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    • WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

    Rounders
    Genre:Drama

    Reviewed In Issue 32 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
    Matt Damon, Edward Norton, John Turturro, Famke Janssen, Gretchen Mol, John Malkovich, Martin Landau

    WSR Review Scores
    Picture Rating: 2.5
    Sound Rating: 3.5
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    Reference Systems
    Critics' Composite Score:
    Internet Links

    Supplementals

    DVD General Information
    (Studio/Distributor): Miramax Home Video
    (Catalog Number): 15961 AS
    (MPAA Rating): R
    (Retail Price): $39.99
    (Running Time In Minutes): 121
    (Color Type): Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
    (Closed Captioned): Yes
    (Theatrical Release): 1998
    (LD Release Date): 2/99
    (THX® Digitally Mastered): No

    Credits Information
    (Director): John Dahl
    (Screenplay/Written By): David Levien & Brad Koppelman
    (Story): Christopher Young
    (Music): Christopher Young
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer): Rob Pearson
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor): Scott Chestnut
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers): Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein, Bobby Cohen & Kerry Orent
    (Co-Producers):
    (Producers): Joe Stillerman & Ted Demme

    DVD Picture Information
    (Principal Photography): Super 35
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 2.40:1
    (Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 2.35:1

    DVD Sound Information
    (DVD Soundtrack): Dolby Digital Surround
    (Theatrical Sound): SDDS & Dolby Digital
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (Remastered Dolby Digital): No
    (Remastered DTS Digital Surround): No
    (Additional Languages):

    WSR Narrative Review
    Story Synopsis:
    Rounders stars Matt Damon as Mike, a high stakes poker player who gives up cards after a huge loss in a no-limit game. He decides to go on to law school and put gambling behind him until his best friend, Worm, played by Edward Norton, gets deep in debt with a ruthless Russian card shark (the same one who beat Mike out of his money). His loyalty to Worm—coupled with the lure of poker—draws him back to the table in an attempt to rescue his friend.

    LaserDisc Picture:
    The 2.35:1 LaserDisc deliveres oversaturated colors and images that appear plugged-up throughout. Fleshtones are oversaturated and often reflect the dominant background hue. The picture is occasionally stylized with reddish or yellow backgrounds, making fleshtones appear smeared and oversaturated. There is also a slight dark character that also takes away from a natural color fidelity. Blacks are always deep, but undefined. Images are sometimes sharp and detailed, but other times wanting in better clarity and definition. Noise and minor artifacts are apparent throughout. Contrast is poor and shadow delineation is wanting in visual information throughout.

    LaserDisc Soundtrack:
    The discrete 5.1 Dolby® Digital and the matrix PCM soundtracks are inconsistent in quality. Dialogue is spatially excellent in some scenes and close-miked or ADR-processed in others. The music score is often nicely recorded and better delineated with a wider soundstage on the Dolby Digital version, but Foley effects sound loud and often out of balance with the other elements for a “manufactured” quality. Surround envelopment is both subtle and aggressive. Bass extension is deep, but .1 LFE enhancement is limited to occasional tension swings. While spatial dimension is at times excellent, the inconsistencies are degrading.
    (Surround Bass Below 50Hz): Yes
    (Aggressive System Surround): Yes
    (Intense 25Hz Bass): No
    (Deep Bass Challenging): No
    (Aggressive 0.1 LFE):
    (Holosonic Soundfield): Yes
    (Aggressive Split Surround): No
    (Center Back Surround Imaging): No
    (Directionalized Dialogue): No
    Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality:
    Superb Music Score Recording Quality:
    		 No
    Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
    		 No
    Superb Color Fidelity:
    		 No
    Superb Cinematography:
    		 -
    Reference LaserDisc:
    		 No
    Collector Edition:
    		 No
    DVD To LaserDisc Comparison:
    The LaserDisc looks similar to the non anamorphic DVD, both framed at 2.35:1. Colors are oversaturated and plugged-up throughout. Fleshtones are oversaturated and often reflect the dominant background hue. The picture is occasionally stylized with reddish or yellow backgrounds, making fleshtones appear smeared and oversaturated. There is also a slight dark character that also takes away from a natural color fidelity. Blacks are always deep, but undefined. Images are sometimes sharp and detailed, but other times wanting in better clarity and definition. Noise and minor artifacts are apparent throughout. Contrast is poor and shadow delineation is wanting in visual information throughout. The sound on both the discrete 5.1 Dolby® Digital DVD and LaserDisc and the matrix PCM soundtracks is inconsistent in quality. Dialogue is spatially excellent in some scenes and close-miked or ADR-processed in others. The music score is often nicely recorded and better delineated with a wider soundstage on the Dolby Digital version, but Foley effects sound loud and often out of balance with the other elements for a “manufactured” quality. Surround envelopment is both subtle and aggressive. Bass extension is deep, but .1 LFE enhancement is limited to occasional tension swings. While spatial dimension is at times excellent, the inconsistencies are degrading.