Rating: 
Summary: Add Me To The 5-Star List! But Why Pick On Henreid?
Review: This DVD release is everything you could hope for. I do have an issue with Roger Ebert's commentary, though. Why would he consider as his "favorite" film one in which he relentlessly and cruelly derides one of the three leads? I think Paul Henreid is as wonderful as everyone else in "Casablanca"...his acting style is nowhere near the dated, stiff performance found in other films of this era. He is noble and urbane, and a necessary contrast to Bogart's deeply conflicted character. If there is a choice to be made, one has to perceive a difference between the two men. The business about "reading off a cue card" undermines the reasoning for selection as one of the best films of all time. (Rather, I have always found Bogart to be a great presence, but not an actor of significant range, and "Casablanca" stretches him just beyond his limits.) To say that Henreid and Bergman have no chemistry is to call into question the strength of the triangle, which I find to be very solid. If Victor was as flawed and "lovable" a character as Rick, would we care so much which one she wound up with? Henreid's stoic persona is expressed with great subtlety and finesse, and is a benchmark for screen elegance.
Rating:
Summary: New DVD Restoration is Great!
Review: If you own the earlier DVD release of this film, the obvious question is, "how much better is this release technically?" The answer is that this version is a lot better. The image is brighter than on the old release and crystal sharp. The audio is much cleaner and stronger. If you've ever compared the difference between a VHS release of a film and its DVD counterpart, you know the improvement; here, I find there is at least as much difference between the two DVD releases as with typical VHS/DVD comparisons. So, buy up to this release if this film is important to you and you want to enjoy the very best visual and aural experience on one of the best films ever made.
Rating: 
Summary: My Problem With This
Review: One of the greatest movies ever made and no one wants to release it in wide-screen format. Movies like Casablanca & Citizen Kane changed how most movies, even today, are filmed. Why would anyone want to watch it stretched out to the point where details & background get lost? I get dizzy watching the camera swing back and forth to the speaking characters. While the special features are pretty good, I didn't buy this for a documentary & WB cartoon. I bought for the film. It is time this film was given the proper respect it deserves. If it can be shown on Cable in wide-screen then I should be able to get the Special Edition DVD in wide-screen.
Rating: 
Summary: Round up the family and friends
Review: This sensational new double-disc set reinforces the WWII-era classic with four-plus hours of bonus materials. Some extras are new, others are simply recycled from previous "Casablanca" videos. Most of us won't care. Viewers can kick off their night in "Casablanca" with the Looney Toons spoof "Carrotblanca." Or they can check out the odd but snappy 1955 TV spin-off, starring tough guy Charles McGraw. Or turn off the TV for the radio adaptation from 1943, with Bogart and Bergman reprising their roles as Rick and Ilsa. The star of the show is, of course, the show. The movie looks amazing at age 61, digitally scrubbed of almost all wear while somehow retaining a fair amount of contrast and original grain. The new transfer builds on the significant restoration work done for the 50th anniversary, returning to the original nitrate elements. The DVD's 2.0 mono is muscular, with crisp and clear dialogue. Max Steiner's versatile music sounds lovely, with plenty of oomph reserved for the dramatic exclamation marks. But keep that remote control close at hand: The DVDs' dynamic range gets to be a bit much, especially during the extras. Volume differences between several bonus features are downright jarring -- sloppy work from the audio people. Roger Ebert's commentary is the loudest track of them of all, appropriate given his enthusiasm level. He's a terrific guy to watch the film with. Who better to provide commentary on the populist masterpiece "Casablanca" than Ebert, the people's film reviewer? Ebert shoots down some of the myths about the film: Ronald Reagan was never seriously considered for the Bogart part; Bergman wasn't completely in the dark about which man her character would choose. Ebert notes the film's cheesy special effects and gaps in logic, saying they don't matter a bit -- and then goes on at length about the absurdity of the fabled "letters of transit." The feature-length "Bogart" docu is outstanding, offering a wealth of clips from the tough guy's obscure early films. The cast of witnesses is outstanding: John Huston, Richard Brooks, Katharine Hepburn and Bergman all weigh in on their friend's art and legacy. The half-hour "You Must Remember This" is less successful, but still worth watching. Henry Mancini covers the vital role music plays in the film, with popular songs of the day providing sly commentary on the action. "As Time Goes By" was almost cut from the film, but was saved at the last minute.
