Carlito's Way - Ultimate Edition

Amazon.com essential video

Al Pacino cuts a noble figure in this very enjoyable drama by director Brian De Palma (Scarface), based on a pair of books by Edwin Torres. Pacino plays a Puerto Rican ex-con trying hard to go straight, but his loyalty to his lowlife attorney (a virtually unrecognizable Sean Penn) and enemies on the street make that choice difficult. Penelope Ann Miller plays, somewhat unlikely, a stripper who has a romance with Pacino's character. The film finds De Palma tempering his more outlandish moves (think of Body Double or Snake Eyes) just as he did with the popular Untouchables and Mission: Impossible. But while Carlito's Way was not commercially successful and never rises to the level of greatness, it is a genuinely compelling movie graced with a fine performance by Pacino and a surprising one from Penn. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

One of Pacino's best films.......2007-09-05

I caught Carlitos Way late the other night and forgot how much I loved it. It is one of the best crime drama type movies that I have seen to date. Pacino plays the main character Carlito who is trying to live a crime free lifestyle since removed from prison. The film shows how hard it is to escape your past no matter how hard you try.
I recommend this movie for anyone who enjoys a good crime flick.

Bad Karma.......2007-08-26

Carlito never has a chance the minute he is out of prison trouble finds him. Pacino is again at his best playing a reformed drug dealer who has no luck.

Corey Cotta, Author of All of Yesterdays Tomorrows.

Carlito's Way.......2007-07-11

Set in the swinging disco era, De Palma's moody, absorbing study of an ex-con trying to stay on the straight and narrow offers just the right mix of noirish urban atmosphere and cathartic mob drama. Perfecting yet another Hispanic accent, Pacino is excellent as the brooding former hood who takes a job managing a club, hoping eventually to settle in the Caribbean with his stripper girlfriend, Gail (Miller). Instead, he's suckered into abetting Kleinfeld in an ill-advised hit job. Great support from Penn in an unusual turn, and comedian John Leguizamo as a flashy, menacing thug on the rise, add to the film's high-caliber impact. So, why not do it "Carlito's Way"?

One of the finest gangster films ever made.......2007-03-29

A longtime fan of Al Pacino, I saw "Carlito's Way" when it first came out, in 1993. Even back then, it was apparent to me that I was watching something very special. Since then, I've literally seen the movie hundreds of times, and it remains one of my all-time favorite films.

The plot summary has been covered many times here, so I'll just stick to my comments. I think "Carlito's Way" is Brian DePalma's finest hour as a filmmaker. I could never understand the lukewarm critical response it received, though, ironically, time has been very kind to it. A lot of critics dismissed it as a second-rate follow-up to "Scarface"--which, interestingly, was also panned upon its release--but it possesses a depth and resonance that "Scarface" (or any of DePalma's other films, for that matter) just can't match.

Having grown up in Queens, New York, in the 1970s--and having run with a pretty tough crowd--I was stunned at how well DePalma captured the sights and sounds of the time. It was like being transported back 20 years. But, perhaps because the film was made two decades after it's supposed to take place, "Carlito's Way" hasn't aged at all. Like many great films, it has a timeless feel to it, because it avoids many of the filmmaking clichés of the period in which it was made.

DePalma was already working from a very good foundation--Edwin Torres' two books on Carlito Brigante, "Carlito's Way" and "After Hours," are exceptionally well written--but he could've easily dropped the ball. Thankfully, he didn't. Though he and Pacino were both initially opposed to rehashing the success of "Scarface," they eventually decided to work together again. The combination was pure magic. Like many great actors, Pacino sometimes needs to be challenged, and DePalma challenged him. And he responded with one of the best performances of his legendary career. He brings an elegiac air to the character of reformed drug kingpin Carlito Brigante, which brings out a level of depth and emotional weight that the character of Tony Montana just didn't have. In fact, Carlito makes Tony seem woefully cartoonish and two-dimensional by comparison. As the film progresses, the psychic weight of Carlito's worsening dilemma is channeled perfectly by Pacino's every move and word. Despite Carlito's sordid past, you sympathize with him and his increasingly futile attempt to escape that past. The rapidly shrinking box that is Carlito's way out is communicated stunningly, by Pacino's acting, the excellent dialogue and cinematography, and, crucially, the music, which builds to a crescendo during the subway chase scene--one of the best chase scenes ever committed to film, in my opinion.

