Paradise Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Paradise Blu-ray Movie Review

A family drama which wears its heart on its sleeve

Paradise (1991) is a story of friendship and compassion as set against the back-drop of a little town known simply as Paradise. With a heartfelt message about the importance of unity (and the inherent beauty of youth), the film was executive produced by the trio of Robert W. Cort (Mr. Holland's Opus, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure), Ted Field (Cocktail, The Chronicles of Riddick), and Jean-François Lepetit (Three Men and a Baby, Death and the Maiden).

Not everything is as peachy-keen as the town's name would suggest (even if the town is full of its own unique beauty). Lily Reed (Melanie Griffith) and Ben Reed (Don Johnson) are a married couple who had a personal tragedy which struck them with a devastating blow that shakes their marriage and its foundation. Can the couple recover their sense of hope in the world?

During a decidedly cool summer season, the spirited Willard Young (Elijah Wood) comes to stay with Lily and Ben (after a suggestion by Lily's close friend). During these days of his youth, Willard goes outdoors and meets a neighborhood girl, Billie Pike (Thora Birch). The pair spend their days together hanging out with a glee that is innocent and care-free. The story explores these characters relationships while delving into some lessons on the importance of love, friendship, and family.

"Feels like paradise, doesn't it?"

One of the most charming elements of the film is the breezy music score composed by David Newman (Some Kind of Beautiful, Anastasia). The delightful music sounds as complimentary as one would be inclined to expect from such a masterful composer. The score reflects the jubilant energy of the two children as they spend time playing outdoors and becoming friends. A nostalgic score which may be able to remind audiences of their own youths.

Jerzy Zielinski (Powder, Galaxy Quest) delivers a satisfactory cinematographic experience that has vibrant colors throughout the film. Given that the storyline takes place during a hot summer, there certainly is much to appreciate about how Zielinski reflects the simple beauty of nature: the trees, branches, and vibrant earth of the ground. All of these elements are vividly realized with fantastic imagery.

Written and directed by Mary Agnes Donoghue (Jenny's Wedding), Paradise is a kind-hearted film which feels like a perfect slice-of-life story aimed at the entire family. While it's far from being an outright classic, Paradise is a charming enough experience that has a nice cast (including the young Frodo: Elijah Wood). There is nothing extraordinary here but the end result is something satisfying nonetheless. A large part of this has to do with the performances by Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson (who are highly convincing in their respective parts). This is a family film which has its own charm and merit.

Paradise Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from distributor Kino Lorber (for the first time worldwide), Paradise features a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in original 1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio. The film has a 35mm source which has been well preserved and scanned for the release. This is a startlingly impressive scan that preserves the naturalistic cinematography with ease.

The Blu-ray transfer is remarkably crisp and clear from beginning to end. There are no instances at all of distracting dirt, debris, or scratches on the print. It looks lovely and detailed. Color reproduction looks excellent as well and rounds out this quality scan. Fans of the film can sigh with relief: this transfer is superb. Even though the film has not received a 4K restoration, its still remarkably clear throughout and the scan effectively gets the job done with ease.

Paradise Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Paradise features a worthwhile DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 sound presentation. The audio track is a great match to the dynamic video presentation. The audio sounds remarkably crisp, clear, and detailed. Dialogue is naturalistic sounding and always easy to understand.

The original score composed by the great David Newman sounds lovely. While the sound design is somewhat simplistic the fidelity of the track makes the experience all the more enticing. Natural environmental sounds in the outdoors are altogether crisp and effective during the sequences showcasing the friendship of the characters played by Elijah Wood and Thora Birch. Optional English subtitles are provided.

Paradise Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Blu-ray release is somewhat light on bonus features but there are still a few inclusions to make things more interesting for dedicated fans of the family film. The release includes the following supplemental features:

Audio Commentary by film historian and critic Peter Tonguette

Paradise Theatrical Trailer (SD, 1:03)

Trailers for other releases available from distributor Kino Lorber are also provided: A Stranger Among Us (SD, 1:57), Two Much (SD, 2:06), Cherry 2000 (SD, 2:26), Born Yesterday (SD, 2:29), Return to Macon County (SD, 2:16), Zachariah (SD, 2:59), and The Good Son (SD, 1:12).

Paradise Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A quiet family film that succeeds as a reasonably engaging drama, Paradise is worth a watch for fans of charming stories of the connections humans have with family and friends. The film explores the innocence of youth and the beauty of the outdoors. With a fantastic video-audio presentation, this release is one that fans should consider worthwhile.