Popeye Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Popeye Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 3, 2020

In many ways Popeye is a mesmerizing mess, a manic yet sometimes magical morphing of music, muscle, hamburgers, and spinach. It’s an overthought, overengineered, overlong, overwhelming, and underperforming film. But it’s also strangely intoxicating, overcoming a confused structure and crowded scenes to yield a curiously sensational (both in the best and worst definitions of the term) translation of comic and cartoon to cinema’s big screen. Director Robert Altman (M*A*S*H , Nashville) assembles a fine cast, oversees an overwrought production design, and crafts a picture that is heavy on look, laughs, and lyrics but light on meat (Popeye is a greens guy, anyway).

Popeye (Robin Williams) arrives in the seaside town of Sweethaven in search of his long-lost father. Instead he finds a quirky town populated by an eccentric cast of characters, overseen by the invisible "Commodore" whose whims and wills are enforced by the big and burly Bluto (Paul L. Smith) who is set to marry one of the town's maidens, Olive Oyl (Shelley Duvall). Popeye and Olive slowly find themselves drawn to one another, and their bond is tightened when they find, and adopt, a baby they call "Swee'Pea" (Wesley Ivan Hurt). The burgeoning relationship puts Bluto at odds with Popeye, and the town isn't big enough for the two of them.

Popeye's peculiarities permeate the entire picture. Structurally, aesthetically, narratively, lyrically...everything about the film feels off somehow, yet it's so lively one cannot help but to be drawn towards it, into the limited scope world and story and take the journey alongside the characters. But whatever defines the journey isn't at all deep. Altman and Writer Jules Feiffer are often less concerned with narrative cohesion and worthwhile storytelling and rather more so to ensure that the film clutters the screen with people, places, and things. It's very superficial and resultantly disjointed in every way; even the production design, while obviously a labor of love, just looks so busy, and so many scenes are so crowded with people and things, that much of the story's center and whatever heart may be beating inside of it feels impossibly drowned out by the surrounding details.

The film is well cast with each of the primaries filling the shoes of their respective comic and cartoon counterparts with impressive gusto and detail. They, and Altman, work hard to make the movie as close to a living cartoon as humanly possible, playing the parts with over-the-top sensationalism that accentuate broad stroke character qualities and peculiarities and never digging too deeply beyond the surface. But the movie doesn't demand much of that, either. Even in moments that woulda-could-shoulda been more "heartfelt" there's a simplicity and humorous overtone that scrubs away any opportunities for real drama in favor of a superficial response. The actors lap it up. Williams, in one of his more iconic roles, melts into the part and captures the mannerisms and facial expressions of his cartoon counterpart with all of the pipe-chomping, squinty-eyed zest and zeal he can muster, which is quite a bit. Duvall is perfectly cast -- physically and vocally -- as Olive Oyl, while Paul L. Smith and Paul Dooley disappear into Bluto and Wimpy, respectively.

Popeye Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Paramount's Popeye picture is pleasantly pure and true to its roots. The widescreen image holds a pleasing level of detail. The world textures are very satisfying for the countless complexities visible in the woods and the wear-and-tear and all the clutter that define practically every shot, scene, and sequence. If the production design accomplishes anything, it's the opportunity for the Blu-ray to stretch it to its fullest, to allow the audience to explore every nook and cranny with oftentimes effortless ease. There are some occasional softer elements, though; some of the cutaways during a boat chase in chapter 11 serve as the most obvious examples. Grain is not at all heavy, either, but the image shows no telltale signs of excessive noise reduction, either. The picture does reveal spots and speckles, usually in extremely limited quantities but spiking on occasion, again during that same chase scene in chapter 11. Colors are not overpowering but contrast is strong and bold tones pop when applicable. Much of the film is comprised of earthy beiges and grays which are handled to satisfaction. Black levels are terrific. Look at a scene with Popeye and Olive Oyl in the 41-minute mark. The black attire and shadowy backgrounds are attractively deep and accurate in the same scene while the red clothing accents pop with superior color depth, particularly as they contrast against the black. Skin tones appear accurate as well. This is a very good Blu-ray presentation which serves the film well.

Popeye Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Popeye's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack delivers a healthy, hearty listen. There are some excellent audio cues to begin. Thunder fills the stage with an impressive level of depth and detail as it spaciously rolls through. A ringing dock bell is likewise detailed and realistic in tone and placement. The musical number to follow is rich and lively, presenting with width and depth and plenty of musical fidelity and lyric detail, impressive in its balance and clarity as well. This holds true for the entirety of the production as soaring songs lift through and around the stage, always in good balance. Score is well versed, too, finding favorable width and clarity. The track thrives on its atmospherics. Seaside sounds – rolling waves and chirping birds – give essential environmental definition to many scenes while clanking footfalls on wooden floorboards and various creaks and moans in interiors draw the listener into the film's unique setting. Action effects are detailed and play with plenty of depth, mostly during various fight scenes. Dialogue is center placed and clear throughout.

Popeye Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Popeye's Blu-ray includes four featurettes and a trailer. No DVD copy is included but Paramount has bundled a digital copy code. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

• Return to Sweethaven: A Look Back with Robin and the Altmans (1080p, 13:29): Discussing the film's aesthetic and cartoonish style, story, Popeye prosthetics, production design, technical details, shooting locales, and more.
• The Popeye Company Players (1080p, 9:34): Exploring the cast and the processes of preparing for and playing the key roles.
• Popeye's Premiere (1080p, 2:40): Still images set to music from the film's December 6, 1980 premiere in Hollywood, California.
• The Sailor Man Medleys (1080p, 35:24 total runtime): Jump to each individual song from the film. Included are Sweethaven, Blow Me Down, Everything Is Food, He's Large, Sailin', I Yam What I Yam, He Needs Me, Swee'pea's Lullaby, It's Not Easy Being Me, Kids, and I'm Popeye the Sailor Man.
• Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 1:53).

Popeye Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Popeye's power comes in its peculiarities, its aesthetic, and its cast. There's minimal story, and what story there is is all but drowned out by the periphery. It's a fascinating movie on many levels, though, and one well worth exploring. Paramount has released a very strong Blu-ray for the film which includes high quality video and audio presentations as well as a few worthwhile supplements. Recommended.