A movie is nothing without fine acting, and DePalma did a wonderful job of casting "Carlito's Way." The cast is, to a person, first-rate: John Leguizamo as up-and-coming gangster Benny Blanco; Penelope Ann Miller as Carlito's love interest, Gail; Luis Guzman as the traitorous Pachanga; and the ringer, Sean Penn, as Carlito's sleazy, out-of-control lawyer, David Kleinfeld. Penn has had a lot of great roles in his career, but his turn as Kleinfeld is definitely one of his most memorable: over-the-top, but never less than eminently believable . . . and chillingly frightening.

As I said earlier, the years have been very kind to "Carlito's Way." It has aged better than any of DePalma's other films, and still looks and sounds as vital today as it did upon its release. That's a tough trick to pull off, but it's a testament to DePalma's filmmaking prowess and the actors' collective skill that, never once, do you catch yourself thinking about the age of the film. It's, quite simply, timeless--and, in this viewer's opinion, one of the best gangster films ever made. Whether history will judge it as such is debatable, but I believe that time will continue to enhance its reputation. It's a stunning cinematic achievement that will gain more and more supporters as the years go buy. I have absolutely no doubt about that.

A slippery slope.......2007-03-23

(3.5/5 stars) Carlito "Charlie" Brigante has just been released from prison on a technicality, after serving five years of a thirty-year sentence. He proclaims he has retired from the life of drug dealing and crime that landed him in prison, and he resolves to go straight. He wants only to save $75,000 so he can head to the Bahamas and buy into a car rental partnership. When he chances upon his ex-girlfriend, Gail (the beautiful Penelope Ann Miller), all indications are that his life will turn out superb after all. Carlito discovers, however, that escaping his former lifestyle proves nearly impossible as his past catches up with him. In the lead role, Al Pacino offers the perfect complexity that makes him believable as a reformed thug, whose experiences have wrought him the wisdom and paternal temperament he will need to survive. As in so many other films, we sympathize with his character here because he brings such a gentle demeanor to the role. Also outstanding is Sean Penn, who is terrific as Carlito's attorney and "brother," among other roles. "The Ultimate Edition" features a widescreen presentation with DTS sound and deleted scenes. For about $10, you cannot go wrong. (And, if you are a fan of Penelope Ann Miller, you'll want this DVD to enjoy her nude scenes repeatedly)

Average customer rating:

Carlito's Way [HD DVD]
Starring: Rick Aviles , Garry Blackwood , John Michael Bolger , Christopher Bregman , and James Bulleit
Director: Brian De Palma
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

Crime | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Action & Adventure | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video

General | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video

Drama | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000ULPFH2
Release Date: 2007-10-23

Carlito's Way - Rise to Power (Widescreen)

Average customer rating:

Doesn't even deserve 1 Star
Keepin' it Gangsta: '60s style
hahaha
great movie, but don't compare it to the original
Absolutely tragic

Carlito's Way - Rise to Power (Widescreen)
Starring: Jay Hernandez , Mario Van Peebles , Luis Guzmán , Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs , and Michael Kelly
Director: Michael Bregman
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Crime | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Adventure | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000ALM4G2
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Amazon.com

The success of Brian De Palma's Carlito's Way ensures that the straight-to-DVD release of Carlito's Way: Rise to Power will attract an eager audience among fans of urban gangland melodramas. A stellar cast provides adequate compensation as this tame, relatively bloodless prequel trots out every cliché in the book, qualifying as the 21st-century equivalent of a Warner Bros. gangster programmer from the 1930s. The well-chosen cast of new and familiar faces is caught up in a standard plot of territorial tension in Harlem between the blacks led by Hollywood Nicky (Sean Combs, adding a touch of blingy humor), the old-school Mafia led by Artie Sr. (Burt Young), and the caught-in-the-middle Puerto Ricans who are gaining control as Carlito (Jay Hernandez, in the role Al Pacino originated) and his cross-cultural gang rises to power after his recent release from prison with cellmates and partners-in-crime Earl (Mario Van Peebles) and Rocco (Michael Kelly). They're a tight trio in a climate of mistrust and deception, and Earl's hot-headed brother (Mtume Grant) sets off a series of events that force Carlito to invent a clever alliance that raises the body count while ensuring his long-term status as a dude-you-don't-mess-with. It's fun, for what it's worth (and fans of De Palma's film will enjoy connecting events from one film to the other), but there's not a shred of originality in script or direction by Michael Scott Bregman, whose father Martin produced Carlito's Way. Still, there's something to be said for a gang picture that never promises more than it can deliver. On those terms, and with enough violence and strip-joint nudity to satisfy its generic prerequisites, Rise to Power is definitely worth a look. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Doesn't even deserve 1 Star.......2006-12-22

The only resemblance Rise to Power has with the original Carlito's Way film is in name and producer Martin Bregman. The success of the original begs for a vivacious, guns-blazing Carlito Brigante prequel. Unfortunately, Martin Bregman decided to bankroll his son as the director. The result was a train wreck of a movie with horrible casting, acting, writing, directing; you name it, Michael Bregman did it... bad. Topping it all off, the plot fails to lead in to the original movie!

