7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 3.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
Ranch owner Katie Elder's four sons determine to avenge the murder of their father and the swindling of their mother.
Starring: John Wayne, Dean Martin, Martha Hyer, Michael Anderson Jr., Earl HollimanWestern | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 2.0 Mono
German: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
French: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
English, English SDH, French, German, Japanese
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 2.5 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
In John Wayne's legendary screen cowboy career, The Sons of Katie Elder ranks as one of the lesser efforts. Directed by Western veteran Henry Hathaway, the film struggles through a lackluster script that offers no real challenge to the excellent assembled cast and never pushes the audience, either, moving through stale plot points and inadequate suspense, never mind the contrived core concepts that at once elevate the title character to sainthood yet see the same townsfolk take advantage of her because the story demands they do. The movie eventually pushes through to some decently executed shootouts but on the way it's a laborious journey through flat storytelling and uninspired technical expression.
The Sons of Katie Elder's 1080p transfer disappoints. Colors are dull. There's not much life apparent in the image, even considering the countless scenes depicting earthen terrain, beige clothes, wooden construction elements, and so on. The movie is very bland to begin with, but the picture could have certainly benefitted from more finely defined contrast, allowing the natural tones more depth, blue skies improved punch, and natural greens more realism. As it is, all of this content can't find anything close to the potential inherent to the source. Blacks are light but flesh tones aren't too far off. It's a dim, disappointing color spectrum that fails to capture the Texas majesty, which is only further lost to a flat, lifeless texture. Unfortunately, the picture lacks the filmic credentials one would have expected to find. Grain often appears frozen in place, or removed almost entirely, and the picture is the victim of unpleasant filtering. The lack of depth is harmful but the absence of finer detail is a major drawback. While the resolution allows crisper and more accurate representations of period attire, woods, dirt terrain, and faces, the picture falls well short of the possibilities. The picture is further hindered by a steady, but not particularly debilitating, series of pops and speckles. Can't win 'em all; Paramount has been on a roll of late with the titles released alongside Katie Elder (Uncommon Valor and Barefoot in the Park for example), but what should have been a crown jewel is instead a dud.
The Sons of Katie Elder features a Dolby TrueHD 2.0 mono soundtrack. As expected of an older sound design and limited channel engagement, it's a fairly flat track that commendably executes the basics but offers little more. Dialogue is the primary sound mover, and it presents with good foundational clarity and center imaging. Music lingers towards the center, too, not often enjoying that rich, robust, wide spacing. It's not particularly aggressive, either, and clarity only goes so far as the source, which is midlevel at best. Light atmospheric and support effects -- chatter at a bar, footfalls on wooden floors, horses trotting across the terrain -- help set a scene but lack lifelike detail and vigor. Gunfire presents with adequate depth but listeners will never feel drawn into the action.
This Blu-ray release of The Sons of Katie Elder contains no supplemental content. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This release does not ship with a slipcover.
Hathaway would make amends for the lackluster The Sons of Katie Elder several years later when he would again team with John Wayne on the legendary True Grit, one of Wayne's finest films and a stalwart staple of the Western genre. Even John Wayne can't save this one, though, at best a tepid film with an unimaginative plot and weak execution. Paramount's Blu-ray is no better, delivering bland video and uninteresting audio. No extras are included, either. As stale as the movie may be, it deserved better Blu-ray treatment. For Western and Wayne collectors only.
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