6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
The year was 1961. Fallout shelters dot suburban backyards. Ken joins Barbie. Roger Maris slugs 61 home runs. And Elvis Presley is in paradise, playing an ex-G.I. who comes home to Blue Hawaii. His mother (Angela Landsbury) expects him to climb the corporate ladder. But Elvis would rather wear an aloha shirt than a white collar, so he goes to work as a tour guide.
Starring: Elvis Presley, Angela Lansbury, Roland Winters, John Archer (I), Pamela AustinMusical | 100% |
Comedy | 8% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
German: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
French: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Spanish=Espana
English, English SDH, French, German, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
At time of writing, this Blu-ray release of 'Blue Hawaii' is only available with the UHD disc in the 'Paramount Presents' line.
Blue Hawaii struggles to walk the very fine line between "star vehicle" and "pleasant escape." The film is in a difficult position, and it is built
around a difficult proposition, because it is
entirely all about its externals. Fortunately for the film, the primary external is Elvis Presley. The other is the beautiful state of Hawaii. Outside of
these, there is very little story to speak of, but the picture is determined to make itself a fun and a viable alternative for a
lazy, rainy weekend afternoon on the strength of its cheerful locations and nearly endless musical numbers, performed by its star, alone. But the film
is hopelessly flat
beyond the admittedly beautiful facade. Elvis does his best to carry it, playing a hopelessly two-dimensional character and offering little more than,
like the rest of the movie, the expected superficialities to cover up the flat script and vacant story.
Paramount brings Blue Hawaii to Bu-ray with a very satisfying 1080p transfer. The opening title cards are simply gorgeous The Blue color output just dazzles and delights as it leaps off the screen in a commanding and pleasing blue tone. Even against blue skies and blue waters, the color is effectively robust and a beautiful sight to behold. The red sports car to follow is likewise a dizzying shade that punches the vividness through the roof without appearing gawdy or otherwise over saturated. Colorful attire throughout the island leaps to life and natural greens are lush and full. The picture also holds to a natural grain structure; there is very little evidence of processing here. The image is filmic and pleasing to the eye. It captures wonderful clarity and sharp film-quality textures in most every shot (there are a few photographically softer and airier shots here and there). Overall crispness is superb and detail is exacting right down to grains of sand on beaches. Facial complexity is excellent as well. There's not much here to complain about. Paramount's recent track record may be spotty, but this is a bright spot in that spottiness.
Paramount brings Blue Hawaii to Blu-ray with a pair of notable English language soundtrack options: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and original 2.0 Dolby
Digital lossy mono,
both labeled as "restored." Neither soundtrack offer a significant gain over the other. The 5.1 track, while a little fuller compared to 2.0 mono, offers
little in the way of
immersion. Surrounds carry next to no content; it's difficult to point to even a subtle surround engagement moment and impossible to identify a
significant one.
But even if the track has not been engineered to distribute content all around the listener, this configuration does, at least, present the content with
mild body and pleasant front-side spacing.
Here are a few distinguishing characteristics: the 5.1 track is a bit shallow. There's not a lot of depth to airplane sounds in the opening minutes, and not
much fullness to airport din, either. There is very little sense of space or engagement when waves crash around the 12-minute mark, and overall this
track struggles to offer much in the way of engaging atmosphere. Music and lyrics are presented with fair dynamics and good fidelity but lack authority
at reference volume. Spacing is adequate along the front. The original track, presented in lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 mono, sounds just about as good for
clarity. Fullness is not bad either, comparatively speaking with the 5.1 track. There's about the same sense of front-end spacing and spread. Dialogue
does image well to the middle in 2.0 mono. Dialogue is suitably clear in both presentations.
Blue Hawaii contains three extras as outlined below. As it ships in the 36th film in the 'Paramount Presents' line, a digital copy code and the
familiar 'Paramount Presents' fold open slipcover with alternative artwork are included.
Blue Hawaii is a film of well-meaning sight and sound but zero substance. That is a legitimate point of criticism, but it's also fair to cut the film some slack; it's not pretentious, it doesn't pretend that it's meatier than it is, and it enjoys the casual atmosphere and gentle ebb and flow of the process of moving from one number and location to the next. Go in expecting a simple, relaxed time at the movies and find a mostly agreeable little film; expect something of even modest substance and walk away disappointed. Paramount's Blu-ray offers dazzling video, acceptable audio, and a few bonuses, headlined by a prepared-remarks commentary track. Worth a look.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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