|
|
 |
Prince And The Pauper: The Movie (The)
R1 - America - Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Rob Fields (21st February 2008). |
|
The Film
 During my school years, I came to understand that there were a great many literary classics. Being in school, our teachers were trying to shove these works down our throats. Oh yeah, you know who you are. That was the way things were when I went to school, when I was in high school, we were forced to read a couple of stories from Mark Twain. Of course, we only read the ones that everybody knew about. I'm referring to "Huckleberry Finn" and "Tom Sawyer". I'd previously heard of "The Prince and the Pauper". I just never took the time to read it. No, let me rephrase that. I just never took the time to CARE to read it. Even after I've finished watching this movie up for review and writing the review itself, I probably STILL won't care to read it. Hey, I'm not knocking the literary classics. I mean, if that's what you like to read, then go ahead and read them. There are a few of the great classics that I liked. There was "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. There was also "Herbert West: Re-Animator". Yes, believe it or not, the works of H.P. Lovecraft's are considered to be literary classics. But the truth of the matter is that people are going to be more inclined to read what they are comfortable with. For me it was, R.L. Stine, Christopher Pike, and a few select works from Stephen King. But, this is yet another version of a Twain story, that's the subject here isn't it? Okay, on to "The Prince and the Pauper". While I've never read the work, I was able to research online that this literary work was adapted quite a few times. In fact, I've counted at least 15 different films from different parts of the globe. This release that I'm reviewing is probably the most recent. It will probably not be the last time that it is adapted. After reading the back cover, it reminded me of a Swedish film that I had seen at the 2007 Cleveland International Film Festival called "Tur & Retur" (2003) : also called "International Boarding". The story uses virtually the same formula. Read below to get an idea. "The Prince and the Pauper: The Movie" (1:31:52) is a story about Eddie (Cole Sprouse) and Tom (Dylan Sprouse) are two 14-year-olds with one thing in common: they both look exactly alike. So when the boys accidentally meet on the set of Eddie's new movie, they impulsively agree to trade places for the afternoon. But then the production company abruptly leaves the city, Tom and Eddie soon find themselves in deep trouble when no one believes who they really are. Kay Panabaker co-stars in this fun-filled family adventure. The 2003 Swedish version features two kids. One's a boy and the other a girl (both are played by Amanda Davin). They meet at an airport and impulsively switch places. Soon, they get to see how each other lives. One lived the simple life, while the other lived in riches. I found "Tur and Retur" very enjoyable. Now that I'm thinking about it, there were two other films that had the same sort of formula. I'm referring to the two Disney films called "The Parent Trap" (1961 and 1998), both being about two twin sisters who were separated and living in different parts of the globe. They end up meeting and then switching places. In each case, it was for the purpose of getting their parents to get back together again. And now, there's this newly made U.S. version of "The Prince and the Pauper" with yet another take on the switching formula. Let's see if it makes the cut. One thing I can say that I like for sure is the idea of the whole switching concept. It certainly makes for some good storytelling. When you stop to think about it, it IS the sort of thing that can possibly happen. You might not hear about it all the time, but it probably does happen. If you're a child, this story should be easy to follow. It plays out like a Disney-style movie. I liked the idea of how once the switch is made, both sides get to see how it feels to be on the other side of the fence. Sometimes it's for the better and sometimes not. In this case, Eddie and Tom are both finding out the hard way what living as each other is like. It's also funny watching how these two teenagers are both turning everything topsy-turvy. I also enjoyed the additional performances of Vincent Spano (Miles), Ed Lauter (Pop), Sally Kellerman (Jerry), and Dedee Pfeiffer (Harlin). I also liked Vincent's story. The film itself all comes together in the end, with a very interesting ending. Well done. Oh, and just because the credits start rolling, doesn't mean that the film's done. Keep watching until the very end. Try as I might, I can't really come up with any downsides to this film. I just wish there could have been a few more extras. I guess that would be my only complaint. My final word: If I enjoyed this movie, then either the kids or the whole family will enjoy it. While it may be lacking in the extras department, the film certainly doesn't. It's definitely worth owning. Need I say more?
Video
The film is presented in anamorphic widescreen format (1.78:1 ratio). The picture quality is very good. The colors stand out really well. There are no signs of grain or pixels. Being that this movie is on a duel-layered DVD and not with very many extras, I guess I can understand at least one reason why the picture looks as good as it does. Also, seeing this movie makes me glad that it wasn't shot in full screen format. There's so much picture to see with each shot. The filmmakers sure made good use of both sides of the picture.
Audio
The film features two Dolby Digital 5.1 surround tracks: the first in original English and the second in dubbed Spanish. There are optional English, French and Spanish subtitles available. The mix makes good use of all of the speakers. You can hear the music, the dialogue, and the background noise really well. I would have expected this sort of mix from an action film or a studio horror film. Still, I'm not complaining, especially when the boat chase scene came up. There are no commentary tracks available.
Extras
Sony have included a featurette and a series of bonus trailers that make up the extras on this DVD. Below is a closer look at these supplements. The featurette is entitled "Life on the Set with Cole, Dylan and Kay" and runs 5 minutes and 41 seconds. Here, you will see some interviews with the three stars of the film as they talk about their experiences while shooting the film. There are clips shown as they are talking. They each talk about how they go about getting their schooling in, among other things. Optional Spanish subtitles are included with this feature. Rounding out the extras are a collection of bonus trailers for: - "Roxy Hunter and the Mystery of the Moody Ghost Movie" which runs for 56 seconds. - "Storm Hawks" which runs for 1 minute 3 seconds. - "Daddy Day Camp" which runs for 2 minutes 5 seconds. - "The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep" which runs for 2 minutes 33 seconds. - "The Final Season" which runs for 1 minute 58 seconds. - "Holly Hobbie" which runs for 1 minute 1 second. - "Surf's Up" which runs for 18 seconds. - "The Last Day of Summer/Shredderman Rules!" which runs for 33 seconds.
Overall
|
|||||
|