Blu-ray Review: Public Enemies (2009) - Page 2

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track delivers blistering gun play and car chases in meticulous surround sound. Unfortunately, it drops the ball a bit when it comes to the more important matter of dialogue, where levels seem to wander throughout the film. Nothing is muddy or unclear, but you'll find yourself constantly manning the remote to compensate for the volume shifts. But when its even, you're treated to a rather impressive separation, especially during the more layered action sequences.

Bonus Materials

There are several in-movie bonus items included on the Blu-Ray, and all offer quite a bit of additional information. First up is the commentary track with director Michael Mann. Although there are frequent quiet patches, when he pipes up he offers a host of interesting details on locations, characters, history and technical challenges. As both an accomplished and knowledgeable director, Mann provides an overall well-spoken track. But as interesting as it is, the other two options provide comparable information in a decidedly more interactive form. Both the picture-in-picture track and the historical time line track offer inset video supplements that pop up throughout the film. The former focuses on technical aspects of the film and involves a wider breadth of crew and on-set footage, while the latter uses edited content similar to the interview featurettes mentioned below. However, both include exclusive content (mostly) from the other bonus materials, and become true destination items instead of rehash bundles.

"Larger Than Life: Adversaries" (HD, 10:19) is a look at both Dillinger and Purvis, and predominantly features Depp, Bale and director Mann - inter-cut with archival photos and footage - sharing their thoughts on the two main characters and their different journeys. "Michael Mann: Making Public Enemies" (HD, 20:32) is the more standard making-of feature about the film, and is effective for not just the creation of the movie and Mann's approach to capturing Dillinger's character, but also covers a lot of the actual history behind the story. "The Last of the Legendary Outlaws" (HD, 8:44) covers the background of Dillinger and his gang, and also touches on the Depression-era environment of their deeds. "On Dillinger's Trail: The Real Locations" (HD, 9:48) is pretty much what it sounds like, although it's interesting how many of the actual locations were used in the film. "Criminal Technology" (HD, 9:39) is not just about the guns (and cars) they used, but also the sheer arsenal of Dillinger's gang, and how the robberies let them afford stocking the biggest and the best.

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