Problem Child Blu-ray Movie 
Retro VHS CollectionMill Creek Entertainment | 1990 | 81 min | Rated PG | Mar 07, 2023
Movie rating
|
| 5.7 | / 10 |
Blu-ray rating
| Users |  | 0.0 |
| Reviewer |  | 2.5 |
| Overall | | 2.5 |
Overview click to collapse contents
Problem Child (1990)
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 YasbeckDirector: Dennis Dugan
| Comedy | 100% |
Specifications click to expand contents
Video
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Subtitles
English SDH
Discs
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Playback
Region A (B, C untested)
Review click to expand contents
Rating summary
| Movie |  | 3.5 |
| Video |  | 3.0 |
| Audio | | 3.0 |
| Extras | | 0.0 |
| Overall | | 2.5 |
Problem Child Blu-ray Movie Review
Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 9, 2023Mill Creek has released the 1990 Comedy 'Problem Child' to Blu-ray. The film was previously released to Blu-ray in 2017 by Universal. Both discs are featureless. It appears that Mill Creek has repurposed video and audio from the Universal disc, but a fresh look has resulted in a slightly tweaked video score.
Ben (John Ritter) and Flo (Amy Yasbeck) Healy want nothing more than to have a child. He wants one because he has plenty of love to share. She wants one for social status. They've been trying for years, but their dreams are dashed when it's discovered that Flo's body is incapable of bearing a child. That leaves them with only one option: adoption. Their adoption agent (Gilbert Gottfried) gives them only one choice for immediate adoption, a little seven-year-old boy named Junior. He's no ordinary child, though. He's a major trouble maker. He has a mouth, a knack for getting into trouble, and finds joy in making life hell for everyone around him. Of course, the Healy's have no idea what they're getting. Junior plays it close to the vest for a little bit, but it doesn't take long for him to reveal his true self to his adoptive parents. Flo is ready to be rid of him quickly and Ben's unloving father and political candidate Ben Sr. (Jack Warden) sees right through the boy, but Ben is determined to make it work. That becomes ever more complicated when Junior befriends a deadly escaped convict (Michael Richards), but the boy may be more dangerous than any serial killer.
For a full film review, please click here.
Problem Child Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality
This is a serviceable but ultimately unimpressive image that looks nearly, if note entirely, identical to the Universal disc. It's been heavily processed with plenty of digital artifacts and obvious signs of extensive digital sharpening. It looks a lot like Universal's disc in just about every respect, and in these problem areas in particular. Still, despite some heavy-handed processing and the absolute lack of a real filmic image, the picture holds to an agreeable level of detail, never falling so far off a cliff as to destroy core textures in faces, clothes, and around various locales, like orphanage and home interiors. Clarity could stand to be better, but it could also be a good bit worse in the aggregate. Colors are bold, lacking subtlety and nuance and looking a bit oversaturated for effect, but better a bit overly pumped than undercooked and looking dim and faded. Fans will find agreeable punch to vivid blues and reds, though again within the context of lacking a more natural appearance. Issues with compression are surprisingly far and few between; most of this image's problems date back to a standard definition-era master that was just dropped onto Blu-ray. Mill Creek's image, then, is not a gain for the film, and neither is it much of a loss, if it is a loss at all, compared to the Universal disc.
Problem Child Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality
It appears that Mill Creek has simply repurposed the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack from the Universal disc. Problem Child's DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack has its moments of harshness, but the presentation by-and-large complements 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 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras
Mill Creek's Blu-ray release of Problem Child contains no extras, as neither did the previous issue house any supplemental material. This disc's main menu screen offers only options to play the film and toggle subtitles on and off. It does ship with Mill Creek's popular "Retro VHS" slipcover.
Problem Child Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation
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 re-addition to Blu-ray, even with iffy video, middling audio, and no extras. Hopefully Mill Creek will soon release the lesser, but no less enjoyable, sequel. Recommended.
