6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
After being shipwrecked, a man finds himself on an island inhabited by tiny people, who soon make plans for him.
Starring: Sherry Alberoni, Kerwin Mathews, Jo Morrow, June Thorburn, Lee PattersonFamily | Insignificant |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Fantasy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1, 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
Music: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
In the commentary included on this Blu-ray release of The Three Worlds of Gulliver, noted (sorry) Bernard Herrmann biographer Steven C. Smith mentions that Herrmann utilized the same theme for both the Lilliputians and the Brobdingnagians, merely “dressing” it up differently for each culture, in a probably subliminal tip of the hat to a comment that Gulliver (Kerwin Mathews) himself makes much later in the film, namely that the behaviors seen in the land of the little people and the land of the giants are shared by everyone everywhere to varying degrees. Despite being an iconic and enduring literary achievement, one whose allegorical content would seem to speak to contemporary audiences as much as those back in the 18th century, Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels has had a rather odd and arguably unsatisfying life as a cinematic spectacle. The IMDb lists a host of film adaptations of at least part of Swift’s opus, stretching back to the very earliest days of silents, but for many fans, probably the first (as in chronologically first) version they may think of is Max Fleischer’s 1939 animated Gulliver's Travels, which, despite its technical mastery and more than evident charm, is often dismissed as Fleischer’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs wannabe” (which at least in terms of a hoped for box office bonanza certainly wouldn’t be far off the mark). (For those poking around Blu-ray.com, there’s also this release of Fleischer’s film, one that is not recommended due to several boneheaded decisions made with regard to the technical presentation.) While there were at least a couple of not very well known adaptations that appeared interstitially between Fleischer’s film and the one currently under review, the “next” Gulliver that some fans may recall is the occasionally effective but lightweight made for television miniseries Gulliver's Travels with Ted Danson in the title role. A little over a decade after that version appeared, Jack Black starred in a new if unimproved Gulliver's Travels, which, as my colleague Casey Broadwater noted in his Gulliver's Travels Blu-ray review was “Gulliver’s Travels in name only.” One of the odd things about this 1960 film, especially considering its Ray Harryhausen connection, is how relatively underappreciated it’s been, even within the hardcore Harryhausen fan base.
The 3 Worlds of Gulliver is presented on Blu-ray with AVC encoded 1080p transfers in 1.66:1 and 1.78:1. I've included screenshots from both framings so that those interested can compare and contrast, though I have to say for most viewers I doubt there will be any major complaints as to differences between them. This is another stellar looking transfer from the team at Sony - Columbia, one whose increased resolution can't help but reveal some of the special effects techniques of the era, but which nicely reproduces the lush palette, especially with regard to some of the primaries (especially the blues). As should be expected given the optical effects involved, elements like grain and dirt levels are somewhat variable at times, but everything looks nicely organic even with a fairly thick grain field and there are no compression issues. Blacks occasionally tip just slightly toward the blue side of things at times, for some reason a bit more in the Brobdingnag sequence, but this is a wonderful looking transfer which should easily please most fans.
The 3 Worlds of Gulliver features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track which has considerable heft to its mid- and lower ranges, something that helps to render Bernard Herrmann's brass inflected cues with a fair amount of energy. Some effects, like added reverb to make the big people sound, well, big, can sound just slightly boxy at times, but overall dialogue comes through cleanly. There are really no age related issues here at all, with fidelity sounding fine and dynamic range reasonably wide.
The 3 Worlds of Gulliver never quite attains the majesty of Jason and the Argonauts or The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, but it's bright, colorful and will probably appeal to younger kids especially. Technical merits are strong, and The 3 Worlds of Gulliver comes Recommended.
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