7.8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
After inspiring a disgruntled caller to carry out a massacre, popular radio “shock jock” Jack Lucas suffers a breakdown, but his life changes when he meets Perry, a homeless man and former college professor, who believes he is supposed to find the Holy Grail.
Starring: Robin Williams, Jeff Bridges, Amanda Plummer, Mercedes Ruehl, David Hyde PierceDrama | 100% |
Surreal | 35% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
The Fisher King marked the start of a new era for director Terry Gilliam. His three immediately previous films—1981s Time Bandits,
1985’s Brazil, and 1988’s The Adventures of Baron Munchausen—comprise a loose thematic trilogy concerned with imagination as a
way to escape the ridiculous machinations and self-serving bureaucracy of mankind. Each, in its own way, is a high-concept satire, baroquely skewering
materialism and conformity, totalitarianism and hypocrisy. The Fisher King is different. It’s smaller-scaled, less special effects-heavy, and more
intimate—closer to a traditional Hollywood drama than any of his earlier work.
It’s also the first of Gilliam’s films that he didn’t write himself. Penned by Richard LaGravenese, who later went on to write A Little Princess,
Beloved and, most recently, Water for Elephants, The Fisher King nonetheless shares many of Gilliam’s characteristic
preoccupations, from the Holy Grail and knights on horseback, to mental illness and a skewed, hallucinatory vision of the world. You might say it was
tailor-written for the former Monty Python member turned imaginative filmmaker. It’s unmistakably Gilliam-esque, a wild comic romance that
transplants elements of the Grail mythos to the dingy New York of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.
Image Entertainment has brought The Fisher King to Blu-ray with a 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer that's more than adequate, if a bit underwhelming. Meaning, the film certainly looks the best that it ever has on home video, but you get the sense that it probably could've looked better. I'm not sure what kind of source print Image used for the transfer, but to me it looks like it could be one or two steps removed from the original negatives—grain seems slightly heavier than it should be, and contrast is occasionally weak, with somewhat hazy black levels during the darker scenes. This is by no means a deal-breaker. The film is still a pleasure to watch in high definition, and though the print isn't quite perfect, it's clear that no attempt has been made to artificially scrub or enhance the image. There are no DNR abuses, no heavy-handed edge enhancement, no color boosting or tweaking. While a bit soft, the picture is naturally filmic, and the upgrade from the movie's DVD release is immediately apparent in better resolved textures and a greater sense of clarity overall. Aside from the occasionally weak blacks, color is strong too, with realistic skin tones and a warm palette. You will spot some light blemishes on the print—small specks, no major debris—but there are no overt compression problems or heavy noise. Fans will be pleased, although probably not wowed.
The same could be said for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that Image Entertainment has included here—it's faithful to source, untouched by any digital alternations or new remastering, and it sounds good, even if it's rarely objectively impressive from a sound design perspective. The mix isn't particularly engaging—the rear channels only broadcast light ambience and occasional bleed from the musical score—but this isn't unusual for films from the early 1990s. As long as you know what to expect, you won't be disappointed. What the track lacks in all-surrounding immersion it makes up with consistent clarity, a satisfying dynamic range—which gets shown off during the few scenes that might loosely be called "action sequences"—and no hisses, pops, crackles, or dropouts. The music has plenty of heft—particularly Chill Rob G's "The Power"—and the dialogue is always clean and easy to understand. The disc includes optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
Unfortunately, none of the material from the Criterion Collection laserdisc has made it to this release, and the only supplement on the disc is the film's theatrical trailer, presented in high definition.
Since it falls between the over-the-top fantasy of Terry Gilliam's earlier films and the one-two punch of 12 Monkeys and Fear and Loathing, The Fisher King is sometimes overlooked and underappreciated. This shouldn't be so. It's very funny, occasionally moving, and while the eccentric touches are definitely still there, the film is arguably the closest Gilliam has ever come to making a realistic, traditional Hollywood- style drama. The movie's Blu-ray presentation is unquestionably a significant step above prior DVD versions, but fans may balk once again by the fact that none of the bonus material from the Criterion Collection laserdisc has been ported over. Still, if you're a fan of the film—or a newcomer to this tale of two broken men who heal each other through their friendship—this Blu-ray release is certainly the best way to see it. Recommended.
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