6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Thomas Reilly has the spirits of four departed souls running around his consciousness. Each of the four needs Thomas to complete some unfinished business for them on earth.
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Charles Grodin, Alfre Woodard, Kyra Sedgwick, David PaymerRomance | 100% |
Comedy | 22% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Fantasy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Mill Creek has released the 1993 Comedy-Drama 'Heart and Souls,' starring a venerable collection of actors including Robert Downey Jr., Charles Grodin, Alfre Woodard, Kyra Sedgwick, David Paymer, Elisabeth Shue, and Tom Sizemore, to Blu-ray. The film was previously released to Blu-ray in 2019 by Universal. In quite the surprise move, this Mill Creek release includes a handful of supplemental features that were absent from the Universal disc.
Heart and Souls arrives on Blu-ray from Mill Creek with a satisfying, if not at times problematic, 1080p transfer. While I did not review the
Universal disc and have no basis for comparison beyond Randy's written review and supplied screenshots, it certainly appears that the images are
sourced form the same master, but as often seems to be the case, the Mill Creek disc appears to introduce some compression issues that result in this
being a slight downgrade from Universal's work. Indeed, the image is frequently home to mild compression issues (as well as the odd and errant pop
and speckle), none of which elevate to a level of severity to make this anywhere near unwatchable, but those looking for the best presentation will want
to go to the Universal disc.
Still, this image shares some of its good qualities with the Universal disc. While some shots look very smooth, the image does not, on the whole, appear
to be the victim of extreme grain removal. Grain is not as organic as it might be, looking fairly sharp, bit the image is still home to well defined
textures, evident on period clothes but also various bits of city detail. Faces, of course, are nicely defined in total, lacking the razor precision that film
resolution and Blu-ray can provide, but here offering good foundational definition that results in pleasing, if not all that special, facial structure and
detail
revelation. Colors are fine, appearing suitably bold especially in good light (a sequence around the 40-miinute mark is a good example, being a well-lit
scene with some bold greens and colorful clothes on full display). Colors are nicely saturated though they cannot be described as "vivid." "Pleasing,"
yes, but
not "powerful." White balance is OK, skin tones are OK, and black levels are...OK. In sum the transfer exists a slight bit above "OK" but could certainly
stand to be remastered at some point.
Mill Creek releases Heart and Souls to Blu-ray with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. This is the same encode that was present
on
the 2019 Universal disc, and it is very likely that this is the same presentation, but I will offer a brief review since I did not review, nor have access to,
that Universal disc.
The presentation is solid if unremarkable. It's nicely defined in its totality with musical engagement, which is one of the clear highlights. To be sure, the
music
lacks the precision fidelity and pinpoint clarity that is common in newer productions, and the presentation has a certain early 90s vibe to it, but it's
effectively presented and probably near or at best case scenario for the material as it was recorded and engineered. The track offers some pleasing
moments of greater size and intensity, most notably, and probably most crucially to the film, the bus accident in the first act that sets the plot in motion
for the rest of the film. While it lacks absolute grace and sonic nuance, there is enough sense of movement and depth, albeit fairly crude depth, to
effectively convey the moment's basic needs. The track also deals with lesser ambient effects which hold the line for the track: well placed, nicely
immersive as necessary (even if the bulk of the track is more front-heavy than surround-balanced), and suitably clear, all of which help to define the
listening area but not necessarily draw the listener fully into it. Finally, dialogue is also good enough, also lacking lifelike, pinpoint precision but
presenting with good prioritization, center balance, and clarity from beginning to end.
It is a very rare circumstance that a Mill Creek re-release of a Universal catalogue title contains extras that were on the Universal disc, and even rarer
is
when the Mill Creek disc includes supplements when the Universal disc offered none. Indeed, Universal's 2019 issue offered absolutely nothing, but here is the Mill Creek disc with three
featurettes and a trailer. Do note that no DVD or digital copies are included. This release does ship with one of Mill Creek's popular "Retro VHS"
slipcovers.
Heart and Souls builds a collection of interesting characters within an engaging framework that keeps the movie watchable today, despite some dated visuals and stylings. The Mill Creek Blu-ray is a very good choice for home consumption, offering video and audio that seems at least on par (though perhaps slightly behind) the Universal issue while adding both a few supplements unavailable on the Universal disc and also including the collectible Retro VHS slipcover. At time of writing, it's also about $5 cheaper on Amazon. Recommended.
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