Movie Reviews

When this film was released I noticed a lot of comparisons to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I am not sure why, the films have little to do with each other. Both are VERY colorful and full of imagination, but this film deals more with finding the magic within you. Hoffman does a good job in the lead, but the film is stolen by Natalie Portman. She is reminding me more and more of Audrey Hepburn as she's gotten older and her charm and vulnerability go a long way in this one. It isn't very often that we see a solid live action family film like this.

I'd seen enough trailers for this one to know that it would be over the top in color presentation and pop. Hues can be quite bold and close to oversaturation, but thankfully everything is kept in check. The image isn't quite as sharp as I was expecting (the trailers gave a razor sharp appearance) but detail is never lacking. Fine object detail is excellent all around. The strong use of color and added CG effects tend to soften things up just a tad here and there which is the only reason I couldn't give this one a perfect video score.

The soundtrack is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio and overall it is a fun mix. Dynamics are good but I can tell the sound designers didn't want to overwhelm the younger audience with deep, deep bass. The score has a playful nature to it and adds its own character to the mix. Surrounds are used effectively, especially in the toy shop, and I was impressed with the sense of space the mix creates.

Surprisingly there are no extras at all on this Blu-ray release, despite the use of a BD-50. This is in stark contrast to the recent Hitman release which had quite a few but only required a BD-25. Oh well.

This was a fun film that had plenty of magic for the younger audience and a good heart. The presentation is excellent all around. Recommended.