Focus appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. The transfer made the movie look like the slick production it was.
Sharpness remained strong at all times. No signs of softness ever marred the presentation, so it stayed concise and accurate. Moiré effects and jaggies caused no concerns, and I saw no edge haloes. As expected, the movie lacked print flaws.
In terms of colors, Focus opted heavily for blues and greens. Occasional yellows/oranges/red also appeared, but those blues/greens ruled the visual roost. I wasn’t wild about those choices, but the Blu-ray reproduced the hues well. Blacks seemed deep and tight, and shadows appeared smooth and clear. The Blu-ray provided a consistently impressive presentation.
As for the film’s DTS-HD MA 7.1 soundtrack, it fleshed out the narrative well. The soundscape favored environmental material, but the action took place in enough lively settings to create an evocative sense of place. With New Orleans street scenes, pro football games, car races and other big locations, the track used the five speakers in an engulfing way.
Audio quality seemed positive. Speech remained concise and distinctive, without edginess or other issues. Music sounded vivid and full, and effects came across as accurate and dynamic. This wasn’t the most ambitious mix, but it satisfied.
Three featurettes dominate the disc’s extras. Masters of Misdirection: The Players in a Con runs 10 minutes, 25 seconds and offers notes from consultant Apollo Robbins, writers/directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa and actors Margot Robbie, Will Smith and Adrian Martinez. “Masters” gives us notes about the sorts of cons/thefts seen in the movie and their basis in real-life. The short offers a fun look at the facts behind the material.
The other two featurettes concentrate on the movie’s stars. We get Will Smith: Gentleman Thief (5:52) and Margot Robbie: Stealing Hearts (4:08). In these, we hear from Smith, Requa, Ficarra, Robbie, Robbins, and producer Denise Di Novi. The shorts look at cast and characters. A few minor details emerge, but the programs mostly offer fluff.
The set features four Deleted Scenes (8:02) and an Alternate Opening (2:44). The first and fourth extend existing sequences, while the second shows a quick bar trick Nicky uses. Sequence three offers some alternate dialogue. Only scene two seems like an interesting addition.
The “Alternate Opening” lets us see one of Nicky’s scams that doesn’t appear in the final cut. It’s a fun scene but I think the existing opening works better, as it keeps Nicky’s role “secret” a little longer. If the “Alternate Opening” made the final film, Nicky’s initial encounter with Jess wouldn’t have worked as well.
The disc opens with ads for San Andreas and Entourage. No trailer for Focus appears here.
A second disc offers a DVD copy of Focus. It includes the deleted scenes but lacks the alternate opening and the featurettes.
At worst, Focus offers a slick, pleasant diversion. At best, Focus offers a slick, pleasant diversion. The movie does enough to keep us entertained but it never quite meshes to the degree I’d hope. The Blu-ray offers strong picture and solid audio but lacks substantial supplements. Parts of Focus work well but the movie doesn’t come together in a manner that keeps it enthralling across its whole running time.