6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 2.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.1 |
Fievel's family decides to move out to the West, unaware that they are falling into a trap perpetrated by a smooth-talking cat.
Starring: Phillip Glasser, James Stewart, Erica Yohn, Cathy Cavadini, Nehemiah PersoffFamily | 100% |
Animation | 87% |
Musical | 48% |
Comedy | 46% |
Western | 6% |
Adventure | 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)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 2.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Some films and film series or franchises seem almost uncanny in how they remain relevant and perhaps even timeless decades after their release. Maybe it's not a surprise that a film series that deals with immigration and migration has become one of them. Beginning with 1986's An American Tail, which dealt with an immigrant mouse family moving to the United States in search of a better life, and its 1991 sequel An American Tail: Fievel Goes West, which sees the family questioning its move and looking for a better life away from its east coast city home to the promise (and heat) of the American West, the films offered both easy-access and humorously charming infusions of the history and culture while embodying the adversities and successes of immigrants into the United States and, in the sequel, the migration westward in search of an even better life. While both are decidedly children's fare, the films have much to offer beyond their entertainment value, if nothing else a fascinating microcosm of the world as it was, filled with an adventurous spirt and a counterbalancing funny bone that keeps the films light enough for the kids but serious enough for the adults, too.
An American Tail: Fievel Goes West follows up on Universal's poorly received presentation of the original with another problematic image. Most noticeably, the presentation suffers from a steady barrage of speckles, pops, and scratches. Grain appears wildly uneven as well, frozen across backgrounds, clumpy in spots, and sometimes finding a pleasing organic middle ground. A number of softer shots are scattered throughout. Lines are occasionally jagged and contrast sometimes fluctuates with movement, but some of this appears inherent to the source rather than a fault of the print or transfer itself. The movie looks decent for the most part, at least at-a-glance, and it's certainly a step up from those well-worn standard definition copies and television presentations of yore. Colors are adequately lively, particularly early on as bright oranges, reds, and blues contrast against the dreary big city blacks, blues, and grays. Image clarity holds firm and detailing is solid, generally. The movie looks terrible at times, good at others, but usually falls into no-man's land in between the extremes for the duration.
An American Tail: Fievel Goes West migrates onto Blu-ray with an enjoyable, though certainly imperfect, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The presentation frequently takes advantage of the channels at its disposal. While clarity is never top-rated, effort almost always is. Width and depth come easy, enhancing various scenes and elements, whether music, action, or ambience. There's a fun whiplash effect across the stage as the film's title appears on-screen. Examples of dialogue reverberation are apparent, too, such as during the "sales pitch" in the sewer early in the picture. Fireworks explode through the stage midway through with hefty oomph though certainly not transparently lifelike definition. Dialogue is clear and well prioritized form its comfortable front-center position.
This Blu-ray release of An American Tail: Fievel Goes West contains no supplemental content. No top menu is included. Subtitles may be turned on or off in-film via a crude pop-up menu.
An American Tail: Fievel Goes West is a fun little sequel that may lack the more serious nature of the first but that still explores a timely issue (timely in the film's time period, when it was made, today, and certainly in the future) while injecting it with plenty of fun along the way. Even at its most tonally dark, the movie maintains an appreciable levity that carries it through and makes it a fun Family film that's withstood the test of time. Universal's Blu-ray is disappointingly featureless and disappointingly a struggle in the video department. Audio, however, is fine. Recommended.
1986
2011
1977
DVD Packaging
2011
30th Anniversary Edition
1992
2014
Alvin's Diamond Edition
1987
2006
50th Anniversary Edition | DVD Packaging
1963
The Signature Collection
1994
1970
1987
1995
1986
2004
2007
2011
The Signature Collection
1961
Bounce-A-Rrrific Special Edition
2000
2012