I'll Take Sweden Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

I'll Take Sweden Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 24, 2016

Frederick De Cordova's "I'll Take Sweden" (1965) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent U.S. distributors Olive Films. The only bonus feature on the disc is an original trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

We'll go to Sweden!

I’ll Take Sweden is a very simple and very unpretentious film whose one and only ambition is to make one feel good. These types of films tend to happen when directors and actors understand the limitations of the script they have to work with and when shooting begins become very comfortable with each other.

Bob Hope plays widower Bob Holcomb who has a difficult time understanding his beautiful daughter Jojo (Tuesday Weld, Once Upon a Time in America). They communicate but most of the time it feels like they are speaking different languages. Jojo has also been dating Kenny Klinger (Frankie Avalon, Panic in Year Zero), who is exactly the type of guy Bob does not want to see around his daughter, and now they want to get married.

Married?

Determined to give Jojo the life she truly deserves, Bob volunteers to go on a business trip to Sweden where his company has an important partner. Jojo will come with him and after being treated like a real lady by the handsome Swedes she will forget Kenny and begin a new chapter in her life. Bob knows that his plan will work because all women, young and old, love gentlemen. After all, this is precisely how years ago he met his late wife -- he was a gentleman and she was ready for a serious relationship.

At the airport in Stockholm, Bob and Jojo are greeted by Erik (Jeremy Slate, True Grit), a young and very handsome gentleman from his company’s local office. Much to Bob’s delight, Erik turns out to be single and interested in a relationship with a girl like Jojo. Not long after that Bob meets the elegant decorator Karin (Dina Merrill, The Young Savages), who is also single and ready to be entertained by a man with a taste and proper manners.

The script places Bob and Jojo in a number of awkward situations and leaves them to figure out on their own how not to embarrass themselves. Rather predictably, they fail in various ways because Sweden is a very different country and the expectations of the two sexes there are quite unconventional. (Or so the film suggests).

A lot of the great laughs emerge from numerous misunderstandings, but there isn’t an attempt to focus on the effects of the “cultural shock”. During the second act it actually becomes fairly obvious that Bob and Jojo simply have very different expectations of each other that make them question the logic of their decisions and eventually their sincerity. This is where the film also begins to stutter a bit because after the initial round of surprises the romance overwhelms the comedy and delivers a very conventional finale.

Still, the film has a tremendous energy and a very uplifting atmosphere that make it virtually impossible to dislike.

Avalon is given a few big scenes to shine, but they don’t rival the ones present in Muscle Beach Party and Beach Blanket Bingo.

I'll Take Sweden Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Frederick De Cordova's I'll Take Sweden arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films.

Excluding a couple of tiny flecks the film looks very healthy and lush. In fact, considering that the film does not appear to have undergone a serious restoration a lot of the outdoor footage looks surprisingly vibrant and wonderfully balanced. Density is also very good, though there is some room for minor improvements. Colors look healthy and well balanced. There is a very nice range of stable nuances as well that further enhance the solid organic appearance. There are no traces of problematic degraining or sharpening adjustments. During close-ups and larger panoramic shots grain is well exposed and quite well resolved. There is room for minor optimizations, but even on very large screens density and depth remain very pleasing throughout the entire film. All in all, this is a very solid presentation of I'll Take Sweden that is guaranteed to satisfy fans of Bob Hope and his work. My score is 4.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

I'll Take Sweden Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The lossless audio track is very good. In fact, I would not be surprised if it is confirmed that at some point balancing and stabilization work was performed because fluidity is excellent throughout the entire film. (With older films one can usually encounter all sorts of different spikes or drops in terms of dynamic activity that affect balance). The dialog is stable, clean, and always easy to follow. There are no pops, audio dropouts, or digital distortions to report.

I'll Take Sweden Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for I'll Take Sweden. In English, not subtitled. (4 min, 1080p).

I'll Take Sweden Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you've had a long day and need a film that will put you in a good mood, see Frederick De Cordova's I'll Take Sweden. It is quite witty but unpretentious film with an uplifting atmosphere that makes it virtually impossible to dislike. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will likely revisit it soon. Olive Films' technical presentation of the film is very good. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.