant?) and still more tellingly, how did a cautionary tale at one point become a celebration of excess to some. How did Tony Montana become an anti-hero that people rooted for? I rooted for him because I believed that Tony would eventually go legit as they say. Had he survived and not gone down his path, he could’ve become that family man and lived a more genial life perhaps. This is all silly worthless fantasy of course, but could you imagine?

Some 20 years removed from my first viewing, I am still blown away by this movie overall. The actors, the production design and the direction are all first rate. The story flows by quickly despite being nearly 3 hours and the little moments are some of the best to savor. When Tony tries to make Elvira laugh in his Cadillac, it’s adorable despite the fact that seconds before they were sharing a goal of Coke. When Tony panders to some kids down by the beach, he shows a softness and approachability that most movie villains never could muster. Manny and Tony share a brotherhood that is only torn apart by Tony’s unnatural obsession for his sister. Most movies like this don’t go that deep into the psychology of their characters. That’s a refreshing thing too!

If you’ve never seen the film, I urge you to see it. In the grand scheme of things, this new 4K Blu-ray edition will be the ultimate way to see it. The transfer is spot on for this era of filmmaking and the DTS-X soundtrack is right on the mark for this film. You can’t get much better than that. Scarface ends up being much more than just a gangster movie and those of us that love it have many reasons why!

Video 

The below video score and related critique of things here are based solely upon my viewing of the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation of Universal’s Scarface.

• Encoding: HEVC / H.265
• Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
• Layers: 100
• Dolby Vision: No
• HDR: HDR10+/HDR10
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Clarity/Detail: Rest assure Scarface does look fantastic here, but just not Shining or 2001 kind of fantastic.  However, beggars can’t be choosers.  I’m perfectly fine with the way things look here, but I have to be honest with all the critics out there who will fine things to nitpick about.  Thankfully, and we’ll cover it a little more down below, grain never becomes overly obtrusive here.  This 2019 remaster here sports a 4K Digital Intermediate transfer and in my opinion things have never looked better in the world of Scarface.  Like you would expect close-ups fair better than wide establishing shots.  There’s some found footage at the beginning, but you can’t ding that.  I would just say it looks like certain sequences were filmed differently and sometimes the focus is not always prominent.  Although when you get close it’s tight!  Things look fantastic then.  Clarity is paramount in close-ups when you’re talking stubble, scars, sweat and more.  What I love the most is how dirty the environments are here.  That sounds harsh, but work with me.  Surfaces are so clear that you can almost touch the dirt and filth that they are supposed to be.  Other textures that are phenomenal include wood and rusted surfaces.  It did seem like the picture quality kind of went down a tad as the movie progressed, but maybe it’s just me.  One thing I do know for sure is Michelle still looks incredible in this one…absolutely stunning at times.
• Depth: Depth in the overall image is in complete abundance here throughout. In fact I can’t think of a single moment in the 4K presentation where things weren’t three-dimensional and deeply vast within the cinematography.  Moments that come to mind are long stretching streets, Tony’s mansion and my favorite scene emphasizing depth of field, the Boliva drug lord’s estate with that shot where the upward white steps in the grassy hill lead into the fortress.
• Black Levels: The black levels are all deep and inky throughout for the most part.  It’s that “most part” thing that is worrisome as there are some sequences that are not and also some crushing going on.  It’s also very dark in Lopez Motors too.  However, for the most part things look great in this category especially the Miami neon signs that literally pop in the dark nighttime skies.
• Color Reproduction: The colors throughout here are amaze balls at times.  The movie has a very natural look to it, but there are those reds that absolutely pop.  I love the bright tropical prints in the shirts Tony wears in the beginning not to mention that sunset tropical wall within Lopez Motors.
• Flesh Tones: The skin tones all look natural, pleasing and authentic throughout for the “most part.”  There are times when they are dialed up a bit hot, but that’s no blame in the transfer here at all.
• Noise/Artifacts: You’re obviously going to have grain in a movie like this.  Welcome it!  Rejoice with it.  I am happy to report that never did it become wildly obtrusive or anything like that.  It looked very healthy and cinematic throughout.