Rating:
Summary: It Took Me a While to Come Around to This One
Review: Ah, "Casablanca." Is there a line from the film that hasn't become a cliche? That's not a criticism of the movie. If anything it's the reverse. What greater compliment to a film screenplay can a film audience make than so completely absorbing every word of it into its common cultural consciousness? It took me a long time and multiple viewings before I warmed up to Michael Curtiz's 1943 film (by some accounts a 1942 release). I'm not particularly a fan of either Ingrid Bergman or Humphrey Bogart, and the filmmaking techniques didn't strike me as anything inventive or unique and they still don't. At best, "Casablanca" exists as an example of the classic Hollywood style of filmmaking working at its slickest and most polished. But then on about the fourth viewing, it struck me. The people who love this movie don't love it for the striking visuals or the daring narrative or any of the elements that make, say, "Citizen Kane" such continual fuel for film discussion. People still love "Casablanca" for coming out at exactly the right moment in our cultural history, and somehow it's retained that "right place, right time" allure. America had been involved in World War II for at least two years by the time of this film's wide release, and many women had seen their men leave to face uncertain futures. So no wonder a film with such an intense nostalgic glow about it would strike a universal chord. No wonder the forbidden romance between the Bergman and Bogart characters seemed so instensely poignant. And no wonder the patriotic, "do whatever you must for the good of the cause" propaganda (for let's call it what it is), seemed so stirring (and still does). Is "Casablanca" a great film? I won't attempt to answer that, though it's not one of my personal favorites. But any film that carries its legacy with it the way this one does can't be completely dismissed either. My grade: B+
Rating:
Summary: A classic
Review: What can you say about this film that hasn't already been said?
This digitally redone version is a must for any serious movie buffs collection.
The extra's are nice to have. They are a litle limited, but the film is 60 years old. It's little hard to find people in the film anymore.
Rating: 
Summary: Cheated and Used
Review: I already own a perfectly good dvd of Casablanca, but I
I bought this two disc set to get the Premier episode from the 1955 Casablanca TV series "who holds tomrrow".
The show was complete up to the about 9 mins then it jumped to the end of the episode with and a commercial for a total of 17:50 of footage. I was really getting into this show and felt cheated and used when the complete episode was not shown. If the person at Warner Brothers who issued this disc had put in copy the words clips or highlights from the Premier episode from the 1955 Casablanca TV series I would not have bought it.
Rating:
Summary: Don't buy it again, Sam
Review: A complete waste of money. The "newly discovered additional footage" amounts to under a minute. The outtakes are of little importance and are mildly entertaining as a curiosity only. Sadly, this set is a shining example of Hollywood trotting out old material (such as the Bacall documentary which has aired many times on TV) on DVD that isn't worthy of a deluxe 2-disc set. Stick to the original 1-disc DVD and use the $10 you saved to buy a DVD of Sharky's Machine. Burt needs the cash.
Rating:
Summary: HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU, BETTER THAN EVER IMAGINED!
Review: CASABLANCA is one of the quintessential great American films. Truly a timeless masterpiece. I'm not eloquent enough to rhapsodize its virtues here, except to say that long after the tripe that passes for screen entertainment today is forgotten, CASABLANCA will still be wowing audiences. Warner Bros.' previous DVD of the film was quite nice, but this new super-deluxe Double Disc boxed set is amazing. I have never seen the film look so stunningly beautiful. I didn't think it was possible, but the brilliant technical wizards at the movie studio have given it a glimmer and shine without removing any of its original look. It sounds terrific, too! As if that weren't enough, the extras are just luscious. Two terrific documentaries hosted by the still-knockout Lauren Bacall, a cool radio version, a bizarre TV re-working, and even the Looney Tunes crew show up in a parody. You also get outtakes, deleted scenes, and audio sessions where you get to hear Dooley Wilson record his immortal AS TIME GOES BY...two different ways! Hats off to Warner Bros. for another stellar release that defines the highest standard classics deserve on DVD!
Rating:
Summary: Of course it gets 5 stars!
Review: Of course the movie gets 5 stars, as it's one of the best ever. It really is a timeless movie.(I think the song "Time goes by" helps w/ that) The audio commentary by Roger Ebert is one of the best features on the DVD, and there are other features sure to make this purchase worthwhile for just about anyone. One criticism tho... I almost had to take a star off for the 'Carrotblanca' "tribute" cartoon. It is, in all honesty, an abomination. Warner Brothers should have their license to ruin bugs bunny & company permanently revoked. The voices were bad, the drawings lacked the original quality, and the gags in the cartoon were everything you'd expect to see in a Looney Toons cartoon, but aren't executed well & come across as totally unfunny. If they had any respect for these classic cartoons, they'd stop ruining their image w/ crud like this. Anyways trust me, the Carrotblanca cartoon on this DVD is bad, especially when compared to the originals. Buy the DVD for the movie & the many features as well. It's a movie that should be in everybody's collection.
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