Glory/A,A

Columbia Tristar/1989/122m

     Glory is one of the great war movies of all-time. The moving saga of the 54^th Army Regiment of the Union Army, the first Civil War regiment formed of black soldiers, Glory glimpses history through a perceptive lens.
     Edward Zwick does a brilliant job in mustering the best from his actors. There are many stand-outs in the ensemble cast led by Matthew Broderick as Colonel Robert Shaw, commander of the 54^th. Denzel Washington seethes with passion as Trick, a black soldier who has seen the lash and provides a unique insight into the futility of war in a special scene with Broderick after the 54^th has tasted battle.
     This is James Horner's best score, worthy of comparison with some of the classic scores of vintage Hollywood. Horner's music soars with the spirit of the 54^th without resorting to banal manipulation. The recurring theme which integrates into many of the musical passages is fine and worthy of the repetition.

Denzel is fire and ice in Glory. ©Columbia Tristar

Glory is a spectacular DVD. Everything you could expect from the medium is delivered in this impeccable Columbia Tristar presentation. The color is a brilliant explosion of red white and blue. The many images of the flag are saturated perfectly. Images are very sharp and film-like. The anamorphic transfer preserves maximum information for widescreen televisions and projectors. The new Dolby Digital 5:1 mix is simply spectacular. Battle explosions are dynamic and directional. Canon blasts soar over your head perfectly. Glory is reference material all the way.

Beneath the 12-Mile Reef/C+,C+

Lumivision/1953/102m

     Thin Romeo and Juliet, only this time it's sponge fisherman off the coast of Florida. The big Cinemascope production is static with wooden   acting and a spongy script. A vehicle for young Twentieth Century Fox stars Robert Wagner and Terry Moore, the two play the youngest children of families vying for the best sponge diving waters. There's a big Bernard Hermann score behind the mile action that's enjoyable, but it' dominates the action or lack of action actually.
      Recorded in early stereo, the sound leaves a lot to be desired. While the widescreen images are sharp in most scene, the color seems slightly faded and unrealistic.

Family pride amongst the sponges.©Lumivision

  The transfer preserves the old Cinemascope aspect ratio of 2.55:1 perfectly. Not everyone's familiar with that extra width, but that's the way it was at the beginning. The extra width exacerbates the effects of letterboxing and detail suffers consequently. So don't be surprised at some scenes that seem unfocused. There is just less detail available. Color is slightly washed out but acceptable.

Temptation of a Monk/B,B

Fox Lorber/1990/118m    

     Despite a confused screenplay that suggests some major missing chunks in the film, the powerful visual aspects of Temptation of a Monk outweigh the shortcomings of storytelling. This Hong Kong film directed by Clara Law is a tale of redemption concerning a Chinese general of the Tang Dynasty who betrays his Prince when he is told of a coup to depose him. The supposed bloodless takeover doesn't occur the way the rival  has promised and the general must flee with a price on his head because he refuses to embrace the new order.
     There are several battle scenes beautifully shot. Law uses slow motion to achieve startling effect, liberally borrowing from Kurosawa's use of it in Ran. From battle to the erotic to the religious, Law finds fresh angles and lighting to powerfully embellish one man's journey.

    Though composed for 1.85:1 and presented at 1.33 there are very few scenes that feel pinched. Characters are never left talking to the wind. Color reproduction is quite good. Beware titles with a semi-transparent black background. They are disconcerting to say the least. The sound is recorded Dolby Digital 2 channel. Dialogue is in Mandarin with no alternate titles available.

Kindergarten Cop/B+,B+

Universal/1990/111m    

     Making  an successful action movie and  comedy at the same time is travelling over tough terrain, but director Ivan Reitman makes all the bumps seem smooth. Arnold Schwarzenegger is a cop impersonating a kindergarten teacher in order to find the estranged wife of a drug dealer. Between her charming son and herself, the cop is easy prey to love. Penelope Ann Miller matches with Arnold well and the ensuing romance evolves naturally.
     Most of the fun develops in the classroom, where Arnold is outnumbered and at first numbed by the kids. Before long he's got it under control and it's even funnier. Though there are some nasty drug related scenes and some violence, this is still a pretty good flick to watch with the kids.

Arnold's biggest challenge.©Universal

    Though presented in 1.33 open matte format, I did not find the compositions cramped or cropped. The image is very sharp without feeling artificially enhanced. Still, the director's intention was a 1.85 composition . thus, the 1.33 compromises the DVD. Kindergarten Cop is an appropriately colorful movie and the transfer reflects the high key color palette.