On the technical side of things, there are three distinct types of visuals offered in the movie. Close-ups (and some of the wider shots) tend to look excellent, with loads of details and bright, full colors. There is a noticeable flicker present nearly all the time; as are scratches, dirt, and other imperfections; but in the shots that have been given the full treatment, these deficiencies are forgivable, especially for a movie of Vera Cruz's age. There are also shots which appear to have had a lot of work done to pretty them up, though not as much as the close-ups. Here, the colors are not quite as rich, the detail not quite as great, and grain & dirt are more prevalent. Then, there are a handful of shots which look downright dismal, where colors are completely washed out and the amount of grain tremendous (happily these are few and far between, but they certainly are present). The soundtrack is a mono DTS-HD Master Audio track and is certainly good enough to get the job done. Gunfire may be mixed somewhat too loud in comparison to the dialogue, but the dialogue is still clear and distinct. The score comes through perfectly as well. This is unquestionably not a film which is going to wow you in terms of its restoration, but there isn't a ton to be disappointed about either.
Vera Cruz is really a pretty good western, one with excellent performances by the leading men, great scenery, and a fun—if obvious—plot. It is not a movie which reinvents the wheel by any stretch, but it is a movie which rolls along at a fair clip and makes for a good hour-and-a-half of enjoyment.
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