6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
When an American spaceship crash-lands off the coast of Sicily, a rescue team discovers that the crew has brought back a gelatinous mass that soon hatches and evolves into a strange bi-ped creature which increases in size rapidly. Soon 20-feet tall, the creature rampages through Rome before being destroyed as it seeks refuge in the Colosseum.
Starring: William Hopper, Joan Taylor, Frank Puglia, John Zaremba, Thomas Browne HenryHorror | 100% |
Sci-Fi | 14% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Cantonese, Korean, Thai
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Why is it always, always so costly for man to move from the present to the future ?
If the cost of moving from a then-present of moviemaking to what we have now is having to
endure a viewing of 20 Million Miles to Earth, I'm not so sure it was worth it. This is
cheese
at its most scrumptious, a delectable smorgasbord of the finest colby, cheddar, swiss, muenster,
pepperjack, provolone, and brie served up any way you want it. Perhaps no other science fiction
film summarizes the state of the genre in the 1950s as well as this. We've got a completely
unbelievable plot, stiff characters, screaming women, a battalion of worthless soldiers fighting a
losing cause, and, of course, a monster. While this film doesn't delve into the "radioactive" angle
that so many of its contemporary brethren relied on to push their stories along (see It Came
From Beneath the Sea), this one
nevertheless manages to
bring
in the outer space angle, an angle that hearkens back to the true "glory" days of science fiction
when the likes of Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers serials, shows that would be the precursors to
the
likes of Star Trek, Babylon Five, and
Battlestar Galactica, enthralled America's youth.
Clash of the Titans.
20 Million Miles to Earth is presented on Blu-ray in 1080p high definition with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The film offers viewers the opportunity to view it in either the original black and white version or the colorized version. During the movie, viewers may choose to switch versions by pressing the "angle" button on their remote controls. After a slight pause, the movie immediately picks up again in the other format. The film is quite grainy throughout, but the print is remarkably clean for a film of this age. It's certainly not pristine, but given the age, it looks great. Detail is remarkably high as well. Although not as breathtaking as other classics seen on Blu-ray -- for example, The Searchers, -- the film looks very good. As for the color vs. black and white issue, I felt the film felt more natural in its original colorless version. Oftentimes colors looked slightly off. Many skin tones looked "peachy" and unnatural. Some color reproduction looked great, such as the green of the monster and the tans of the army uniforms, but on the whole I much preferred the black and white version. I'm glad both are on here, and Harryhausen's decision to colorize the film carries a lot of weight. The end product cannot be eschewed out of spite for the colorization process.
This release of Columbia Pictures' 20 Million Miles to Earth features a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack. Obviously not the original mix, this is nonetheless a fine sounding remix that comes across as neither forced nor phony. Surrounds are used to good effect, though at times the sound is often muffled and slightly undefined. Dialogue is clear and well defined, and there is no extraneous noise or otherwise unwelcome sound overlaying the track. It's very clean and pleasant. Some of the sound effects, of course, are out of date and come across as rather tacky by today's standards, but such effects only add to the charm of a movie such as this.
Fans of 1950s science fiction should be happy with the supplements included on this disc. First
up
is a very informative commentary track featuring Ray Harryhausen and visual effects artists
Dennis
Muren and Phil Tippett, and Arnold Kunert. Quite a bit of the discussion revolves around shooting
in
both Italy and the United States, and there are some great anecdotes throughout. Harryhausen
is
very pleased with the colorization of the film and discusses the reasons why it was originally
filmed
in black and white. The commentary is brought to us via a satellite hook-up between California
and
London (where Harryhausen is) and there is no lag or discernible hic-ups. This is a solid track.
Each of the following features are presented with optional Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.
Remembering '20 Million Miles to Earth' (480p, 27:01) is a basic piece that mostly
discusses the technicalities of making the film, notably the special effects and makeup. The
Colorization Process (480p, 11:02) is a discussion with Ray Harryhausen and Barry Sandrew
of Legend Films about the most recent colorization of the film. Harryhausen always wanted
many of his films produced in color, but certain restraints prevented it from the outset. He
defends the
colorization of certain films, including some of his own, and he also discusses his reaction to the
final
results. Tim Burton Sits Down With Ray Harryhausen (480p, 27:09) proves to be
one of the best features on the disc. The pair enjoys the look back at Harryhausen's work on this
and other films.
Moving on, there is also an Interview With Joan Taylor (480p, 17:29), a chat with the
actress that played Marisa Leonardo in the movie. She reminisces about her role in the film and
her childhood influences that led her into acting. David Schecter On Film Music's Unsung
Hero (480p, 22:33) is a look at the way certain films were scored by Columbia in the 1950s.
'20 Million Miles More' Comic Book is a preview of a comic book inspired by the film.
Finally, still galleries, original ad artwork, and the trailer for Close Encounters of the Third Kind conclude
this extensive group of supplements.
20 Million Miles to Earth is a prime example of 1950s science fiction filmmaking. It offers up a thin plot, thin characters, some laughable moments (even for a film of its era) and a somewhat lethargic pace. However, it's remarkable in that it offers a fine example of 1950s special effects by one of the masters of his or any other era. This is a mostly good looking disc, looking just about as good as one could expect. Sonically, it doesn't disappoint, but it doesn't distinguish itself, either. An inclusion of the original soundtrack rather than just the remixed TrueHD track would have been most welcome. Fans of both the film and of Ray Harryhausen will not be disappointed by the extensive special features found on this Blu-ray disc. Recommended.
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