7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.8 |
Based on the international best selling book. The true feel good story of how James Bowen, a busker and recovering drug addict, had his life transformed when he met a stray ginger cat.
Starring: Bob the Cat, Luke Treadaway, Ruta Gedmintas, Joanne Froggatt, Anthony HeadBiography | 100% |
Family | 31% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
None
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
In what might be considered "a sign of the times," there are more than a few people who have made names for themselves -- and tremendous amounts of money -- by posting pictures of their cat(s) on the Internet or filming their antics around the house, throwing them up on YouTube, and watching the likes, subscribes, and the dollars flow in. Cats can be big business -- given that all the stars align and what not -- but they can also be more than that. They can be companions, of course, but they can also be miracles. It's the latter that concerns A Street Cat Named Bob, a heartwarming true story about a homeless man who finds renewed life when an act of kindness serendipitously leads him to a beautiful orange cat that becomes a money making attraction and a companion but, more important that any of those, affords him one final, and needed, opportunity to rediscover the joys of life and reconnect with both his own heart and with the hearts of the people in the world around him.
A Street Cat Named Bob releases on Blu-ray with a good looking 1080p transfer. The film was digitally shot and not with the highest grade gear, but even so, the smaller production quality still yields a perfectly serviceable, and often agreeable, presentation. Details are suitably crisp, with the frame capturing complex London city street elements with impressive complexity. Facial features like pores and hairs are nicely defined though certainly lacking the utmost in precision characteristics that higher end digital provides. Still, clarity is solid and the image is clearly thriving about as best it can at 1080p. Even cat fur and feline facial features are pleasantly complex. Colors are fine, offering nicely vivid punch and aggression, especially out on city streets during the daytime where colorful elements are nicely defined. Bob's orange fur looks true to life as well, and various examples of brighter clothing, or even the scarf one lady knits for Bob, stand out nicely. Black levels are satisfactory in lower light and nighttime shots. Whites are decent. Skin tones look natural enough. The image does see some pervasive noise throughout, and it can get dense even in moderately good light. Otherwise, the source is in fine shape and there are no serious encode issues of note, either. This is not a highlight reel Blu-ray, but this 1080p image satisfies for what it is.
A Street Cat Named Bob meows onto Blu-ray with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack; there is no lossless option to be found. The presentation is, much like the video, adequate, clearly lacking the excellence from better audio engineering and a lossless audio encode, but all things considered the track is just fine. Music is agreeably clear and nicely spaced along the front while offering mild surround elements. The track presents decent city atmosphere at several junctures, and while not absolutely immersive and lifelike, the general sense of space usually comes across as healthy enough. A few more impactful moments of surround engagement are apparent, especially during some satisfying rainfall downpour effects which pleasantly fill the stage in the first few minutes. For the most part, this is a dialogue intensive film, and the spoken word comes through with enough clarity to please, even in the lossy encode, while also being well prioritized and center positioned for the duration. This is in no way a memorable track, but it is pleasantly serviceable in all ways.
This Blu-ray release of A Street Cat Named Bob contains a few brief extras. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This release
does not ship with a slipcover.
I was saddened to read that the real Bob died in 2020 after being struck by a car. He certainly lived a full life and brought life to a man in desperate need of life. This telling of that story is touching and warm, heartfelt and comfortable, a film that explores the dark side of life but offers hope and heart as it explores the human condition with a little help from a feline. It's honest and quite watchable. The Blu-ray is solid enough, offering acceptable 1080p video, a decent enough 5.1 lossy soundtrack, and a few extras. Recommended!
(Still not reliable for this title)
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Intouchables / Untouchable
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Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
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