The Boy In Blue Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		1.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.0

The Boy In Blue Blu-ray Movie Review

Terrible audio ruins an otherwise good movie and Blu-ray picture quality.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 21, 2012

You're a natural.

Heroes are made on the field of play every day the world over. The game-winning hit, the game-changing save, the game-tying field goal, the buzzer-beater three, that last little extra push towards the finish line make momentary immortals from mere humans and, at least until the next first pitch, face-off, kickoff, tip-off, or dive into the pool, a person's name and accomplishments briefly remembered on the printed page, the digital screen, or the television highlight show. But achieve greatness time and again, win not just a game but dominate a sport, and become something more than a headline or a temporary hero: become a legend. One of the earliest American sports legends, before the time of Babe Ruth or even radio broadcasting shared accomplishments instantly with the world, was Ned Hanlan, a bonafide superstar of "sculling," better known as "rowing." The Boy in Blue tells his story, set in a post-Civil War American Northeast where he rowed his way into the record books and slid his backside on a new innovation that would redefine his sport and spur him on to greatness. His is a story of courage, hard work, excitement, romance, and all of those necessary sports movie ingredients that immortalize the largest heroes on the biggest of canvases.

Who goes to town in a rowboat?

Before football and baseball attracted thousands of fans and built a venerable history of team and individual greatness, Americans turned to the sport of "sculling" -- or rowing -- for competitive excitement. Crowds of thousands cheered while back room gamblers made a living off the fortunes of others, and in the middle of it all was a young oarsman named Ned Hanlan (Nicholas Cage), the greatest there ever was. Things weren't always so pretty for Ned. He dominated on the water, but when he wasn't rowing for sport, he rowed shipments of alcohol to thirsty customers. When the law caught up with him, he had no choice but to join up with would-be manager Bill McCoy (David Naughton) and follow him to Philadelphia for the 1876 Centennial Regatta where his anonymity would make him an underdog oarsman sure to make the "smart" better a winner. He gets a leg -- or is it a seat -- up on the competition when he agrees to use a modified craft using a sliding seat. Ned easily dominates, but must train harder than ever before when his competitors utilize the same sliding-seat advantage in future races. Ned also signs a deal with the shady Knox (Christopher Plummer) and falls for his charmer niece named Margaret (Cynthia Dale).

The Boy in Blue looks and feels like a fairly general Sports film. The picture goes through all of the usual motions, never quite making its hero into someone of the caliber of a Rudy Ruettiger but certainly portraying its title hero as a man, flawed though he may be, worth coming to know and cheering on through to the end. It introduces the character and his skill, uses his flaws as a springboard towards success, progresses on through his continuing personal struggles and depicts his efforts at achieving peak physical conditioning in a very Rocky-esque middle stretch and montage sequence, and finally moves on through to the last big race before a pre-credits paragraph fills the audience in on the rest of Ned's life. To be sure, it's all very much routine, but the story is rich and the throwback sports angle to a time before big-time heroes and to a sport that today rarely makes the front page or the top of the news makes for a refreshing and novel experience, even as the movie does little more than copy other Inspirational Sports pictures in basic cinematic structure and through its ability to involve the audience in the sport, the character, and the outcome, obvious though all may be.

Is there reason to watch beyond the basic Sports movie goodness? Yes, indeed. The picture is very well put together, offering steady direction and fantastic photography. It creates a throwback atmosphere that's used to excellent effect in depicting the sporting culture of the era wonderfully, and the sets and costumes appear authentic. It's just as captivating from a visual perspective as it a thematic perspective, and that the movie gives equal time to and maintains a steady pace during both character and dramatic development and the more active sports sequences gives the movie a complete feel. Nicholas Cage, appearing in one of his earliest roles and just before hitting stardom with Raising Arizona, provides one of the better performances of his career. Young, hungry, and giving the part his all, the actor clearly works hard and digs deep to round a rather fascinating character into shape both on the water and on land. The supporting cast is strong, with Christopher Plummer delivering another steady, intoxicating performance, but this movie belongs to the look and loving artistry with which it depicts one of sport's earliest heroes.

The Boy In Blue Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Boy in Blue won't dazzle any audiences, but Anchor Bay's 1080p transfer of this former Fox property delivers a satisfying visual experience. The image, as with other recent Fox-turned-Anchor Bay Blu-ray releases, sports a bit of print damage in the form of speckles and scattered debris, but this is easily the cleanest of the recent releases. Light grain appears throughout, and fine detail is often surprisingly strong. The classic heavy clothing textures look great, whether crisp and neat dress or lower-grade and well-worn and frayed caps and shirts. Little details like chipped paint and general wear and tear on the boats add a layer of authenticity and visual goodness to the proceedings. Colors aren't poor, but they're not exactly vibrant. Bright green foliage impresses, and assorted hues hold their own, but the palette never offers a truly striking array of shades. The image is generally crisp and pleasing, with only a few scattered soft shots to be seen around the film. Black levels and skin tones are usually even. This is a workmanlike but all around pleasant 1080p transfer; it's a shame the same may not be said of the accompanying lossless soundtrack.

The Boy In Blue Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Indeed, The Boy in Blue's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack is amongst the worst ever to be carelessly plopped onto a Blu-ray release. No care, no quality control, this one was apparently selected for high definition duty with no concern for its quality. To be sure, there are a few times when the track suffices. It plays with energy and a good volume at reference levels, and the surrounds carry some musical information. However, music sounds crunchy and indistinct. There's an apparent lack of clarity; the opening title music, for instance, sounds like it's being filtered through a brick wall, and things don't get any better from there. General sound effects lack not only precision, but basic definition. All seem shallow and almost digital, and in a shoddy sort of way. There's no realism to anything from the din of a crowded bar to the rowing strokes out on the water. Most sound effects simply settle for sounding like a blowtorch. Blowing wind, a rustling period dress, crunching leaves, and all sorts of effects carry the same sort of miserable sonic signature. Add a random hiss to the proceedings, and it's a mess. Dialogue is no better. It's often lost under music and effects to the point that it's impossible to hear clearly. Even quieter dialogue scenes struggle with clarity. The spoken word is at least focused in the center channel. All in all, yes, this track's a total disaster.

The Boy In Blue Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Boy in Blue contains no extras. No main or pop-up menus are included, either; users must access the included English SDH subtitles via remote control only.

The Boy In Blue Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Boy in Blue doesn't rank amongst the finest Sports movies of them all, but it's certainly an overlooked little picture that might even be considered a classic "diamond in the rough." A captivating story, a faultless period look, and several strong performances make this a must-see for both Nicholas Cage completists and Sports movie fanatics. Unfortunately, Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release doesn't offer would-be viewers much incentive to watch. Though the picture quality is somewhat rough around the edges, it's far more often than not easily acceptable and even enjoyable. However, the lossless soundtrack is amongst the worst on Blu-ray and the engineers couldn't be bothered to include a menu screen, never mind supplements. The Boy in Blue is definitely worth seeing. Give it a rent for the movie and the halfway decent picture quality, but buy only if the store is charging what this one is worth, which is about a dollar.