Fargo [Blu-ray] [1996]

I have always heard about Fargo. I was looking in the movies and saw this steel book addition for a great price, so I bought it and I can say I was not disappointed! Action, drama, comedy! This film has it all!

Plenty cold and lots of snow in Minnesota – that’s the setting for kidnapping plot gone badly wrong with 6 innocent bystanders becoming casualties. The whole thing was solved after all the killing principally thru the efforts of a male, not a pregnant, small Police Chief – the Coen Brothers did take a few liberties with the facts. Superb acting by the entire cast and Francis McDormand’s talents won her an Oscar. If you are looking for a low-key murder mystery this is a great-one. The 2nd View, especially after a lapse of time, on the Blu-ray edition is especially rewarding as you pickup hints not discovered the of the first view. This film is a crowd pleaser!

Amazing film. A true classic from the Coen brothers.

Fargo is a Coen brother masterpiece, and one of the best Midwestern American films ever made. The previous Blu Ray was fine and dandy, but I picked up this Shout Factory Steel on a whim and I was blown away. First, the packaging. Not that impressed with the black/red color scheme, Fargo is a white movie to me. It is white inside however, so they were going for something different and it does look nice, no stars off there. This version has a 30ish minute additional extra feature from the Charlie Rose show from release date, interviewing the brother directors and their female star. This is a great add as on camera appearances by the Coens are rare. And last, but not least, the transfer. Let me just say the film looked amazing, totally broke my brain watching this beauty in motion. I didn't have a low opinion of the old disc, but after watching this it was that old cliche, "like watching it for the first time". Colors popped, motion was film like and gorgeous, and that cinematography glowed on screen. It was not "kinda funny lookin'"

Hello! For the purposes of this review I will be discussing the remastered 2014 release of Fargo and how it compares to the original 2009 release on Blu-ray. As for the movie itself, I think there have been enough other reviews exalting this excellent picture. As I mentioned earlier, Fargo was already released once on Blu-ray in 2009. That version, while superior to the DVD release and generally a good transfer, did suffer from quite a bit a grain and noise in the image to the disappointment of more than a few fans. The audio tracks and additional material are identical to the previous release, so the main selling point of this remastered version will be the improvements to the overall image quality. I can happily add that those aforementioned improvements really are quite substantial. Gone is much of the heavy grain, and video artifacts that we so noticeable on the often white background of snow. So often though, editors get smooth happy in reducing grain and noise, but the detail on faces and clothing remains wonderfully intact. No heavy hand was used here, and the result is nothing short of excellent. As I said before, this reproduction of Fargo, is identical to the previous Blu-ray release save the remastered picture. If you are a fan of this movie, I think it is worth the upgrade. If you are a first time buyer, I would definitely recommend this version, easily the best to date.

This movie is a movie that could only come from the Coen brothers. It's histarical in a "I can't believe I just laughed at THAT?" kinda way. Some of the films more disturbing scenes are the funniest and that's what makes this film so great. So Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) is hard up for cash, and he needs it quickly so he comes up with a scheme to hustle his father-in-law and his company (he works for his father-in-law...some used car dealership) out of a TON of cash. The only problem is that his scheme involves two dimwit thugs, Gaear Grimsrud (Peter Stomare) the silent deadly type & Carl Showalter (Steve Buscemi is his best role ever) the nerotic paranoid type, to kidnap his wife Jean (Kristin Rudrad) and hold her for ransom. Things only get sticky when a few people turn up dead because Gaear has a trigger finger and then we have pregnant cop Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand in a hilarious role) sticking her nose in to find the answers that lead back to Jerry. Hilarity ensues and it just keeps getting better and better. The whole scene where the thugs kidnap Jean is worth the price of the film right there. With oscar worthy performances and a script tighter than most...this is a film that stands out as perfect. Loved every minute of it.

Great film from the Coen Brothers! Dark satire and harsh violence fill the screen in this true account of a kidnapping gone wrong! Great acting. Great writing. Great directing. One of the best female lead roles in film history! Frances McDormand steals the show!

Fargo is one of my most beloved films, and when I acquired a 60-inch TV it was immediately apparent that the original Blu-Ray of the movie would not do it justice. I read reviews of this remastered edition which promised a better color balance and tamer film grain. And it is true: Whereas the grain was coarse and shimmering to the point of distraction on the original Blu-Ray transfer, the remastered version's grain is much finer while still contributing to the movie's authenticity. The colors are indeed more natural. The print itself has apparently also been cleaned up. The snowy opening scene was a mess in the original Blu-Ray, with fluctuating color, vertical banding suggesting film damage, and some errant residue having somehow entered the frame. These issues are no longer. For fans of the movie, this disc is an essential and affordable upgrade from the original Blu-Ray, or even more so from the DVD.