5.6 | / 10 |
Users | 3.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
A young boy named Juinor is just short of a monster. He is adopted by a loving man and his wacky wife. The laughs keep coming as the boy pushes them to the limits.
Starring: John Ritter, Jack Warden, Michael Oliver, Gilbert Gottfried, Amy YasbeckComedy | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH, French
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
We've adopted satan!
Kids may say the darnedest things, but rarely do they wreak havoc quite like little Junior (Michael Oliver), the poster boy for problem children in
Director Dennis Dugan's (Happy Gilmore) aptly titled Problem Child. He's a
seven-year-old godsend straight from hell, the child a couple always wanted,
except they did't want him, a boy who finds great joy in dastardly terror. A light roller coaster film of misadventure, mayhem, criminality,
unappreciated good intentions, and a bit of tenderness, the film comically explores the bond between father and son -- even if they're not biologically
connected -- that's stretched to its breaking point, and then some, healed only by that magical draw of two hearts that might not always understand
one another but that do share one thing in common: a yearning for togetherness, even if that means a bit of juvenile destruction thrown in for good
measure.
Big trouble under the big top.
All things considered, Problem Child looks pretty good on Blu-ray. Universal's 1080p transfer may be far from perfect, but it's a surprisingly solid, sometimes robust presentation of the 90s fan-favorite. There's no mistaking a sometimes harsh, rough grain structure that can be more snowy and spiky than unobtrusively complimentary, but the image appears to not be a victim of serious detail-destroying noise reduction, anyway. Details hold very firm. Clothes are particularly stout in close-up, which include a wide variety from the nuns' habits to baseball uniforms. Some of those uniforms show a tangible level of dirt and wear. The same goes for Martin's stolen beater car. Colors can appear a touch faded in a few scenes, but rich primaries -- bright reds, deep blues, natural greens -- often find plenty of flavor. A birthday party partway through the film is probably the most impressively diverse and precise. Black levels could stand a little more depth, but flesh tones appear fairly accurate. A couple of soft shots and sporadic print wear are evident, but never distracting. Fans should be more-or-less pleased with this presentation.
Problem Child's DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack has its moments of harshness, but the presentation by-and-large compliments and carries the film well enough. Shrieking effects and unkempt details define the open, but things tighten up nicely enough to deliver scenes like Junior crashing a car through a store or musical numbers like It's My Party with satisfying detail and delivery. Spacing along the front is suitably wide and dialogue angles towards the center naturally enough. The spoken word finds good clarity and prioritization, too. Minor ambient effects, such as the din of an orphanage cafeteria or background clutter at a sporting goods store, fill the front side of the stage well enough.
Problem Child's Blu-ray release is as bare-boned as they come. No extras are included.
Problem Child remains an enjoyable little romp through the hells of raising a bad seed child in contemporary suburbia, but it also remains a tender little tale of the power of love to tame even the most problematic child. Solid performances and a number of enjoyable scenes shape the film. It's a re-watchable little slice of nostalgia that's a welcome addition to Blu-ray, even with middling audio and no extras. Hopefully Universal will soon release the lesser, but no less enjoyable, sequel. Recommended.
1985
National Lampoon Goes to the Movies
1983
1991
2014
2018
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2012
1989
Enlarged Edition w/ Extended Cut
2011
1983-1990
2018
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2016
2010
2002
Retro VHS Collection
1991
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1986
2012