5.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
The legendary Joe, a playful, smart fifteen-foot-tall gorilla, and his lifelong best friend Jill Young (Charlize Theron) have grown up together in the remote mountains of Central Africa. When Joe's peaceful existence is shattered by poachers, Jill and zoologist Gregg O'Hara (Bill Paxton) rescue their innocent friend and move him to the safety of an animal conservancy in California. But Joe's safety is short-lived. No longer a myth, his notoriety makes him a target for an enemy from his past -- a ruthless hunter who will do anything to capture the Mighty Joe.
Starring: Charlize Theron, Bill Paxton, Rade Serbedzija, Peter Firth, David PaymerFamily | 100% |
Fantasy | 8% |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Like it or not, for better or for worse, remake-itis was, and remains, a staple of the cinema landscape, and the late 1990s/early 2000s saw more than its share of such films. Disney remade 1961's The Parent Trap in 1998 to some success. 1976's Freaky Friday and its (surprisingly better) 2003 re-do rank amongst the most recognizable remakes. Another example is Mighty Joe Young, Director Ron Underwood's (Tremors, City Slickers) 1998 take on the 1949 RKO classic of the same name. The updated version maintains plot essentials and doesn't do any disservice to the original film, simply setting it in modern times and recreating it with "improved" technology (Ray Harryhausen's work may be crude by today's standards but in no way feels dated). It's a tasteful re-imagining of a vintage favorite that doesn't supplant that original classic but opens the doors for new generations to go back and explore it after enjoying this version.
From the first shots, Might Joe Young's Blu-ray impresses and its firm 1080p credentials are obvious. While early film colors lack significant, eye-popping depth -- natural greens are varied but a little flat -- there's enough core saturation and color diversity with the people and the gorillas to please. Textural details are strong too in the opening scenes, and the light grain, which is largely steady throughout the presentation, adds a cinematic veneer to the proceedings. As the film progresses to the funeral scene, more extreme examples of bold colors impress, particularly reds, and colors stabilize thereafter, including more diversely colored clothes, denser greens, and refined terrain in Los Angeles. The wildlife refuge in L.A. offers some impressively sharp and detailed environments, as do some nighttime city exteriors seen late in the movie, where both color (storefronts, police sirens against a night sky backdrop) and details (pavement, buildings, people) look terrific. Character textures reveal a firm command of intimate skin details and close-ups of the gorilla are showcases for the very impressive practical work done to bring the creature to life. Nighttime black levels are terrific, particularly against bright carnival lights seen near film's end. There is some macroblocking evident in the 53-minute mark along dark red walls, a small blemish on an otherwise very impressive image from Disney.
The included DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack appears to be another Disney offering that requires some upward volume movement from normal reference levels to fully enjoy. Once adjusted, the track's fullness and credentials become more obvious. It lacks intense depth and weight and absolute elemental clarity, but various growls, slams, and crashes find enough low end punch to satisfy basic requirements. Action scenes enjoy full stage width and depth and seamlessly fold in additional sounds to match on-screen action, including spinning helicopter rotors slicing through the stage late in the film. Jungle and city ambience are nicely integrated across and through the stage, as is carnival din late in the film. Music spreads nicely about the front and folds in some surround support both in more intensive action score and lighter support cues. Dialogue presents clearly and accurately from the front-center portion of the soundstage.
Mighty Joe Young's Disney Movie Club exclusive release contains no supplemental content. The main menu screen offers only options for "Play" and "Scene Selection." No DVD or Digital versions are included, either, and the release does not ship with a slipcover.
No amount of modern (then-modern, anyway; this film is now nearly two decades old at time of writing) visual effects can raise this Mighty Joe Young above the original Harryhausen classic, but there's definitely room for this film as both a solid entertainer that builds a touching core relationship between Jill and Joe and as a springboard to hopefully introduce modern audiences to the original classic. Disney's Blu-ray, which is currently exclusive to its online movie club, features very good video and audio. Sadly, no extras are included. Recommended.
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