Django Unchained - DVD, BLURAY, Digital HD [Blu-ray]

Django Unchained is a movie you will know within the first few minutes whether you will love or hate. It is set shortly before the Civil War. Christoph Waltz plays Dr. King Schultz, a former doctor turned bounty hunter seeking to buy a slave named Django (played by Jamie Foxx) to get his help in tracking three outlaw brothers who were overseers at a plantation on which Django was enslaved. In return, Schultz offers Django his freedom and agrees to help him find his wife Hildi, played by Kerry Washington who was sold away from Django as punishment. The movie is definitely inspired by the Spaghetti Westerns of the past infused with Quentin Tarantino's over-the-top brand of violence and humor. It has a strong supporting cast including Samuel L. Jackson and Leonardo DiCaprio whom both shine in their roles, as do Waltz, Foxx, and Washington.For those who get the Blu-Ray, the movie looks and sounds great in the HD format. There is a little over half an hour worth of making-of featurettes and the trailers. Unfortunately, there is no commentary track on the movie, which would have been nice to have. But, what was included was great.Overall, the movie is wonderful. It is well-written and very well-acted. Yes, it does include the n-word a lot, shows slaves being beaten, and everything. But, keep in mind, that the is set in the south during the 1800s and does not at all sugarcoat what life, and the people were like. It is not telling a "Gone WIth the Wind" type love story between members of the ruling class, the perspective from which the story is told is much different, and includes all the gory details. If that makes you uncomfortable, that may be a good thing. Certainly, Quentin Tarantino's movies are not for everyone, and this is no exception. But, if you are generally a fan of his work, this is definitely worth watching.

It has been a long time since I have seen an excellent western come from the Hollywood blockbuster movie machine. Most of the time, westerns have lived in the action adventure category. They generally treat the western film as a spectacle made up of a series of shootouts. The characterizations have just enough flesh to them to tell the viewer who he should root for. Note that this isn't bad. I love those types of westerns. The Quick and the Dead of 1995 (despite reviews), was a fun movie. However, it was not a great western.This movie is a great western. It has that same feeling of individualism and the desire to live up to your own sense of right and wrong that all great westerns have. The movie follows the story of Django, a black slave who is bought and freed by a German bounty hunter in return for some information on several criminals. The story continues with his learning to shoot (being a natural gunslinger), hunting bounties with his companion, and eventually searching for and freeing the woman he loves. Every step of the way, we see that Django has taken to heart his new found freedom and desire to act toward his purpose. We see his disdain for slavery, and his willingness to tolerate despicable actions for the one he loves. He meets well designed characters who all have their own motivations like the weak willed and easily manipulated plantation owner (played expertly by DiCaprio), and the house slave (Samuel L. Jackson) who seeks to be the man on top, even if it is only on top of the slaves. I could go further, but then I would be spoiling.As this is a Tarantino movie, there are plenty of stylistic shots and action shooting. Expect excessive blood and a lack of realism when it comes to shootouts. To that I immediately think back to the woman who was shot and went flying twenty feet the wrong way. There are also some stylistic anachronisms that are present (language is obvious, though forgivable). The only nitpicks I would really bring up were some weapons I noticed the two protagonists using that were either largely unavailable at the time (repeater rifles) or not yet invented (TNT and Dynamite). Note that this nitpicking is extremely minor and completely overshadowed by the things they did got right. For example, the almost exclusive use of black powder pistols during all major gun fights. Of course it is just a movie, and a Tarantino movie, so realism is not to be expected. It was however, enjoyed where it was present.This is an excellent movie and a great western. If you like movies like One upon a Time in the West, Unforgiven, or A Fist Full of Dollars, then give this one a try. It is definitely worth the rental fee.

Came packaged well! No skips or freezing with the dvds! Awesome cast and movie!

Great film.