7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.4 |
A race car driver becomes a champion with a Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of its own.
Starring: Dean Jones, Michele Lee (I), David Tomlinson (I), Buddy Hackett, Joe FlynnFamily | 100% |
Comedy | 14% |
Sport | 2% |
Fantasy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.75:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Of all the cars that have been super-popular over the decades, the VW Beetle (or Bug) seems like the oddball out. Agreeably compact and perhaps cute in some eyes, the car seemed to otherwise lack everything beyond distinctive features and an easily identifiable profile. Nevertheless, the car gained popularity in its heyday throughout the 1960s and 1970s (and returned to much fanfare in the late 1990s with a sleeker look but still essentially the same shape). There's certainly much more history to the car than is necessary to recreate here, but one of the driving factors behind its popularity is undoubtedly its starring role in The Love Bug, the lovable little 1968 film that was the third-highest grossing picture of its year. It was one of the first "self aware" cars in entertainment, beating out KITT by a couple of decades but what it lacked in polish and technology it more than made up for in silent personality and heart. A joyful little movie in which the car is less a machine and more a companion on the journey through life (and trips around the race track), The Love Bug is another indelible Disney live-action treasure that's as entertaining today as it was nearly five decades ago, and thanks to Blu-ray, it practically looks brand new to boot.
The Love Bug's 1080p Blu-ary presentation is another fine one from the Disney Movie Club. It's a beautiful viewing experience. Grain is a regular companion, light and accentuating the movie's filmic appearance. Textures are sharp and pleasing. Faces and clothes of all varieties -- suede, denim, cotton -- reveal effortless natural complexity. Old woods, car bodies (including mud and stickers), and various other interior and exterior elements present with satisfying sharpness that holds consistent throughout the movie. Color are bold and pleasing, particularly on brightly colored attire, but well-lit exterior shots show bountiful green foliage and even earthy support colors inside and out are wonderfully presented. Back levels are deep. Skin tones appear more or less fine, perhaps pushing a little warm. Print wear is essentially nonexistent, and even would-be tough elements like foggy San Francisco nights are no problem. This is the how classic film on Blu-ray should be.
The Love Bug putters onto Blu-ray with an adequate, but by no means dynamic, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Despite the channels available, the track rarely drifts beyond a front-center location. Whether music or sound effects, notably cars racing about various tracks and engines revving, there's little-to-no stretch, dynamic activity, low end support, or even more than baseline clarity. It's very cramped and while not muddled, not exactly offering lifelike clarity, either, Ambient elements are small and absent much detail. Dialogue is suitably clear and detailed, hanging around the front-center with good prioritization.
This Disney Movie Club exclusive Blu-ray release of The Love Bug contains no supplemental content.
The Love Bug is a breezy and fun little film that might even be considered a minor classic. Its simple charms and effective humor carry the show, never allowing a few deeper and darker moments to overwhelm it. Disney's Blu-ray, currently exclusive to its online movie club, offers no supplemental content, but audio is passable and video is superb. Highly recommended.
40th Anniversary Edition
1974
Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang
2010
1965-1985
35th Anniversary Edition
1980
1968
1997
Lenticular Faceplate
2012
1976
2014
1996
2006
2007
2007
2008
2020
2006
40th Anniversary Edition
1975
1998
Grinchmas Edition
2000
1964-1972