Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Michael Blu-ray Movie Review

Angel, second-class.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III August 10, 2020

Nora Ephron's Michael is a oddball romantic drama infused with fantasy elements that sound a little silly on paper but make sense within the film's loosely-drawn boundaries. Its title character, played by John Travolta, is a self-proclaimed angel living with an old woman at the Milk Bottle Motel in Iowa. Their story reaches the desk of Frank Quinlan (William Hurt) a Chicago tabloid writer who, under the direction of editor Vartan Malt (Bob Hoskins), takes a trip to retrieve him. Frank won't be going alone: also aboard are rookie Dorothy Winters (Andie MacDowell), Frank's long-time associate Huey Driscoll (Robert Pastorelli), and Huey's dog Sparky. After meeting motel owner Pansy Milbank (Jean Stapleton), they're finally introduced to her mysterious angel friend...but Michael is not at all what they're expecting.

Taking a page out of Paradise Lost, Michael is portrayed as a lazy, overweight schlub whose only supernatural feature is a pair of molting, off-white wings. Nonetheless, Frank and company are oddly fascinated by his story -- and after an unexpected turn of events leaves Michael without a caretaker, he decides to return with them...but only by car. The reason? He's infatuated by tourist traps and wants nothing more than to see Earthly miracles like "The World's Largest Ball of Twine" for himself. Between the kitschy stops, rest breaks, and other small-town detours, Michael explains that his time on Earth is limited and one of his final missions is to help Frank and Dorothy find love that neither were able to sustain in their numerous failed relationships. As they drive onward, his feathers continue to drop.

As much a traditional road movie as a romantic drama, Michael's episodic adventures run the gamut from filler to oddly captivating, occasionally advancing the story and characters in small but important ways. If the film's got one clear weak point, it's that things often feel bit crowded: while there's nothing inherently terrible about Robert Pastorell's character Huey, he really feels like a third wheel during most of the journey and possibly only exists because his dog Sparky is important to the plot. Nonetheless, the film can be extremely charming at times but its likability hinges on your love of the cast: if you're not the biggest fan of John Travolta's dance moves or only tolerated Andie MacDowell in Groundhog Day, for example, this might feel like a longer-than-expected 104 minutes. One thing that can't be ignored is the oddness of it all: though I enjoyed Michael more often than not, it is a thoroughly strange film that relies almost completely on suspension of disbelief and...well, just going along with a story that doesn't consistently feel capital "I" Important. Much of this benefit of the doubt comes from a solid cast and Ephron's steady direction...but in hindsight, Michael feels much more like a quirky cult classic than a film that ended up grossing almost $120M.

Nonetheless, I'm glad it exists and Warner Archive's new Blu-ray celebrates the film just shy of its 25th anniversary. As usual, it features an outstanding A/V presentation and only the bare minimum of extras, but that's good enough for a film whose first home video release was a pan-and-scan DVD released all the way back in June of 1997.

Michael Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Warner Archive's Blu-ray easily one-ups their DVD edition released only four yours ago. It's advertised as a "new 2020 master", which most likely translates to a more recent 2K scan of the film's interpositive...and seeing as how Michael hasn't even crossed the quarter-century mark, its source material was likely still in very good condition. The film uses a solid cross-section of locations in the Midwest from Chicago to Iowa and back again, and all are shot with great care to emphasize their rustic beauty and urban architecture. Cinematographer John Lindley tries to keep things interesting by making good use of natural light, practical compositions, and about two dozen different ways to show cars driving down rural roads. Skin tones and fine detail seem accurate within the film's visual boundaries, although the latter is usually more dependent on light levels. Overall, this is undoubtedly a pure and film-like presentation with all the hallmarks of Warner Archive Collection's best transfers: natural film grain, a very stable appearance, a consistently high bit rate, and no dirt, debris, or heavy noise reduction. It's another top-quality effort, plain and simple.

Michael Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Warner Archive's DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio has absolutely no problem recreating the theatrical experience. Dialogue is clear and the score by Randy Newman (who sings the opening track and performs a few instrumental cues) sounds full and dynamic with exceptional dynamic range. Diegetic music, such as Michael's Pied Piper dance scene (set to Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools") and Dorothy's disarming vocal performance, fill the sound stage nicely and heighten their respective scenes. The soundtrack also features classic cuts by Van Morrison, Frank Sinatra, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and more; it's a great mix of songs and they've never sounded better.

Beyond the music cues and stray effects that support its more supernatural moments, the rear channels are rarely used aside from light crowd ambiance. It's not the most demanding surround track in existence but sounds perfectly good nonetheless. The optional English (SDH) subtitles are formatted nicely and fit well within the 1.85:1 frame.

Michael Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Theatrical Trailer (1:53) - Also available here, as well as the opening scene and another clip in HD.

Michael Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Nora Ephron's Michael is a quirky romantic fantasy that feels like a product of its time but still holds up well enough. It's quite charming in spots and a little crowded in others, but finds footing in the home stretch that makes it feel like a journey worth taking. If you're a die-hard fan of the cast you might enjoy it even more. As usual, Warner Archive's Blu-ray serves up a fantastic A/V presentation but is light on extras. Recommended to fans of the film and cast.