| Operation Dumbo Drop is one of the latest
offerings from Walt Disney DVD in Region 4. Distributed by Warner Home Video it is the
tale of a seasoned army veteran (Danny Glover - Lethal Weapon Series)
who teams up with a hard nosed officer (Ray Liotta - Unlawful Entry,
Escape from Absolom) and other army misfits to conduct the 'biggest' military
operation ever in delivering a 8,000lb elephant to a tribal village situated in an
inaccessible jungle. By land, sea and air in this heart warming comedy they learn
that no mission is impossible. I had not seen
this movie prior to it's release on DVD and it was very enjoyable, it's good family
entertainment and it was pleasing to get away from my usual DVD diet of explosions,
bullets, car chases and so forth for once. Operation Dumbo Drop is one of those movies
that despite its' implausible storyline it remains enjoyable throughout. Although
apparently it was inspired by a true story.
The completely likeable cast appear to have fun with the
movie. While the movie is set up as children's fare, there are some relatively adult
themes of war which are inevitable given the setting and maybe a little off putting to the
young viewers. Although the story manages to exude humor and warmth and while not
necessarily recommended for all kids, this movie is family friendly and entertaining.
So How Does This Transfer Hold Up??
Overall the video transfer ranges from very good to excellent. I did notice the occasional
flecks of dirt which must have been evident on the film transfer in the beginning of
the film and the odd tiny bit of shimmering here and there but overall the transfer
remains well balanced, clean & exceptionally well detailed. Colours are brilliant, the
film is basically set in the jungle and the DVD reproduces these myriad of greens and
other colours excellently. The transfer is framed anamorphically at 2.35:1 and is just
short of reference quality. I did not see any artifacting, shadow detail was good and
flesh tones natural.
Disney DVD can be very proud of this transfer indeed.
Okay, let's talk audio. The DVD defaults to the Dolby
Digital 5.1 audio track. This is very good overall, dialogue is well anchored to the
centre channel and in the most part easy to understand, I did have difficulty now and
again understanding the child character 'Linh' played by Dinh LE but this was mostly due
to his asian accent than anything else. The surround channlers are used for mostly ambient
effects only but are very effective at times portraying various birds and other sounds
you'd expect to hear in the jungle. The subwoofer will not get a hard workout during this
movie, but hey it's family entertainment here. The front soundstage is wide and can be
quite dynamic at times. Other audio tracks include a French & Italian Dolby surround.
Extras, what extras. There are none. The DVD comes with
scene access which is divided into 16 chapters and that is it, you do however get Dutch,
French, Italian & English subtitles but these days you'd expect subtitles anyway and
are not what I would call 'Special Features'. Sorry Disney only one star in this
department.
Overal, a good film and a very good DVD. If you enjoy this
movie then go out and grab the DVD, you won't be disappointed. Recommended.
| PICTURE QUALITY |
4.5/5 Disney DVD can be very proud
of this transfer indeed. |
| SOUND QUALITY |
4/5 Quite dynamic at times |
| FEATURES |
1/5 Extras, what extras |
Review Equipment
TV: Pioneer SD-T43W1 (16:9 RPTV)
DVD: Toshiba SD2109 (Region Free & S-Video)
Receiver: Yamaha RXV992
Speakers:-
Fronts: Polk Audio RT55's
Centre: Polk Audio CS350
Rears: Polk Audio AB705's (Ceiling mounted)
Subwoofer: M&K V125
- reviewed 22nd November 1999 |
