Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Fisherman's Friends Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 5, 2021

Feel-good cinema receives a new offering in “Fisherman’s Friends.” After the recent release of “Military Wives,” here comes another U.K. tale of an unlikely musical success, presenting those in the mood for comfortable entertainment with a mild ride of fish-out-of-water comedy, family ties, and business world deviltry. And there’s plenty of music to help lift the production up. “Fisherman’s Friends” isn’t going to wow with originality, and thankfully director Chris Foggin has managed to preserve some level of charm, delivering a frightfully predictable but amiable movie that’s incredibly easy on the senses. There are a few laughs, an engaged cast, and big, clear vocal performances, which help to distract from a connect-the-dots screenplay that has no discernable interest in providing anything more than what the audience expects from a cheery good time with characters from a quaint corner of the world.

An agent at a music management firm in London, Danny (Daniel Mays) joins three of his colleagues for a special bachelor party weekend, leaving the big city to celebrate in the Cornwall town of Port Isaac. Having trouble navigating the locals and the heavy seas, Danny encounters the local fisherman, with Jim (James Purefoy) leading the men as they sing sea shanties for pleasure, keeping up local tradition. Sensing something special about the group, Danny is left behind by his pals to see if he can sign the locals and create a demo. While hesitant to trust an outsider, Jim and the gang elect to put their trust into Danny’s business acumen, offering their voices and 250-year-old songs to him. Now in charge of making something happen for the Fisherman’s Friends, Danny is gently pulled into the charms of Port Isaac, making a connection with Alwyn (Tuppence Middleton), Joe’s daughter and a special person of talent and intelligence.

The screenplay by Nick Moorcroft, Meg Leonard, and Piers Ashworth returns viewers to the year 2010, creating a sort of origin story for the real Fisherman’s Friends. The writing creates a distinct vision for the salted charms of Port Isaac, where the men are crusty but lovable, and local life begins and ends at the pub, where all social exchanges take place. And then there are the London boys, who bomb into town looking for drinks and sea-based adventures, only find themselves overwhelmed by the waters, requiring help from the fisherman. There’s a distinct divide in temperaments, setting up the Thawing of Danny subplot, where the music man of no morals gradually begins to understand what Port Isaac is about, impressed with the Fisherman’s Friends and their vocal abilities with ancient, copyright-free songs. Or, as Alwyn puts it, the “rock and roll of 1752.”

One doesn’t need to see many movies to predict where “Fisherman’s Friends” is going, and there’s disappointment that the screenplay doesn’t even try to subvert expectations with something, anything, during the course of the film. Foggin keeps things bright and direct, tracking Danny’s immersion into Port Isaac, learning how to interact with fisherman and their entrenched ways, also developing an attraction to Alywn, a single mother and gifted photographer who knows more about music history than he does. The Fisherman’s Friends don’t deny the professional offer for very long, soon embarking on the challenges of creating a demo (local birds don’t make it easy), while their tunes are somewhat graphic, diminishing the cuddly appearance of the group as they perform at a wedding and appear on T.V. to celebrate the Queen with a defiant Cornwall anthem. Over the course of the feature, Danny earns local trust, only to have it challenged by the vicious dismissiveness of the business, inspiring him to find success on his own.

Fisherman's Friends Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.39:1 aspect ratio) presentation secures strong detail during the viewing experience, offering sharp distances as characters visit the open waters. Interiors with pubs, offices, and churches provide clear decoration. Facial surfaces are textured, capturing wrinkles and scruff on weathered men. Costuming is fibrous. Colors come to life with outdoor activities, offering lively outfits and greenery around the village. Urban tours provide distinct primaries, including red office walls. Skintones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory. Mild banding is periodically detected.

Fisherman's Friends Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix brings out the full sound of the Fisherman's Friends, with vocals distinct and pronounced, giving performance sequences a lift. Dialogue exchanges are crisp, handling accents and dramatic emphasis. Surrounds are active with atmospherics, delivering coastal elements and rolling waves. Interiors push out as the action moves into crowded bars and buildings. Scoring supports as intended, with fresh instrumentation. Low-end isn't active, but percussion has power.

Fisherman's Friends Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Behind the Scenes (3:39, HD) is a brief look at a few scenes involving the actors as they perform as a group. Short bits of cast camaraderie and crew activity are included, but this featurette largely focuses on the musical aspect of the production.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:54, HD) is included.

Fisherman's Friends Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A subplot involves Rowan (Sam Swainsbury), the Port Isaac pub owner and a man in need of money, allowing Danny to arrange a possible sale to outside interests. And there's the advanced age of some of the fisherman, along with Danny's crisis of conscience as he's wedged between his moneymaking, big city instincts and his word, giving it to Jim, a man of earthy integrity. Again, "Fisherman's Friends" has no surprises, with conflicts found in dozens of other films (including "Military Wives"), but Foggin protects small charms found throughout the endeavor, working with accomplished performances from all involved. And he gives the effort over to the music on many occasions, permitting the natural appeal of the group to shine. It's almost enough to support the pleasant feature, which is meant to be escapism, connecting as that, nothing more.