7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
See The world from a kid's-eye view with Matilda, a modern fairy tale that mixes hilarious humor with the magical message of love.
Starring: Mara Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman, Embeth Davidtz, Pam FerrisFamily | 100% |
Comedy | 88% |
Fantasy | 27% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
French (Canada): Dolby Digital 2.0
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0
English, English SDH, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Norwegian, Polish, Swedish, Thai
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
UV digital copy
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Quickly: name the movie about a girl who uses her telekinetic powers to get even with the people who have done her wrong. Chances are many would respond with Carrie, Director Brian De Palma filmed adaptation of the Stephen King novel of the same name. The second most common answer, and probably tops amongst families with younger children (or children of the 1990s), would be Matilda, the touching Danny DeVito-directed charmer about a mistreated girl and the somewhat disturbing but mostly comical antics that follow her mental maturation and the development of her telekinetic powers. Indeed, Matilda feels like Carrie for a younger audience. It, too, is based on a book, this one penned by British Author Roald Dahl and published in 1988. It's not quite as dark and powerful as De Palma's film, but it's mostly a joyous, innocent, likable little film with simple moral objectives and a fun, family-friend vibe. It's not a perfect movie, but it's perfectly suitable for most viewers and a fine little film that will please the entire family.
That's one talented little girl.
Matilda looks terrific on Blu-ray. Sony's presentation really brings home the intense colors the film has to offer, not to mention its film-pure details. The picture is robustly and richly colorful, presenting a wide spectrum of vivid, but never gaudy, shades on the screen. There's a veritable rainbow of colors to be enjoyed in an overhead shot of the Wormwood used car lot, for example, while dresses, flowers, exterior greenery, and the decidedly 1970s-inspired shades inside the Wormwood home all look magnificent. The image is clean and reveals a light, balanced, and consistent grain layer. Details are splendid across the board. Skin textures -- from the clean, smooth Miss Honey to the hardened, worn-down Trunchbull -- appear naturally detailed in every scene. Image clarity is striking, and every object around the film's main locations -- two houses and in the school's classroom and auditorium -- look magnificent. Black levels are even and skin tones natural. The image suffers from no perceptible compression problems. This is a stellar presentation from Sony.
Matilda's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is a match in quality for its video counterpart. Musical clarity and stage presence rate highly, and the track provides robust details throughout the range, including a fine low end accompaniment. Detail can be so natural that Matilda's squealing, screeching parents occasionally play through the speakers almost too obnoxiously, but the track's ability to so perfectly recreate their cadence only reinforces the film's style. General dialogue enjoys quality balance, while a few school auditorium scenes feature a quality reverberation. Additionally, several nice ambient effects are included, such as a gusty wind effect in chapter 13. Heavier effects enjoy prominent and even bass, particularly a few heavy Trunchbull footfalls. This is a fine track in every area of concern.
Matilda contains several vintage supplements as well as a new cast reunion supplement.
Matilda is a sweet and charming little movie about the power of hope, of kindness, of a desire to make things better rather than settle for whatever life seems to have in store. It's also, in a way, a frightening portrait of neglect, abuse, and misunderstanding. The film sometimes feels needlessly exaggerated but nevertheless cannot escape the innate charm and the satisfaction that comes with its final act. Though it might be a bit frightening for the youngest viewers, Matilda makes for rather clean family entertainment. Sony's Blu-ray release features standout video, solid audio, and a few good extras. Recommended.
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2018
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