A pair of radically different comedies, a slightly obscure coming-of-age film and a legendary musical are my top picks in Blu-ray home entertainment this week.
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, Rated PG, $29.98) — Ben Stiller’s dopey night watchman, Larry Daley, concluded his antiquities odyssey late last year with a journey to London to revive the magical object used to bring his favorite museum exhibits to life each night.
The final film of the trilogy managed to eke out a handsome box office bounty partly because of elaborate action heavy on special effects that I am sure delighted the tween in the family.
It didn’t hurt that the cast included Ricky Gervais, Dick Van Dyke, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan and Ben Kingsley, with a certain Wolverine making a special appearance. The film also delivered the final onscreen appearances of legends Mickey Rooney and Robin Williams, which, for me, cast a bit of melancholy over the proceedings.
The crisp digital transfer, presented in a 1:85:1 aspect ratio, offers nice depth to the onscreen effects, making it a worthy addition to those owning the first two “Night at the Museum” films in Blu-ray.
A welcome commentary track has ebullient director Shawn Levy in nonstop reveal mode, quickly letting us know that it took five years to develop the script (cough, what?) during his informative banter throughout.
Of the seven featurettes available, I enjoyed the 21-minute overview of the British museum, offering comments from the curators and a 12-minute look at the process of bringing an M.C. Escher masterpiece to life for one of the cooler scenes in the movie.
The package also contains a code for a free download of one of the first two films, viewable via the UltraViolet digital library service and compatible on most Internet-connected computers and devices.
The Sound of Music: 50th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, Rated G, $49.99) — The 1965 Academy Award winner for best picture returns to the Blu-ray format in a five-disc, multimedia package loaded with songs and celebratory extras.
For new viewers, the legendary Julie Andrews stars as Maria, an inspiring governess who brings music and joy to the grumpy Capt. von Trapp and his seven children living in Austria in the 1930s as the Nazi threat begins to brew.
This Rodgers and Hammerstein musical smorgasbord is fit for the entire family and features soaring singing performances throughout, richly enhanced by DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround sound.
Better yet, the digitally remastered film gives the original widescreen 70 mm print new life through incredible clarity and depth, as technicians were able to clean up the movie’s more than 200,000 frames. The town of Salzburg, the Alps and the countryside look outstanding on a widescreen television.
As much as is possible, the hours and hours of extras easily eclipse the main event. A few mix with others culled from the 45th anniversary Blu-ray. Some of the best are:
• A 50-minute documentary, “The Sound of a City,” in which Miss Andrews returns to Salzburg, offers a historical tour of the film locations and visits places frequented by the real von Trapp family. (Yes, the musical is a somewhat fictionalized account of a family’s all-too-true harrowing escape from the Third Reich.)
• Select “Your Favorite Things” from the menu and get an interactive experience while watching the film. Configure picture-in-picture windows during the nearly three-hour-long movie to see production images, storyboard art, text facts, script and a timed, multiple-choice quiz about the locations of the film. Viewers can even sing along with classics such as “Do-Re-Mi,” “My Favorite Things” and “So Long, Farewell” with help from a karaoke-style presentation. This type of feature is what Blu-ray is all about.
• A fantastic interactive map of Salzburg and interactive set tour allow viewers to use the Blu-ray player’s controller to click on icons within all of the onscreen areas presented to watch videos, view photos and page through facts about the movie and locations.
• One of the “Rarer Treasures” offered a 16-minute reunion between Miss Andrews and Baroness Maria von Trapp on the 1973 television show “The Julie Andrews Hour,” in which von Trapp teaches the legendary singer how to yodel.
• Two commentary tracks, one with director Robert Wise and one with an ensemble of Miss Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Charmian Carr (Liesl), choreographer Dee Dee Wood and even Johannes Von Trapp.
• A music CD (remember those) containing 24 tracks from the movie including French, Spanish, Italian and German versions.
My Girl (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Rated PG, $19.99) — A quirky, coming-of-age tale from 1991 debuts in the Blu-ray format starring a young Anna Chlumsky as a girl living in a small town with her widowed father (a mortician) and grandmother. Oh yeah, they all live in the family business — a funeral home.
The mix of heartwarming humor and heartbreaking tragedy will deliver a roller coaster of emotions for the viewer. (It’s especially difficult for parents.) Strong performances include Macaulay Culkin as Miss Chlumsky’s best friend, Dan Aykroyd as the father and Jamie Lee Curtis as his love interest.
But does it justify Sony’s “Mastered in 4K” treatment, which, in theory, could deliver a higher resolution and deeper color palette on compatible Blu-ray player? Maybe for a popcorn-munching blockbuster, but “My Girl” seems too much effort. I found the film transfer a bit too contrasted for my taste, and still featured too much film grain.
It’s nonetheless a powerful film, with the best extra being an optional commentary track from screenwriter Laurice Elehwany. Viewers learn the differences between the original script and the finished film, her real-life experiences, which influenced the piece, and plenty of information about the writing process.
Top Five (Paramount Home Entertainment, Rated R, $39.99) — The hilarious force known as Chris Rock wrote, directed and starred in a slightly autobiographical and seriously mature romantic comedy about a former stand-up legend’s return to New York City. Comedian Andre Allen (Mr. Rock) has issues with an annoying fiancee and pushy reporter that lead to a film filled with a bit too much raunchy humor for my taste despite its acclaim.
Home entertainment viewers can now appreciate his character’s manic lifestyle with help from a cavalcade of co-stars including Kevin Hart, Ben Vereen, Rosario Dawson, Tracy Morgan, Cedric the Entertainer and a pinch of deadpan shenanigans from Adam Sandler and Jerry Seinfeld.
Fans of the film will love the Blu-ray optional commentary track from a subdued Mr. Rock and actor J.B. Smoove (who played Mr. Allen’s bodyguard). It’s a bit too much fawning here by Mr. Smoove, but it’s great to hear them interact.
Those looking for additional, guaranteed laughs also will appreciate outtakes from Andre Allen’s stand-up routine. (Mr. Rock is still really funny.)
• Joseph Szadkowski can be reached at jszadkowski@washingtontimes.com.
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