6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
A man in his thirties travels to a remote cabin to reconnect with his estranged father.
Starring: Elijah Wood, Stephen McHattie, Garfield Wilson, Madeleine Sami, Martin Donovan (II)Horror | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
There’s an old adage that states you only get one opportunity to make a first impression, and in that regard it’s been kind of interesting to watch Daniel Radcliffe and Elijah Wood attempt to break free of shackles set by roles they assumed either right off the bat (in the case of Radcliffe) or relatively early in their career (in the case of Wood). While Radcliffe’s first role was a minor supporting part in The Tailor of Panama which debuted in February of 2001, it was of course the young actor's starring turn in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, which came out a few months later in 2001, which firmly established his supposed screen persona for at least one generation of filmgoers, especially since he kept returning to the role for so many subsequent years. Wood on the other hand arguably had a more varied early career, with a number of well regarded performances in films like Avalon and Radio Flyer , but it was of course his starring turn in the first film of another franchise with a redolent British literary imprimatur, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, which really shot him into the cinematic stratosphere. Both actors seem to be aware that those relatively early strong impacts may have actually stuffed them into a perceived performance template, and as a result both actors have at least occasionally taken on some fairly risky projects. In that regard, Elijah Wood in Come to Daddy might be seen as a kinda sorta analogue to Daniel Radcliffe in Swiss Army Man, at least insofar as both films feature a corpse as a central plot point. Both films are also decidedly and intentionally odd, though Come to Daddy might actually have a relatively more straightforward narrative.
Come to Daddy is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. The closing credits feature mentions of both Panavision lenses and the Millennium DXL2 camera, and I'm assuming the DI was finished at 2K. This is by and large a very appealing looking presentation, though some of the beach scenes can look a bit hazy. The sequences in the dungeon like lair beneath the beach home are on the murky side as well, but some gruesome fine detail in terms of some of the injuries suffered by various characters is certainly still noticeable. There are a couple of curious stylistic quirks at play, including some askew framings where things can almost look slightly anamorphically stretched in the corners of the frame. The palette is natural looking, with some rich blue tones especially prevalent.
Come to Daddy features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that offers some fun discrete channelization and immersion in the background roar of the ocean and especially in terms of the weird banging, clanging noises Norval starts hearing around the house. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout, and Karl Steven's score is also rendered without any issues. Optional English or Spanish subtitles are available.
While the Main Menu of this disc advertised "Special Features" (see screenshot 20), those turn out to simply be trailers for other Lionsgate releases and a bookmarking feature, neither of which I personally consider "scorable" as bonus material.
For a number of reasons, it might be fun for some fans to pair this film with You'll Like My Mother for an interesting double feature. This particular outing perhaps relies on an even more preposterous artifice than the old 1972 opus with Patty Duke does, but this film also has a decidedly dark sense of humor that the earlier film is lacking. Technical merits are generally solid for those who are considering a purchase.
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