| I have always s been an avid fan of Harrison
ford and this film just brings it home again. He has that fabulous rugged feel about him
which is why all the girlies swoon. J I did however I find Anne Heche a little bit
wishy-washy at times. Robin Monroe (Anne Heche) and
her devoted boyfriend Frank (David Schwimmer) head off to the tropical Island of Macatea
for a romantic vacation. They run into some doubts however when they discover their beaten
up old charter plane. Piloted by the rugged and mischievous Quinn (Harrison Ford). After a
shaky but safe trip they arrive in Macatea to find an exquisite tropical paradise.
First night on the island Frank proposes but is a little
sullen the next day when his new fiance is called back to Tahiti for work. In a bit of a
tight situation she turns to Quinn for a quick flight to Tahiti and an expensive one at
that. Things turn sour however when the weather gets a bit rough and Quinn decides to head
back to Macatea just to be safe. Unfortunately they don’t quite make it though and
end up crash landing on a beach on a deserted Island somewhere in the Pacific.
From here the story brings on Pirates, snakes in shorts,
adventure and excitement, comedy and romance. A great combination which comes off
perfectly.
So How Does This Transfer Hold Up?
VIDEO
A fantastic 16:9 enhanced transfer from Touchstone. This has to be one of the best
transfers I have seen lately. The images are exceptionally sharp. Colour saturation is
perfect. I was impressed with the rendering of skin tones, which very occasionally were a
little pink but in general were spot on. Shadow detail was also great. There were a few
occasions on which I noticed ailiasing but maybe this is to be expected in predisposed
shots. Really without getting too boring this was an almost flawless transfer. Nice to see
it in single layer since ye ole Samsung player doesn’t like dual layers.
Video Highlights
Ch 05 17:13 – Blinds ailiasing in the background.
Ch 09 39:46 – Great shadow detail.
Ch 12 48:52 – Superb scenery shot, clouds in the distance in perfect focus.
Ch 19 79:34 – Perfect colour saturation, nice skin tones, nice range of colours.
Ch 20 84:13 – Blinds in the background ailiasing again.
AUDIO
The audio quality was nothing less than outstanding. The 5.1 track is mesmerising as it
sweeps around the room and fills every sound. As the opening score commences you are swept
into the film. All aspects of the surrounds are used to full effect. There is definitely
some great ambience in the musical score, which makes constant use of the surrounds. In
some scenes you can really notice the use of the surrounds. For example: the storm and the
pirate battle are great. The dialogue is clear at all times, making great use of the front
sound stage. There were no sync problems I could find.
Two thumbs up to Randy Edelman for an exquisite score,
which was enveloping at all times. Overall I can’t complain at all about the audio
here. J
Audio Highlights
Ch 07 23:52 – Good use of surrounds in the storm.
Ch 16 67:16 – Birds flying around the room.
Ch 18 75:50 – Rockets flying past your head.
EXTRAS
Extras; mmm well this is where I stop with the praise, since there is not one extra!
So, overall as you can tell I was impressed with this
release. Aside from the lack of extras, there isn’t much else wrong here. The story
is entertaining and manages to include action, adventure, romance and comedy, with a
perfect balance.
Don’t miss this one.
| PICTURE QUALITY |
9/10 a few small problems |
| SOUND QUALITY |
9/10 grrrr |
| FEATURES |
0/10 sad very sad |
| OVERALL |
8/10 Superb Film |
Review Equipment
TV: GE 68cm (16:9 selectable)
DVD: Samsung DVD907 (via S-Video)
Receiver/Proc: Sansui A505/Sony Amp & Yamaha DSP-E390
Speakers:-
Fronts: Wharfdale Diamond R6 (on a pair of custom made stands you'd KILL for)
Centre: Venturi
Rears: Sony bookshelf
- Reviewed 2nd January 2000 |
