Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

The Parent Trap Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 17, 2019

1998's The Parent trap is notable as both a remake of the beloved 1961 film of the same name starring the iconic Hayley Mills in one of her most celebrated roles for Disney (the other being Pollyanna) and as the film debut of one of Disney’s then up-and-coming talents, Lindsay Lohan, who would go on to star opposite Jamie Lee Curtis in another remake of another popular vintage Disney film, Freaky Friday. This film is a surprisingly enjoyable reworking, finding the same heartbeat with different faces and some spit-and-polish added for good measure.

At Camp Walden for girls, a spunky young lady named Hallie Parker (Lohan) is quick to make friends and all too eager to tell them that she and her father Nick (Dennis Quaid) live in Napa Valley where they work a vineyard. Just as Hallie settles into camp, her long-lost twin sister Annie James (also Lohan) arrives. She’s been raised in London with her mother Elizabeth (Natasha Richardson). Nick and Elizabeth were quick to marry and quick to separate, each taking a daughter and never expecting them to bump into one another at summer camp. But bump into one another they do, and once the initial shock wears off, they hatch a plan to trade places and live the life they never knew with the other parent in another part of the world in hopes of not only some personal and cultural enrichment but also to bring their parents back together.

The film doesn't take any major deviations from the original. It of course follows the same basic formula while reshaping some details for its then contemporary audiences while keeping some of the original's most memorable moments intact. It's accessible for newcomers and both familiar and fresh enough to satisfy those coming to the movie with foreknowledge of the original's comings and goings. It's pleasantly comfortable, maintaining a narrative timelessness while freshening up the story with a few new coats of paint and a little more cinematic gusto.

The Parent Trap Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Like its predecessor, this version of The Parent Trap looks spectacular on Blu-ray. The image maintains its natural grain structure, offering fans a fully functional, flavorfully filmic presentation that replicates the theatrical experience at home to near format perfection. The picture offers naturally well defined textures, showcasing every Lohan freckle, dense clothing line, camp wood and grass, and California and London detail with satisfying ease of clarity and complexity. The picture's natural sharpness is on display from start to finish across a spectrum of environments and lighting conditions. Speaking of, contrast is pushed a little warm, popping yellows and deeply saturating reds and finding a bit of natural warmth in the image, which really springs to life at Camp Walden as all of the campers arrive in chapter two. The Napa scenes are also healthy and warm, but core colors maintain good accuracy, including Lohan's hair, a denim jacket, and natural greens. The image shows no signs of print wear, digital processing, or encode faults. It's very healthy and fans should be very happy with the results.

The Parent Trap Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The included DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is a little shallow at reference volume but requires only a minimal upward adjustment. The track is nothing out of the ordinary once there, holding steady to a basic three-channel, front-heavy posture despite the encode. Music spreads to the sides with appropriate clarity and stretch but never finds any substantial surround engagement or weighty subwoofer usage. Environmental effects likewise maintain a front-dominant location. Clarity thereof is serviceable. There looks to be some lip sync issues around the 1:10:00 mark in a dialogue scene between Meredith and Annie. Dialogue is fine, playing with everything in good, working order.

The Parent Trap Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of The Parent Trap contains no supplemental content. The main menu offers only options for "Play" and "Scene Selection." No DVD or digital codes are included (but it does include a Movie Rewards code). This release does not ship with a slipcover.

The Parent Trap Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It has been reported that Disney is once again working on another version of The Parent Trap for its Disney+ streaming service. That film would have a lot to live up to if it were to have any aspirations of approaching the classic original or this perfectly agreeable remake. This 1998 version is well versed in the original's core story details while also finding its own voice with a new cast and an approachable structural cadence. Disney's Blu-ray, which is currently exclusive to its online movie club, offers terrific video, serviceable audio, and no supplements. Recommended.