The irony of this Michael Bregman is the similarity between him and a character in the movie - Reggie. Given the chance to inherit his older brother's powerful and profitable position, Reggie, at every turn, makes horrible decisions. At times, these decisions are made, seemingly without any sort of reason. In the same way, Michael Bregman's choices for the film are painfully disgraceful to the original Carlito's Way, and to his father...

This is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. For the love, stay away...

Keepin' it Gangsta: '60s style .......2006-10-31

I never got to see the orignal Carlito's way but after seeing rise to power, It's a must that I do. This movie shows how Carlito Brigante rose through the ranks of the mean Harlem streets to become a big-time heroin kingpin. Jay Hernandez did a good job as a young Carlito. He even sounded like how Pacino would have sounded in his younger days.
Even though I don't care for hime to much, P. Diddy did his thing as Hollywood Nicky. Big ups to him on that

hahaha.......2006-08-30

Once again in fantasyland we go with fake "gangstas".P diddo or diddity, pifily poof what ever his name is this week.This movie is not worth the price of the plastic used to make it.the established italian mobsters would not put a black or puerto rican on equel footing.these guys would not share the same area in the joint.ridiculous!!!when it comes to TRUE GANGSTERS there are serious racial/ethnic barriers.That is just the facts.As much as the mass media tries to rewrite history it still doesnt change it.

great movie, but don't compare it to the original.......2006-03-19

i think the main problem people have with this movie comes when it is compared head to head with the original carlito's way. i'm sure the original is a great movie, and i have heard many of my friends rave about it. However, I have never seen the original.

However, I rented this movie recently and watched it. I liked it ALOT. It had just the right mix between action and drama. Overall, it was a great movie... people just need to stop comparing it directly to other movies when giving it bad reviews.

Absolutely tragic.......2006-02-19

Completely unlike the classic original gangster movie starring Al Pacino. It has none of the characters from the original, the actor that attempts to play Carlito comes off more like a wannabe gangster dressing up, and the ending is utterly disappointing and insulting. Stay away from this one. It has none of the magic and charisma of the original.

Carlito's Way - Rise to Power (Fullscreen)

Average customer rating:

Doesn't even deserve 1 Star
Keepin' it Gangsta: '60s style
hahaha
great movie, but don't compare it to the original
Absolutely tragic

Carlito's Way - Rise to Power (Fullscreen)
Starring: Jay Hernandez , Mario Van Peebles , Luis Guzmán , Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs , and Michael Kelly
Director: Michael Bregman
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Crime | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Adventure | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000ALM4GM
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Doesn't even deserve 1 Star.......2006-12-22

Keepin' it Gangsta: '60s style .......2006-10-31

hahaha.......2006-08-30

great movie, but don't compare it to the original.......2006-03-19

Absolutely tragic.......2006-02-19

Average customer rating:

One of Pacino's best films
Bad Karma
Carlito's Way
One of the finest gangster films ever made
A slippery slope

Carlito's Way (Collector's Edition)
Starring: Al Pacino , Sean Penn , Penelope Ann Miller , John Leguizamo , and Ingrid Rogers
Director: Brian De Palma
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Crime | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B0000AM6JI
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

One of Pacino's best films.......2007-09-05

Bad Karma.......2007-08-26

Carlito's Way.......2007-07-11

One of the finest gangster films ever made.......2007-03-29

A slippery slope.......2007-03-23

Average customer rating:

One of Pacino's best films
Bad Karma
Carlito's Way
One of the finest gangster films ever made
A slippery slope

Carlito's Way
Starring: Al Pacino , Sean Penn , Penelope Ann Miller , John Leguizamo , and Ingrid Rogers
Director: Brian De Palma
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0783227019
Release Date: 1998-05-27

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

One of Pacino's best films.......2007-09-05

Bad Karma.......2007-08-26

Carlito's Way.......2007-07-11

One of the finest gangster films ever made.......2007-03-29

A slippery slope.......2007-03-23

Average customer rating:

Carlito's Way: Rise To Power [HD DVD]
Starring: Sean "P. Diddy" Combs , Tony Cucci , Giancarlo Esposito , Mario Van Peebles , and Burt Young
Director: Michael S. Bregman
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

