6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 4.4 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.1 |
Apartment block tenants seek the aid of alien mechanical life-forms to save their building from demolition.
Starring: Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Frank McRae, Elizabeth Peņa, Michael CarmineComedy | 100% |
Family | 66% |
Sci-Fi | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: DTS 2.0
French: DTS 2.0 @768 kbps
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Life is difficult. Maneuvering through it occasionally requires a helping hand, sometimes with the little stuff and almost always with the big stuff, particularly when it's the little man forced to stand and fight with, or flee from, someone much bigger. That helping hand can come in many forms, including a literal extended hand of aid, behind-the-scenes support, or even just a kind word and a pat on the back. But that helping hand usually doesn't look like this. In *batteries not included, a handful of New Yorkers refuse to leave their homes when a developer tries to force them out. They find tangible support, and emotional reassurance, in the most unlikely of allies and make a few new friends along the way. The movie is as charming as it is heartfelt, a soothing tonic of cinematic grace blended with a sincere human element that has allowed it to remain a timeless experience that speaks to all of the good in the world, and just a little bit beyond.
Universal's 1080p transfer for 1987's *batteries not included doesn't begin with promise. Severe wobble is evident in the opening titles and definition disappoints, but the image tightens up considerably once the titles give way to the movie proper. Details often soar. The movie has plenty of rich textures to play with, and frequently presents each one with very impressive clarity and tactile definition. Urban rubble is particularly well textured and tangible, but so too are the more fatigued accents around the apartments, worn down surfaces in the diner, and fine bits of scrap and random trash and treasure alike. They all enjoy a refined level of both raw and intimate detailing that brings the movie's rather limited locales to pleasing life. Likewise, clothing textures capture a healthy bit of detail, and finer skin details on younger and older characters alike reveal every intimate essence. Grain remains intact, spiking at times and usually over darker scenes. Colors are healthy and honest. A dreary brown dominates, but splashes of other colors on clothes and accents around the apartments stand out with considerable nuance and natural vibrancy. On the down side, black levels are prone to crush and background macroblocking is seen in scant quantities. These are generally minor concerns, however, in a much larger, and very attractive, film-quality presentation.
*batteries not included features a technically sound but sonically underwhelming DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Musical definition is fine, largely staying across the front but enjoying a wide-berth presence across the three main speakers. More uptempo notes find a little more positive energy, instrumental clarity, and depth. Heavier sound effects lack any kind of punch. A building demolition near film's start, for example, tosses a little debris into the back but fizzes out rather than offer the sort of prodigious weight one might expect of such a moment. Smaller little details, various crashes and clanks on a much smaller scale, offer fair definition but don't often stray very far from the center. Dialogue is well defined, clear, center-grounded, and expertly prioritized.
All that's included is the *batteries not included trailer (480i, 1:24). No "top menu" is included. This extra, as well as set-up options, must be selected in-film from the "pop-up" menu.
*batteries not included has left a legacy that embodies good-spirited movie magic. It's an endlessly lovable movie, built around a simple premise that becomes fantastical and serves to only reinforce core human values. It's very well made, enjoying direction that underscores its qualities and performances that accentuate its humanity. Universal's Blu-ray release is disappointingly absent any meaningful extras, but video and audio are quite nice and nothing short of a revelation for those who grew up watching the movie on VHS and HBO. Recommended.
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