Audio 

Like I mentioned up above in the video section, the below audio score and critical comments of such are based solely upon my viewing of Universal’s 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation of Scarface.

• Audio Format(s): English DTS:X Master Audio, English DTS Digital Surround 2.0, English Dolby Digital 2.0, Spanish DTS Digital Surround 2.0 Mono, French DTS Digital Surround 2.0 Mono
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish and French
• Dynamics: Warning!  I am sure my score here may be a tad higher than other reviews to come, but I was very happy with what I heard in contrast to the age of this legendary film.  The dynamics to me are in full force here.  There are your quiet moments and ones of heavy dialogue, but there’s also ones of balls-to-the-walls action and brutality.  Now it’s not like a Rambo or wartime movie, but Universal did a bang up job in reproducing bullet spray, them zinging by in my left ear and whatnot.  It’s all rendered with authentic intents in mind.  The score and music employed throughout here sounds incredible.  I guess what I am trying to say is that for an old movie like this I never heard Scarface sound so full, immersive and flourishing.  Best of all the dialogue really never suffers underneath it all.  Boom!  And last but not least there’s a lot of directionality and priority given to discreet sound events.  I love what they do with all the bullets flying around.  This one could have easily just taken the heavy front route.  I’m glad Universal did not!
• Height: Believe it or not there are some height moments I feel the need to mention here.  Ones that come to mind are the many helicopters, an airplane and of course the bullets being shot upwards and all around.
• Low Frequency Extension: The bass is persistent throughout, but never overly abusive.  It’s just there for added emphasis and if it’s not a gunshot, riot, helicopter, airplane, score or song, or even a chainsaw, then you’re probably not going to notice it unruly other than in a subtle manner.  It’s just enough punch balanced to add that extra whomp!
• Surround Sound Presentation: Equally impressive is the immersion throughout here thanks to the surrounds and rears, which sound very lively for a 1980’s crime film like this.  They are filled with ambiance, Miami nightlife, people buzzing around in clubs, voices and chatter, sirens, helicopters passing over the soundstage and heck even seagulls.  I literally love how active the surrounds are here.  As stated before this could have easily just been a boring, front heavy mix, but nope!
• Dialogue Reproduction: The dialogue levels are all loud, clear and mostly intelligible throughout.  There are moments to note where lips may be out of sync or dialogue levels may sway a bit from one scene to another.  However, for the most part (there’s that phrase again haha), you should really have no problems hearing the spoken word throughout.

Extras 

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment commemorated here the 1983 film’s release with the Scarface Gold Edition now available on 4K Ultra HD for the first time ever, newly remastered Blu-ray, DVD and Digital on October 15, 2019.  The physical releases include a brand-new bonus feature, the Scarface: 35th Anniversary Reunion featuring Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer to celebrate the film’s iconic legacy as one of the greatest crime sagas of all time.  Also, as reviewed here, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment released this Scarface “The World is Yours” Limited Edition gift set which includes the 1983 version of Scarface (excluding DVD), the 1932 version of Scarface on Blu-ray for the first time ever and a collectible “The World is Yours” statue replica (exclusive unboxing pictures included below) making it a must-own addition to every film fan’s library.  FYI…The 1932 version of Scarface, only available in this exclusive gift set, is newly restored with two versions of the film –the original uncensored version and the alternate version with a different ending.  How could you ask for anything more?  That was a rhetorical question!  This set also comes with a Digital Copy of the 1983 version of the film.  I took the liberty down below of marking what’s new in this set and what was previously released.  You’re welcome!