Crime | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Action & Adventure | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video

General | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video

Drama | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000ULPFHC
Release Date: 2007-10-23

Carlito's Way - Crime Saga Collection (Carlito's Way / Carlito's Way: Rise To Power)

Average customer rating:

Carlito's Way - Crime Saga Collection (Carlito's Way / Carlito's Way: Rise To Power)
Starring: Carlitos Way Crime Saga Collection
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

300 (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000QEIOT4
Release Date: 2007-08-28

Al Pacino Collection (Scarface/Carlito's Way/Scent Of A Woman/Sea Of Love)

Average customer rating:

"THE MAN"
Mostly Classic...
Great starter set
Al Pacino at his very best

Al Pacino Collection (Scarface/Carlito's Way/Scent Of A Woman/Sea Of Love)
Starring: Al Pacino , Ellen Barkin , John Goodman , Michael Rooker , and William Hickey
Director: Harold Becker , Martin Brest , and Brian De Palma
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00001WY7V
Release Date: 1999-11-02

Customer Reviews:

"THE MAN".......2003-01-24

If u want a hella lot of good movies then buy this set. Thats why i got because al is the man. So many good roles, not all as good as antonio montona, but by far my favorite actor. Even though he edged out DeNiro for the top spot, they both are good but the only way to show how good al is, is to get this collection......Just do it..............Forget about it

Mostly Classic..........2001-04-22

Yes it's a great starter's set..! But I wonder why so many of his great movies are not in boxed sets yet?!! This box set has 2 of his eighties and 2 of early ninties but there are so much good movies of his that need to be in a set as well.

If you love Al Pacino, you'll love buying his movies. And this box set happens to be a good start but don't think that it's enough there's so much left such as Heat and Devil's Advocate which are the MASTER PIECES of his acting career!

So it is good but not enough... something else, the DVD's included in this set are poor in extra's. It seems we can't have it all :-)

Great starter set.......2000-04-17

This is a great set for any Pacino fan. Hmm, it's a great set even if you're a general film fan! SCARFACE (arguably Al's best film performance) and CARLITO'S WAY will take you into the Latino crime scene. Al's Oscar-winning performance in SCENT OF A WOMAN will leave you screaming "hoo-ah!" for a week. Unfortunately, though, they included SEA OF LOVE rather than one of Al's better films such as Dog Day Afternoon or Serpico. And when's The Godfather coming out! All in all, though, this is a great starter set.

Al Pacino at his very best.......1999-12-02

This is an essential collection for every Al Pacino fan. In Carlito's Way and Scarface he does one of his best work ever. Then there is the performance that gave him his only Oscar so far in A Scent of a Woman. If you enjoy really good films with a good script and cast you should buy the Al Pacino collection.

Carlito's Way - Rise to Power (UMD Mini For PSP)

Average customer rating:

Carlito's Way - Rise to Power (UMD Mini For PSP)
Starring: Sean "P. Diddy" Combs , Tony Cucci , Giancarlo Esposito , Mario Van Peebles , and Burt Young
Director: Michael S. Bregman
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: UMD for PSP

Hardware & Accessories | Specialty Stores | Computer & Video Games

General | Universal Media Discs | Stores | DVD | Video

Drama | Universal Media Discs | Stores | DVD | Video

Mystery & Suspense | Universal Media Discs | Stores | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Accessories:

Product Features:

From the producer of Scarface and Carlito's Way comes the action thriller Carlito's Way: Rise to Power. Jay Hernandez (Friday Night Lights), Mario Van Peebles (Ali), Luis Guzm n (Carlito's Way) and Sean Combs (Monster's Ball) star in the gripping tale of the early years of gangster legend Carlito Brigante. Seduced by the power of the brutal New York underworld, he enters a deadly c

ASIN: B000AYORGY
Release Date: 2005-11-15

Description

From the producer of Scarface and Carlito's Way comes the action thriller Carlito's Way: Rise to Power. Jay Hernandez (Friday Night Lights), Mario Van Peebles (Ali), Luis Guzmán (Carlito's Way) and Sean Combs (Monster's Ball) star in the gripping tale of the early years of gangster legend Carlito Brigante. Seduced by the power of the brutal New York underworld, he enters a deadly circle of greed and retribution. Assisted by his two brothers in crime, Carlito is on the fast track to becoming Spanish Harlem's ultimate kingpin. He quickly learns, however, that the only way to survive at the top is through loyalty to his friends and respect for the rules of the street.

DVD:

DVD

DVD