5.1 | / 10 |
Users | 3.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
The enigmatic Mr. Roarke makes the secret dreams of his lucky guests come true at a luxurious but remote tropical resort. But when the fantasies turn into nightmares, the guests have to solve the island's mystery in order to escape with their lives.
Starring: Michael Peña, Lucy Hale, Maggie Q, Portia Doubleday, Jimmy O. YangHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 3% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Mystery | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.38:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Czech: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Hungarian: Dolby Digital 5.1
Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Polish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Polish VO
English SDH, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, Croatian, Czech, Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Polish, Romanian, Thai
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
The Fantasy Island franchise began life on television in the 1970s and lives on today, decades later, in Blumhouse's modern-set "prequel" with a play-it-safe Horror twist. The film, also titled Fantasy Island, explores the fleeting joys and the terrible consequences of rearranging life into a supposedly ideal vision of it, erasing mistakes only to replace them with new and oftentimes more damaging ones, amplifying desires only to find that they're not particularly desirable after all. It's not at all a bad idea for a Horror movie, though it might have worked better as a standalone away from the dated TV show and with more visual and psychological teeth pushing the envelope. At times tolerable and at times terrible, the film lives for the twists at the expense of characterization and reasons to care, culminating in a too-busy third act that does away with any of the modest good graces born of a few interesting concepts and a couple of passable performances.
The digitally sourced image shines on Blu-ray, another near impeccable new release that pushes the format towards its limits. The picture is clean beyond a few bursts of noise. Colors absolutely leap off the screen in daylight and well-lit interiors. Colorful attire serves as the unmatched highlight, with reds and blues and other vibrant tones jumping off the screen with regularity. Natural greenery abounds, of course, with plenty of depth and variance per the type of foliage. Contrast does push a bit hot -- and more so in some places (a party at night in chapter two) compared to others -- but not usually to the point of feeling overzealously cooked. It's a good, if not slightly generic, look for the film, and Blu-ray certainly serves it very well. Texturally, it's more boom than bust, too. Close-ups reveal expert detail across the board: faces, clothes, and the island's environments, which include sandy beaches, leafy jungles, lavish interiors, and dank caverns. Rarely does the picture lack full-command sharpness and intensely defined details. Skin tones push a bit warm at times but seem influenced only by deliberate lighting and contrast choices. Black levels, at night and particularly in the cave that plays a vital role later on the film, hold steady and natural.
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is highly detailed and well versed in the film's sonic wares. Music is bold and captures the spirit of various instrumentals and elements quite nicely. It's wide, proportionately engaged in the back, and offers a solid foundational low end support. Action effects are well served by the track, be they explosions or gunfire. There's enough essential clarity, depth, and room-filling density to get the point across, particularly as these elements find more active and regular use going into and throughout the third act. The island comes alive with a pleasing array of natural ambience that effortlessly pulls the listener into the world, from serene beaches to dense and dark caverns, the latter of which serves as the best example of spacial awareness and natural reverb around the stage. Dialogue is consistently clear and well prioritized as it is delivered from its natural front center home.
This Blu-ray release of Fantasy island contains only an unrated cut audio commentary track, deleted scenes, and previews. This disc also
includes
two cuts of the film:
Theatrical (1:49:06) and Unrated (1:49:24). A Movies Anywhere digital copy code is included with
purchase. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.
Fantasy Island has generated plenty of bad reviews, and more or less rightly so. The film dabbles around a solid enough concept and it holds modest interest through much of the first half, but an overwrought final act, subpar characterization, and a failure to push the envelope leave the film limp and lacking, unable to live up to the more bountiful potential that remains within. Sony's Blu-ray does deliver high yield video and audio presentations. Supplements include an audio commentary track and a few deleted scenes. Rental at best.
2013
2013
2018
Peopletoys
1974
2012
Uncut
2008
Unrated Director's Cut
2009
1988
Director's Cut
2005
Director's Unrated Cut
2017
2015
Collector's Edition
2013
Slipcover in Original Pressing
2019
2014
1981
2006
Ahí va el diablo
2012
2018
2011
2020