7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
An aging Texas cattle man takes action when outlaws kidnap his grandson and wound his son.
Starring: John Wayne, Richard Boone (I), Patrick Wayne, Christopher Mitchum, Bruce CabotWestern | 100% |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
French: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
German: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
Japanese: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
Portuguese: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
Español: en acento castellano y en acento de América
English SDH, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Dead? Next man says that I'm gonna shoot, so help me.
There's something fundamentally gratifying about the Western, and it's that the genre is so audience-accessible, generally thematically sound,
emotionally satisfying, and almost always clear-cut between good and evil that it's withstood the test of time and endured as the great American
cinematic landscape. Big Jake is almost as prototypical of the genre as they come, a movie that pits good guys against bad guys
and constructs a
deliciously entertaining tale of high frontier adventure along the way that sees family come together after years apart as they journey to save one
of
their own across the
harsh and still-unsettled and western lands. Superficially, there's no mistaking the movie for anything but a nuts-and-bolts genre experience, from
the
beautifully captured scope widescreen
presentation to Elmer Bernstein's triumphantly big genre-typical score and from the bigger-than-life stature of John Wayne to the rough-and-
tumble
cowboy action that plays out along the way. But Big Jake does manage to be a little different. The movie plays out a few years
ahead
of the usual post-Civil War era for a turn-of-the-century setting which allows for both a bit of lighthearted fun and a few new twists into the old
genre
without sacrificing those core fundamental motifs that earned the Western countless fans and spawned numerous classic pictures over every
decade
since
the medium of film was introduced with The Great Train Robbery in 1903.
Deadly Jake.
Big Jake rides onto Blu-ray with a strong, sometimes stunning, and never terrible 1080p Blu-ray transfer. Of Paramount's trio of Father's Day-geared Western releases -- Big Jake, Rio Lobo, and A Man Called Horse -- Big Jake is easily the finest looking of the bunch. Fine detail is quite strong throughout; whether the crisp sandy and pebbly frontier terrains, warm interior McCandles ranch odds and ends, or the usual clothing and facial textures, the transfer crisply and efficiently shows off all of the intricate details the movie has to offer. Colors are splendidly steady. Though dominated by unassuming earthen shades, splotches of reds; greens; blues; and other assorted, more vibrant colors are expertly revealed. Black levels are a bit inconsistent, appearing far too absorbing in one scene but well-balanced and playing nicely with fine shadow details the next. The image does suffer through some unsightly flickering, a few smeary streaks across the top of the frame, and a handful of spots and scratches, but none of these issues represent debilitating problems. Big Jake's 1080p transfer is rounded into form by the retention of a fine layer of natural grain, which does messily spike in a few instances but generally remains light and unobtrusive, accentuating the picture to help give it that finished cinematic texture.
Big Jake features an accommodating but far-from-expert DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The material certainly feels cramped from start to finish, with both music and sound effects often gasping for breath and begging for a more pronounced and sprawling presentation. Elmer Bernstein's score is nicely clear but lacks volume while yearning for more energy. Spacing isn't an issue, but the music seems somehow not quite allowed to reach full potency. The same may be said of sound effects, most of which are shallow and unassuming, whether horses galloping through knee-deep waters or gunshots that ring with some clarity but lack volume and raw power. Fortunately, dialogue is center-focused and exceptionally clear. Big Jake's soundtrack plays awfully little, but it's at least fundamentally competent.
No supplements are included.
Big Jake does a few things differently when compared to the average Western -- new technologies and innovations play a large part in the film, and there's a bit more violence and a touch more levity -- but it's still a bare-knuckles, go-get-'em Western in the classic John Wayne style. The picture is purely exciting and well-paced, not to mention smartly directed, nicely scored, and acted well enough to the point that Wayne's sheer presence counters any less-than-stellar supporting efforts. It's not the best John Wayne movie and it's certainly not exactly the prototypical Western, but Big Jake is a solidly enjoyable all-around performer that should satisfy hardcore genre fans and those who only occasionally dabble in Westerns alike. Paramount's Blu-ray release of Big Jake yields a fine 1080p transfer, a shallow lossless soundtrack, and no extras. It's a far cry from even approaching what would be considered a perfect release for a title such as this, but potential buyers will have to decide whether the quality of the film and the strength of the transfer outweigh the limits of the soundtrack and the absence of extras.
1970
50th Anniversary
1961
1966
1972
1966
1965
2018
1970
1973
2015
1969
1985
Director's Cut
1978
1972
Return of the Magnificent Seven
1966
1953
Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
1955
Authentic Collector's Edition
1963
1968
Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
1975