Joe Johnston's adventure film Hidalgo arrives on DVD with a full-frame transfer that fails to preserve the original theatrical aspect ratio. The English soundtracks are rendered in both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1. French and Spanish soundtracks have been recorded as well. This THX-certified disc offers first-rate picture and sound quality. Supplemental materials include a nine-minute behind-the-scenes featurette that touches on aspects of production as well as the history of the real people and events depicted in the film. A more extensive featurette on the stallions is available for those with PCs that have DVD-ROM drives. Trailers for a handful of other releases round out the extras. This is a fine disc for what it is, but the same extras are available on a different DVD that also boasts a widescreen transfer of the film. That version is preferable to this one.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
Pygmalion goes to high school in this sharp, funny tale. After betting he can turn any girl into his school's prom queen, class hunk Zack Siler (Freddie Prinze, Jr.) has his work cut out for him when his friends select shy, nerdy artist Laney Boggs (Rachael Leigh Cook). As Zack woos Laney and makes her over, he becomes genuinely attracted to her, but what happens when she learns of the wager? Matthew Lillard, Jodi Lyn O'Keefe co-star. 95 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack English Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles English (SDH); featurette; music videos.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
Warner Bros.' DVD edition of Clint Eastwood's high-flying space adventure is as good as they come. The picture is an excellent 2.35:1 widescreen transfer. Most impressive are the opening scenes, shot in a sumptuous black-and white, and the space scenes. As is often the case with films of this kind, the sound design is top-flight, bringing booming rockets and sound barrier-shattering jets to life in Dolby Digital 5.1. There is also a nice selection of extras to be found. There is a behind-the-scenes documentary that serves largely to promote the film, but still provides a great look at the creative process. Also included are a pair of featurettes that look at the making of the special effects and the editing of the film. Both offer some tidbits of information that one might pick up otherwise (for instance, in one scene where Eastwood is walking in space, everything but his face was created by a computer). Lastly, there is the full version of a clip from The Tonight Show that was shown in the movie, featuring the film's stars as their characters banter with host Jay Leno. It's a great bit of improv and fun to watch. The clip is interspersed with interviews with Leno about how he was tapped for the project. This is a solid DVD with plenty to recommend it. The only complaint would be the glaring absence of a commentary track from Eastwood and/or his co-stars. Watching them work together on film makes one wonder what they would have had to say.
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.