Father Hood Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		2.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.5

Father Hood Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 11, 2012

'Father Hood' is currently available as part of a two-film bundle with Life with Mikey from Mill Creek Entertainment.

We only got a 2.5???

Jack Charles (Patrick Swayze) is a small-time hustler with his eyes on a big score in the Big Easy. It's a surefire get-rich-quick plan, and there's only one thing -- two, really -- that could mess it up: family. Jack is visited by his tween daughter Kelly (Sabrina Lloyd). She's tracked him down after escaping from a juvenile center called Bigelow Hall. Her younger brother Eddie (Brian Bonsall) is on his way there. Kelly warns Jack of mistreatment by facility officials, including handcuffing the children. Jack won't have any of it. He breaks his son out of a facility transport and the three of them hit the road, evading the cops and finding themselves the subject of an ever-growing -- and highly sensationalized -- national media story and manhunt. Jack comes into contact with a reporter named Kathleen Mercer (Halle Berry) who's on the verge of breaking the Bigelow abuse story, and she might be the only person in America Jack and his children can trust. As they leave California and head towards the score in Louisiana, family feuds become family love as the three bond but fear the breaking of their new relationship with every glance over their collective shoulders.

Father Hood -- note the clever one-word-split-into-two-double-entendre-a-la-Cast Away -- is an example of the proverbial "kitchen sink" early 1990s flick that crams pretty much everything but Horror into its 90 minute runtime, happily embracing family drama, comedy, action, adventure, car chases, gun play, police procedural, investigative reporting, a corrupt system, road trips, and a wannabe tear-jerking finale. Unfortunately, it's all largely forgettable, a classic "zone out" movie that never finds much of a stride thanks to flat characters and no real focus on any one or two primary styles. There's nothing novel or cutting edge as it maneuvers through all of the motions that audiences have seen before but perhaps never crammed into one movie like it all is here. Father Hood does benefit from a fairly strong cast; it's a name roster up and down the list, but even some of the top leads and best character actors in the business can't save a movie so mired in mediocrity it nearly defines the term.

Father Hood Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Much like the movie it serves, Father Hood's high definition transfer doesn't particularly impress, but neither is it a complete disaster. The image begins dubiously, appearing almost like plastic: hugely inorganic and very smooth. Fortunately, it picks up a bit of life after the title credits. Grain fluctuates from ridiculously spiky to practically nonexistent. Details range from pleasant to, again, ultra-smooth and waxy. Black levels are often washed out, and the color palette appears a bit unnaturally bright. Still, the image proves highly watchable from a base perspective. There are enough quality facial and clothing textures and a sufficiently vibrant palette to please undemanding audiences and at least get videophiles through the film. Certainly it's a bargain basement sort of transfer, but then again so too is the Blu-ray release.

Father Hood Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Father Hood's DTS-HD MA 2.0 lossless soundtrack doesn't set the world on fire, but it's a serviceable presentation, particularly in its handling of the film's diverse and regular musical output. Popular music sounds pretty good all around. It plays with commendable clarity, satisfying spacing across the front, fine balance, and just the right output level. Big sound effects such as car chases, explosions, and some of the other fun elements the movie packs in play with passable authenticity. This isn't the sort of track that will place listeners in the midst of the action, but when a helicopter buzzes just above a speeding car, for example, the sensation is adequately conveyed. Ambient effects are few but moderately effective, such as slight shifting and coughing in an otherwise quiet courtroom or the background din of a busy news office. Dialogue hangs around the center, plays with good clarity, and is never challenged or overpowered by music or effects. All in all, this is a passable track that handles its duties well enough, particularly considering Mill Creek's aggressive pricing.

Father Hood Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Father Hood contains no supplemental content.

Father Hood Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Father Hood crams a few laughs, a bit of action, family drama, tearjerking moments, and pretty much everything else imaginable into a movie that strives to please everyone but never quite settles into a foundation capable of keeping all the elements propped up. It's a movie of good intensions and fair watchability, but it's one of many generic 1990s flicks that's more aimless than it is on target. Mill Creek's Blu-ray release of Father Hood contains passable video and audio qualities. No extras are included. Normally, recommended as a skip, but at rock-bottom pricing it's not the worst candidate for collection inclusion.