6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Jerry Lewis is Kreton, a childish alien who, against his teacher's will leaves his planet to visit the Earth, and lands in the backyard of a famous television journalist who doesn't believe in U.F.O's and aliens. Wanting to study humans but not able to fully understand them, Kreton makes a mess out of it, generating a lot of comic situations.
Starring: Jerry Lewis, Joan Blackman, Earl Holliman, Fred Clark (I), John Williams (II)Sci-Fi | Insignificant |
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 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
1960 was a big year for Jerry Lewis, welcoming the release of “Cinderfella” and “The Bellboy,” which was the comedian’s directorial debut, inspiring greater control over his movies. Arriving earlier in the year was “Visit to a Small Planet,” which has the distinction of being a silly Jerry Lewis comedy that originated as a Gore Vidal play. The Vidal-ness of it all has been scrubbed away, but the theatrical presentation remains, with the sci-fi comedy very static and exaggerated. The production itself wants to compete with Lewis’s rubbery performance, making this oddball romp with a literally untouchable alien more loud than funny, though the star can always be counted on to make a satisfying mess of scenes.
The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Visit to a Small Planet" is billed as "newly re-mastered," giving Lewis's antics renewed clarity for its Blu-ray debut. Detail is welcome throughout, with the story mostly contained to sets, offering textured background decoration and costumes, while the actors are clearly defined, helping with slapstick encounters. Delineation is strong and whites are settled. Grain is fine and filmic. Source is in fine shape, without pronounced areas of damage.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix doesn't contain any surprises, but it supports the goofy antics quite well. Dialogue exchanges are fresh and loud, capturing performance nuance and slapstick speeds, though with all the yelling, missing any lines would be impossible. Scoring also adds volume, and instrumentation is strong. Crisper percussion is found during the Beatniks showdown. Sound effects are basic but effective.
"Visit to a Small Planet" isn't especially uproarious, but Lewis is engaged, working like crazy to make simple ideas blossom with comic chaos. The picture isn't profound, and doesn't seem to represent what Vidal originally intended, but it's a minor romp with a few strange encounters and a cast that's always ready with a bug-eyed reaction.
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