Carlito's Way: Ultimate Edition

Al Pacino plays a convicted drug kingpin sprung from jail early thanks to a successful appeal by his corrupt, coke-addicted attorney friend (a brilliant, almost unrecognizable Sean Penn). Trying hard to go straight, Carlito takes a job running a club, wins the heart of a stripper (Penelope Ann Miller), and looks forward to a new life…but he's still facing a lot of enemies on the street from his checkered past. Director Brian De Palma adapted 1993's Carlito's Way from a pair of novels by Edwin Torres, tempering his trademark, highly stylized action and violence (Body Double) to allow for a less caricatured performance from his Scarface star; here, Pacino serves up a compelling combination of world-weariness, toughness, and unexpected sweetness. Boasting a fine transfer, DVD extras include a “making-of” documentary, deleted scenes, and a pair of featurettes. Recommended. (T. Keogh)[Blu-ray Review— May 11, 2010—Universal, 144 min., R, $26.98—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1993's Carlito's Way sports a good transfer with DTS-HD 5.1 sound. Blu-ray extras include a “making-of” featurette (35 min.), deleted scenes (8 min.), an interview with director Brian De Palma (6 min.), and the BD-Live function. Bottom line: a fine Blu-ray release for a sold De Palma thriller.]