6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.8 |
A paranormal expert and his daughter bunk in an abandoned house populated by 3 mischievous ghosts and one friendly one.
Starring: Christina Ricci, Bill Pullman, Cathy Moriarty, Eric Idle, Malachi PearsonFamily | 100% |
Comedy | 98% |
Fantasy | 41% |
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)
French: DTS 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
UV digital copy
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Casper spooks up a fairly strong story, good performances, and quality visual effects for the famous friendly ghost's big screen extravaganza starring Bill Pullman and Christina Ricci as a father/daughter combo who move around the country in search of ghosts. Culled from the cartoon franchise of the same name, Director Brad Silberling's (City of Angels) picture is rather typical of 90s family fare, from its heartfelt storyline to its cheery score. The film finds the right tonal balance in practically every scene, enjoying some playful scares but nothing too over-the-top that will downright terrify younger audiences and nothing too ridiculous or unnecessarily zany to mask the underlying story tenderness and lifeblood that runs so thickly through it. It's a success of a film, a big budget crowd pleaser that knows how to tell a tale and involve its audience in the experience. It's mostly wholesome family entertainment with a big heart, a strong atmosphere, solidly constructed characters, and enough appeal to see it enjoyed by all audiences. In short, it's a classic example of a clean-cut cinematic winner fit for all ages.
Casper discovers the secret of the secret sauce.
Casper's 1080p transfer isn't a haunting experience, but it's a little spooky in places. Universal's infamous catalogue releases are known for smoothed-over DNRed video. Casper doesn't fall victim to a terrible degree, but there are certainly some scenes -- notably some darker ones -- that look unnaturally smooth. That said, however, the image is surprisingly stable and viewer-friendly. Grain is frequently evident, even if there's occasionally an artificial sharpness to the image. Light compression issues are scattered throughout as well. However, the image offers a fairly good, fairly accurate collection of details. Faces are never super complex in raw definition, and neither are odds and ends around the house -- whether wooden beams, cobwebs, or accumulated dirt and grime -- but rarely do they look hopelessly flat and lifeless. Colors are never all that brilliant. The house's strange red-tinted interior -- which is offset by some more traditionally black and gray and blue rooms -- stands out nicely enough, and a few brighter scenes, such as a few outdoor moments and a classroom sequence, deliver a healthy, stable palette. Black levels are never grossly problematic, but hints of crush and a push towards a dark purple shade are occasionally evident. Skin tones present no major issues. In a word, the transfer is "uneven." In a more detailed context, however, it favors a "better" quality more often than a "worse" quality.
Casper's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is scary fun. The track is filled with quality ambient sound effects that are frequently more aggressive than they are subtle. Blowing winds, thunder, creaks, moans, and assorted haunted house/scary movie sort of effects are playfully implemented but sonically aggressive in terms of volume and stage presence. The track isn't so transparent that the speakers seem to melt away in favor of the action, but the stage is sufficiently big and robust to help pull the audience into the environment. Ghostly voices float naturally and effortlessly through the stage. Imaging is excellent and more precise side and surround effects are naturally integrated. Bigger action elements, such as when a "train" powers through the listening area, are fun, full, and deep. Music is aggressively big and potent yet clear and precisely placed around the stage, with a wide front end and an aggressive, but not dominant, surround element. General dialogue reproduction is strong and center-focused.
Casper contains several bonuses that must be accessed from the "pop-up" menu within the film. There is no top menu to be found on the
disc. A UV/iTunes digital copy code is also included.
Casper is a surprisingly good film, one that might look a bit bland and generic around its edges but that finds a much deeper, much more welcoming, much more tenderhearted center. The characters are simple but strongly developed and very well performed. The story isn't all that novel but the emotions that flow from it are genuine. The special effects hold up very well even two decades after its release. Casper may not be a classic, but it holds up to repeat viewings and never loses its outer charm and inner dramatic appeal. Universal's Blu-ray release of Casper features average-to-good video, potent audio, and a few supplements. Strongly recommended.
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