• Scarface: 35th Anniversary Reunion (SDR, 27:06) –  This SDR extra found on the 4K Disc was originally captured at the Tribeca Film Festival and features a Q&A panel with Michelle Pfeifer, Steven Bauer, Al Pacino and Brian De Palma.  This is also the only extra housed on the 4K UHD Disc.  *NEW
• Scarface 1932 (HD, ~95 mins.) – The 1932 version of Scarface, only available in this exclusive gift set on a separate Blu-ray Disc, is newly restored with two versions of the film – the original uncensored version and the alternate version with a different ending. *NEW
• Deleted Scenes (SD, 22:29) – This also includes a montage of different takes of Tony’s last stand! *Previously Released
• The Scarface Phenomenon (HD, 38:34.) – This documentary presents Scarface as a unique phenomenon in cinema history. It explores how a film plagued by controversy leading up to its release has become a Hollywood classic, influencing a whole new generation of filmmakers and leaving a lasting imprint on popular culture.  We get some clips of De Palma, Bauer, Loggia and others. *Previously Released
• The World of Tony Montana (SD, 11:38) – Here you can experience the world of the ultimate gangster and hear from experts on the real world violence, fear and paranoia that surrounds a drug lord.  Essentially this involves policemen, authors and more. *Previously Released
• The Rebirth (SD, 10:08) – In this extra Director Brian De Palma, producer Martin Bregman, actor Al Pacino and screenwriter Oliver Stone revisit the history of Scarface, from the inspiration of the original Howard Hawks classic to the evolution of the script. *Previously Released
• The Acting (SD, 15:05) – Here you can join the filmmakers, Al Pacino and Steven Bauer to discover how each of the roles was cast and how Brian De Palma worked with his actors to get unforgettable performances. *Previously Released
• The Creating (SD, 29:35) – This one is a fascinating, controversial and definitive journey through the making of the film, which began with the production being forced to leave its initial location in Florida.  You’ll also discover how the chainsaw scene was filmed, learn about the production design, the photography, and the struggle to get the film an “R” rating.  This is the meat of the extras here as almost a bonafide making-of! *Previously Released
• Scarface: The TV Version (SD, 2:48) – Here you get a revealing and hilarious montage of film clips comparing the theatrical version to the network television version of Scarface. *Previously Released

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And now for the moment y’all have been waiting for.  What’s with that iconic Scarface statue in this “The World Is Ours” Limited Edition 4K set?  Well the moment is now upon us.  Down below I painstaking unboxed the 4K set for you and every step of the way documented my progress visually with rich, exclusive pictures.  Click on any of the below 9 thumbnails to expand them for your maximum viewing pleasure.  Isn’t that statue a beauty?  She may only be 7 or so inches high and made of resin, but she’s quite the looker.  Is she worth some $40 more?  Well that’s up to you to decide.

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Summary 

Scarface is a no-brainer purchase for me on the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format.  It’s my most favorite gangster film ever made and I’m happier than a pig rolling around in mud that it’s also on my favorite home media format of choice now.  The presentation is the best I’ve ever seen the movie look and it got a fresh coat of paint in the audio department with a brand new DTS:X surround audio track.  Now here’s the real kicker though.  Depending upon what edition you get, “The World Is Ours” (as reviewed here) or “The Gold Edition,” decides what extras you’ll have to work with.  In the former you’re treated with not only that killer statue pictured above (it’s up to you to decide if it’s worth another $40 or not), but also the original 1932 version of Scarface available here for the very first time on Blu-ray.  I guess the only question that begs an answer here is how big of a Scarface fan are you?  Thanks for reading!  Enjoy!

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DISCLAIMER: This 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray review was judged and graded using the following 4K certified Ultra HD Premium television set found here and player here.  Make sure to check out all our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray reviews archived here.  The images used above within the review are not actual 4K screenshots.  They are for illustrative purposes only.  

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Say Hello To…

Scarface: “The World Is Yours”

Limited Edition on

4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

ORDER NOW!

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Also available in the “Gold Edition” too!

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Paid Link.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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