Billy Elliot: The Musical Live Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Billy Elliot: The Musical Live Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman October 14, 2015

It's common for film to find inspiration in the arts but the reversal is much more rare. Billy Elliot, a 2000 film directed by Stephen Daldry (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close), was one of the surprise hits of that year and an Oscar nominee in several key categories, including Best Director. Fast forward about 14 years, and the film has found its way to the stage, retelling the story of a young boy caught up in a literal storm of civil unrest and personal upheaval as he battles against gender and expectations in light of his desire to trade in his boxing gloves for ballet shoes. The musical adaptation is not without significant pedigree behind it, including a return to the director's chair for Stephen Daldry and original music written by Sir Elton John. But the show's highlight is unquestionably star Elliott Hanna, appearing in his first production and nailing the part, not only the dance maneuvers but the essence of the person and the very struggle that drives the story.

"This beats getting punched in the face."

It's the year 1984. It's a time of turmoil for the people of the United Kingdom, particularly her miners. They've just gone on strike, and the effect on the nation, and on families, is felt far and wide. For young Billy Elliot (Elliott Hanna), the strike is hitting particularly close to home. Several relatives, including his father (Deka Walmsley), are amongst the striking workers. Billy is placed in an after school boxing class. It's a sport he doesn't much enjoy. But it's through boxing that he happens upon something else: ballet. Whether by chance or by fate, he enters a class run by Mrs. Wilkinson (Ruthie Henshall) who insists that he participate in practice. One class becomes two, and even as Billy fears that ballet will make him less of a man -- the slippers may make him look like a "sissy," he worries -- it quickly becomes apparent that he's highly skilled in the art. Mrs. Wilkinson insists he continue with his lessons, even after his father discovers the secret lessons and demands his son never slip into the shoes, or Mrs. Wilkinson's class, again. But she persuades Billy to participate in an audition that could forever change his future. He'll have to fight his family, tradition, and himself if he's to continue on and grow into the dancer -- and the man -- he wants to be.

The musical is certainly a different beast than the film, though its core narrative is, obviously, the same. The story of breaking from traditional gender roles and following talent -- and dreams -- remains the focus, but the musical delivers an organically unique and lively feel and flow that, in this form, is missing from the movie, but then again not necessarily needed in the movie. The comparisons and contrasts make for an interesting study in the effectiveness of core narrative focus without regard to the vehicle employed to deliver it. Both the film and the musical are spirited, but in their own ways, each taking a different approach but arriving at the same conclusion. It's proof positive that a good story need not be confined to a particular medium, though just going by history that doesn't alway seem to be the case, where one medium struggles to deliver essentially the same material at the same quality as another. But given the consistency in the director's chair and Elton John's contributions, it's easy to see why Billy Elliot has made the transition as seamlessly as possible and yielded another fun way to relive the classic story.

Structurally, Billy Elliot: The Musical makes for an entertaining journey. It's arguably a little more bloated than necessary -- it runs nearly an hour longer than the film -- but it's contagiously entertaining even considering a few slower stretches. The performance, captured at London's Victoria Palace Theatre on September 28, 2014, inspires with its catchy tunes, practiced choreography, effortless dramatic performances, and impressively simple set design. The stage is dynamic, retaining many basic pieces round its perimeter but sliding in and out and raising and lowering key pieces from the walls and floor, respectively, while a few items descend from the ceiling when necessary. Its simplicity allows for a greater focus on the story and room for the dance numbers to flow even on a relatively small stage, particularly when compared to the greater expanses afforded to shows like Jesus Christ Superstar. It's not a show for children, however. It frequently employs foul language and dives into complex themes centering on traditional gender roles, equality, acceptance, and the like.

Billy Elliot: The Musical Live Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Billy Elliot: The Musical Live's 1080p transfer delivers a perfectly watchable image. The HD video source photography leaves it looking a bit pedestrian, flat and lacking the rich vibrancy of a big budget film production. Still, the image boasts solid clarity and good detailing all around, evident particularly on clothing and faces -- actors are frequently drenched in sweat, and every bead is visible -- but also back around the set's fringes where some of the deliberately worn-down details on various surfaces impress with the depth of detailing and tactile texturing. Colors are satisfying. Those background set pieces are often dreary and dull, but more brightly colored attire and a few key set pieces certainly impress, particularly up against that drab background. Black levels are satisfyingly deep back in the shadowy corners in the rear. Skin tones don't waver. The image does suffer from some light noise and mild and infrequent banding, but neither proves much of a bother. It's not a stunner, but Universal's transfer satisfies across the board.

Billy Elliot: The Musical Live Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Billy Elliot: The Musical Live arrives on Blu-ray with a get-up-and-dance DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. While it's not a perfect balance, the track does find a good middle ground between aggression and clarity, favoring the former just a hair over the latter but not to the detriment of the overall presentation. In general, instrumental and vocal clarity are strong and, considering the nature of the event -- absent the fine tuning of a cinema soundtrack -- the results are pretty spectacular. It's certainly loud and filling, with music dominated by the fronts but never wanting for a rear channel support structure that's constant and well defined throughout. Various sound effects are impressive, too, whether little things like footfalls on the stage floor or more prominent elements like a whistle's piercing shriek. Crowd involvement is routine and robust. Laughter and cheers both fill the stage with a big, natural sensation that's heavier in the back than the front, resulting in a fairly convincing front-row seat placement.

Billy Elliot: The Musical Live Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Billy Elliot: The Musical Live contains two featurettes. A voucher of a UV/iTunes digital copy is included with purchase.

• An Introduction from Elliott Hanna (1080p, 5:39): The show's young star introduces himself and offers a brief behind the scenes tour. Intermixed are interviews with Choreographer Peter Darling, Producer Jon Finn, Director Stephen Daldry, and Actors Ann Emery, Deka Walmsley, and Ruthie Henshall, all of whom praise Hanna's work and performance.
• Behind the Curtain (1080p, 11:06): A piece that looks at the story's origins, the show's history, transitioning the film into a musical, Elton John's contributions, Stephen Daldry's work, choreography, casting and performances, and more. Japanese subtitles are forced in this supplement.

Billy Elliot: The Musical Live Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Billy Elliot soars across both the film and musical mediums. The story blends history, humor, heart, and, of course, dancing and a solid core narrative that champions the notion of following dreams even in the face of adversity or criticism. The musical rendition is intoxicatingly entertaining, a little too long, arguably, but sporting catchy tunes, excellent production design, and strong performances, particularly from newcomer Elliott Hanna. Fans of the movie will be well served to give this version a go, and newcomers won't go wrong starting either here or with the 2000 film. Universal's Blu-ray release of Billy Elliot: The Musical Live delivers quality video and audio. Supplements are a bit on the thin side. Recommended.