Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Radio Flyer Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 5, 2020

Released in 2010, the book “You’re the Director…You Figure It Out: The Life and Films of Richard Donner” provides real insight into the mind of the successful filmmaker. He’s touched greatness on multiple occasions, guiding “Superman,” “Lethal Weapon,” and “The Goonies,” and he’s enjoyed his share of misfires, including box office disappointments “Inside Moves” and “Ladyhawke.” The biography (written by James Christie) paints a specific portrait of Donner in the early 1990s, with the creative force hungry for a meaningful, dramatically ambitious hit after years overseeing blockbusters. “Radio Flyer” was meant to be such an opportunity. Handed control of the project after David Mickey Evans (who also scripted the high profile undertaking) wasn’t delivering the goods as a first-time moviemaker, Donner was suddenly in command of a story that dared to merge the magical pursuits of childhood with the real-world horrors of abuse, dealing with a tonal challenge unlike anything he’s encountered before. He poured his heart and soul into the endeavor, only to see it destroyed in test screenings, trashed by critics, and dumped by the studio. The loss floored Donner, but “Radio Flyer” has managed to acquire something of a fanbase, with those sensitive to the director’s earnest intent able to embrace all the shortcomings of the picture, and celebrate its unnervingly accurate read of resilient juvenile energy.

After her husband walks out on his family, Mary (Lorraine Bracco) elects to move her kids, Mike (Elijah Wood) and Bobby (Joseph Mazzello), west, traveling to California for a fresh start. Young boys, Mike and Bobby are tight, enjoying healthy imaginations as they experience a world changing around them. Into their lives comes The King (Adam Baldwin), a welder with a drinking problem who makes a connection with Mary, soon marrying her and offering his new bride a home in the suburbs, gifting her domestic stability she’s been craving. While the kids try their best to appreciate The King’s presence in the house, it doesn’t take long for his temper to surface, soon taking out his aggression on Bobby, who can’t fight back. Unwilling to destroy their mother’s last shot at happiness, the children decide to keep the violence a secret, spending their days away from The King, exploring the world and all its mysteries. However, when attacks on Bobby worsen, Mike decides to move forward on “The Big Idea,” building a flying machine with his kid brother capable of taking him away to freedom and safety.

“Radio Flyer” begins with an adult Mike (an uncredited Tom Hanks) explaining the value of a promise to his bickering children while spending time at an airfield. Mike is reluctant to reveal his history with the power of childhood responsibility, but he shares the story of their Uncle Bobby, making a clear note that the “truth is all in the telling.” It’s important to note that line from Evans, as it’s never exactly clear what’s honestly happening to Mike and Bobby when they experience the worst The King has to offer. The whole concept of the unreliable narrator plays a critical role in “Radio Flyer,” as Mike presents a fantastic tale of wonder and fear to his own kids, trying to capture their imagination and reinforce the value of their sibling relationship with his own shadowed memories from the summer of 1969. As usual, Hanks is a wonderful addition to the movie, also providing narration throughout.

Mary’s need for a new life shakes up Bobby and Mike, who are forced to deal with fresh adventures in California, joined by their loyal dog, Shane. What Donner does so well in “Radio Flyer” is to depict the tireless brain activity of children, following the boys as they fill their days with new discoveries, including an old turtle found in a backyard shed they turn into a clubhouse. Evans labels such fantasia as “seven great abilities and fascinations,” allowing the feature to understand this experience from Bobby and Mike’s perspective, where they encounter monsters (and botch the creation of an anti-monster recipe), examine the supernatural, and deal with their fears in fantastical ways (a captive buffalo found in a roadside attraction becomes a dreamworld guide). Donner tends to celebrate these moments, tapping into the primal kid brain with palpable enthusiasm, capturing natural speech spasms and broad body language, and casting is aces with Wood and Mazzello, who’s especially heartbreaking as Bobby, the little bro who can’t fight back, in possession of a “special secret thing.” “Radio Flyer” isn’t light, but there’s a little pixie dust sprinkled on the production, as Donner places full concentration on the wonders of an uninhibited existence.

The child abuse angle to “Radio Flyer” is obviously dark, and Donner tries to understand the horror without overwhelming the movie or fully disrupting Evans’s vision. It’s a tonal tightrope walk no filmmaker should endure, and Donner does what he can, keeping The King a shadowed figure of violence, constantly downing beers and looking for Bobby, preserving the PG-13 atmosphere with fleeting shots of a little bruised body and The King’s fondness for using electric cords to hurt the child. There’s severity to “Radio Flyer” that deserves a more direct understanding, but Donner tries to keep his head above water, making threats understood but not explicit. For some, this is understandably unforgivable, but the picture has a strange way of communicating its fantasy realm, which gives the work some distinction, even if Donner can’t complete the full puzzle of confusion and empowerment.

Radio Flyer Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.39:1 aspect ratio) presentation appears to be sourced from an older master of "Radio Flyer," but not a terrible one. The viewing experience offers stylish cinematography, with finer points of focus and haze protected. Close-ups are acceptable, surveying emotional responses and makeup work, and costuming keeps some sense of softer sweaters and dirty denim. Special effects also retain compelling surfaces, with the fuzzy fur of the buffalo and his wet, teary face. Colors are satisfactory, with period pinks and reds. Exteriors secure a feel for the golden glow of childhood adventures, and greenery registers as intended. Skintones are natural. It's a darker picture, and delineation remains largely communicative, with a few areas of solidification. Source is in strong condition.

Radio Flyer Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix maintains a respectable balance of elements, with "Radio Flyer" often relying on non-stop scoring to help sell its intended moods of childhood whimsy and grim reality. Instrumentation is strong, offering a full orchestral push through the feature's highs and lows. Dialogue exchanges are comfortable with only a few fuzzier highs, finding emotionality landing as expected, while overlapping chatter between the kids is easy to follow. Atmospherics register with outdoor expanse and interior room tone, and sound effects are lively, with a slightly wider position, offering gentle panning effects.

Radio Flyer Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Theatrical Trailer (1:58, HD) is included.

Radio Flyer Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Controversy greets the conclusion of "Radio Flyer," which ends on an interpretive note, electing to go ambiguous with a life or death situation. There are clues to follow in the writing to find a way to a realistic resolution for Bobby and Mike, but Donner commits to a brighter sense of amazement, which is startling, but it comes from a sincere place in the helmer's heart, as he's clearly fallen in love with his characters, trying to communicate a position of childlike possibility in a dire situation of survival. "Radio Flyer" isn't a complete creative success, but it's one of Donner's more interesting endeavors, delivering behavioral precision within a plot that concerns the mysteries and protection of denial. Donner isn't exploitative, and he just can't bear to go where Evans leads at times, and while the movie becomes a little muddled because of such hesitation, it's hard to argue the filmmaker's passion for the project.