The Departed (Limited Edition Steelbook) [4K Ultra HD]

Director: Martin Scorsese

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson

Release Date: April 23, 2024

A Review By: Kevin Lovell

Disc Rating: 8/10

Synopsis:

Martin Scorsese directs an all-star cast in this action-packed thriller set in Boston, where a long-simmering hostility between the police department and an Irish American gang led by Frank Costello is primed to explode.  The fuse is lit when a gangster is chosen to infiltrate the police force – a young cop goes undercover within the gang.  Now, when the two moles uncover each other’s identity, the battle begins.

Please Note: Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray I reviewed in this Post. The opinions I share are my own.

THE FILM – REVIEW:

‘The Departed’ follows a group of individuals operating in Boston on different sides of the law and chronicles the clashes and events that arise as the individual stories come crashing together. The colorful cast of characters includes a young man who is sent deep undercover to infiltrate a dangerous mobster’s organization, the deadly head of that organization, along with an up and coming detective whose sole purpose in the field of law enforcement is to pass information to the other side, along with the other cops, henchman and folks that get involved in one way or another as the danger and urgency continues to build on both sides as it evolves into a battle that will test everyone.

The film is directed by legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese (earning him a long overdue best directing Oscar) from a screenplay written by William Monahan and based on the 2002 Hong Kong action thriller “Internal Affairs” by Alan Mak & Felix Chong. Scorsese does a tremendous job at the helm of ‘The Departed’ guiding along the brutal and engaging crime drama with style and his work behind the camera is only greatly complemented by a star-studded cast that includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Vera Farmiga, Alec Baldwin, Anthony Anderson and James Badge Dale who each offer impressive and fully capable performances in their respective roles.

‘The Departed’ was first unleashed into theaters in October of 2006 and took viewers along for a brutal, thrilling and emotional ride that skirts both sides of the law and the individuals operating on both ends. The film received a handful of Oscar nominations and won four, including best picture and best director, something that many felt was questionable when considering what it went up against. Nonetheless, one thing is for certain, ‘The Departed’ is a phenomenal film that never pulls its punches and serves up an uncompromising and aggressive tale that delves full force into the chaos of the worlds it explores and the different sides of it.

Martin Scorsese does a marvelous job directing the film along and a powerhouse cast led by Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson and Mark Wahlberg quickly helps it to evolve into something quite special, with an emotional core that explores the humanity on both sides of the fight. If you’ve never had the pleasure of ‘The Departed’ but are a fan of Scorsese, the key cast or of similar films, then I would wholeheartedly encourage you to give this one a whirl whenever possible because it’s one tremendous and thrilling ride that still holds up beautifully today nearly two decades after its initial release and is well worth going out of your way to check out.

OVERALL:

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment brings home Martin Scorsese’s iconic ‘The Departed’ for the first time on 4K Ultra HD, featuring a gorgeous new, full Ultra High Definition video presentation with HDR-10 which comes from a new 4K remaster completed at Warner Bros. Discovery’s Motion Picture Imaging (MPI) with the participation of the film’s Academy Award-winning editor Thelma Schoonmaker. The new 4K presentation looks magnificent and faithful to the film and it’s only nicely complemented by a perfectly solid 5.1 DTS-HD MA soundtrack and a collection of extras which includes some previously released bonus goodies along with a brand new retrospective Featurette that’s exclusive to the release. Any fully 4K capable fans of Martin Scorsese’s ‘The Departed’ who have been hoping to see this one get upgraded should have no regrets in buying this quite impressive new release and if you’re already considering a purchase, this one is definitely highly recommended.

VIDEO:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of ‘The Departed’ features a full 2160p Ultra High Definition presentation with HDR-10 presented in its original 2.39:1 Aspect Ratio. The initial news release included some details on the remaster of the film which you can read below.

“The 4K remaster of The Departed was completed at Warner Bros. Discovery’s Motion Picture Imaging (MPI) with the participation of the film’s Academy Award-winning editor Thelma Schoonmaker (Raging Bull, The Aviator).”

The video presentation looks marvelous as a whole and provides a sharp, clean and richly detailed presentation that brings the film home looking better than it ever has. Detail is sharp and impressive throughout, with noticeable improvements visible on character faces and clothing, along with the expansive outdoor landscapes, the gloomy indoor settings and nearly everything else appearing onscreen at one point or another. The HDR-10 addition also contributes some more lifelike and rich colors which are nicely balanced by clean, deep and problem-free black levels which improve dark backgrounds and shadows on multiple occasions throughout. Overall, this is a wonderful Ultra High Definition video presentation that dazzles every step of the way and should largely thrill fans.

AUDIO:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release features a 5.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. This multichannel soundtrack delivers a crisp, clean and frequently aggressive audio presentation throughout. It utilizes all five available channels in order to send music, gunshots, crowd chatter and nature effects, plus plenty more regularly zipping throughout the various speakers at every logical opportunity, while never causing any dialogue or other audio elements that may be occurring simultaneously to become distorted or rendered inaudible in the process. Overall, this is a fully capable 5.1 DTS-HD MA soundtrack that holds up well throughout and shouldn’t cause any disappointment among fans.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of ‘The Departed’ features a few noteworthy extras both new and old, including the new retrospective Featurette ‘Guilt and Betrayal: Looking Into The Departed’ (running approximately 15 minutes in length), along with previously released Featurettes ‘Stranger Than Fiction: The True Story of Whitey Bulger, Southie and The Departed’ (running approximately 21 minutes) and ‘Crossing Criminal Cultures’ (approximately 24 minutes). Also included is a collection of ‘Deleted Scenes with Introductions by Martin Scorsese’ (approximately 19 minutes altogether).

*Please note: The above images are taken from the film’s Trailer and are not reflective of the actual 4K Ultra HD release or its quality. A standard Blu-ray copy of the film was not included in the release that could be used for screenshots therefore the above images were utilized. All content and images from the film are the property of their respective owners.

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Disc Rating: 8/10

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Martin Scorsese’s ‘The Departed’ Arrives on 4K Ultra HD, Limited Edition 4K UHD Steelbook & Digital on April 23, 2024 from Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment

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You can Purchase ‘The Departed’ on 4K UHD Steelbook at Amazon HERE!

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