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Stranded
Artisan // Unrated // June 18, 2002
List Price: $19.99 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
A bigger, although a bit more dramatic, version of "Swiss Family Robinson", "Stranded" aired as a miniseries on TBS. While I've never read the book myself, this version is far different from the Disney edition - instead of light adventure, we get something along the lines of "Cast Away", only with more than one person.
In this Hallmark Entertainment-produced tale, we open with the Robinsons being separated on an enormous ship that's sailed into a horrendous storm. Most of the family is able to drift on the ship until they reach land, but youngest brother Jacob is set adrift with a small group of survivors in a life raft. While they wonder if they will ever see their youngest family member once again, the Robinsons realize that they have to set up for the long run and start putting together a place to live.
I certainly appreciated much about this new retelling of the popular tale. The performances from the actors are far better than what is usually found in this kind of made-for-TV fare. Liam Cunningham portrays Mr. Robinson superbly, making for a cool-headed leader of his family, but also giving the character a nice undercurrent of uncertainty. The supporting performances display excellent range, as well.
"Stranded"'s main flaw is its length. Although understandably produced as a miniseries, I didn't feel as if there was quite enough compelling material to stretch the film out for nearly three hours when it could have worked perfectly well as a two-hour picture. Still, while I didn't find "Stranded" as emotional and stunning as "Cast Away", there's a lot to enjoy about this update of "Swiss Family Robinson" as a serious piece instead of light adventure. It's fine work from Hallmark Entertainment, well-written, beautifully filmed and nicely acted. Not flawless, but good.
The DVD
VIDEO: "Stranded" is presented by Artisan Entertainment in 1.77:1 anamorphic widescreen, even though the disc states that the picture is offered in a full-screen format. For an 175 minute film squeezed onto a dual-layer disc, the picture quality is actually rather good, if a bit inconsistent in spots. Sharpness and detail vary slightly throughout the movie, but the picture never strays too far into softness. The picture has respectable depth to the image at times, but appears a bit flat at others.
Some other flaws could also pop up, as well, but only briefly. Specks occasionally were noticed on the print used, although no major wear was spotted. A bit of edge enhancement and pixelation were seen here and there, but nothing too heavily distracting. On a positive note, colors looked gorgeous throughout, appearing crisp, natural and nicely saturated. Black level remained strong, if a little bit inconsistent. Overall, Artisan has done a nice job presenting this nearly three-hour title on one disc.
SOUND: "Stranded" is presented with its original 2.0 stereo soundtrack. While that's understandable given its origin on the small screen, "Stranded" is a good instance of a title that should have been considered for a 5.1 remix. Although I wouldn't expect a full-on soundtrack with the kind of layers and texture that sound designer Randy Thom provided for "Cast Away", a more enveloping presentation with additional ambience would have made the experience more enjoyable. Anyways, "Stranded"'s soundtrack delivers fine quality for the material, capturing a nice balance between dialogue, sound effects and other elements, all of which are delivered with fine clarity.
MENUS: Static menus with score in the background.
EXTRAS: With the entire 175-minute picture on a dual-layer disc, there probably wasn't room for much else - no supplements are included.
Final Thoughts: "Stranded"'s main flaw is its running time - although I understand it was apparently a miniseries, it really would have made for a perfectly fine two-hour movie. Still, the performances are excellent, the drama of the story is sincere and moving and the cinematography and locations are absolutely stunning. Artisan's DVD offers very good video quality, average audio and no supplements. Still, it's priced nicely at $19.99. Recommended.
A bigger, although a bit more dramatic, version of "Swiss Family Robinson", "Stranded" aired as a miniseries on TBS. While I've never read the book myself, this version is far different from the Disney edition - instead of light adventure, we get something along the lines of "Cast Away", only with more than one person.
In this Hallmark Entertainment-produced tale, we open with the Robinsons being separated on an enormous ship that's sailed into a horrendous storm. Most of the family is able to drift on the ship until they reach land, but youngest brother Jacob is set adrift with a small group of survivors in a life raft. While they wonder if they will ever see their youngest family member once again, the Robinsons realize that they have to set up for the long run and start putting together a place to live.
I certainly appreciated much about this new retelling of the popular tale. The performances from the actors are far better than what is usually found in this kind of made-for-TV fare. Liam Cunningham portrays Mr. Robinson superbly, making for a cool-headed leader of his family, but also giving the character a nice undercurrent of uncertainty. The supporting performances display excellent range, as well.
"Stranded"'s main flaw is its length. Although understandably produced as a miniseries, I didn't feel as if there was quite enough compelling material to stretch the film out for nearly three hours when it could have worked perfectly well as a two-hour picture. Still, while I didn't find "Stranded" as emotional and stunning as "Cast Away", there's a lot to enjoy about this update of "Swiss Family Robinson" as a serious piece instead of light adventure. It's fine work from Hallmark Entertainment, well-written, beautifully filmed and nicely acted. Not flawless, but good.
The DVD
VIDEO: "Stranded" is presented by Artisan Entertainment in 1.77:1 anamorphic widescreen, even though the disc states that the picture is offered in a full-screen format. For an 175 minute film squeezed onto a dual-layer disc, the picture quality is actually rather good, if a bit inconsistent in spots. Sharpness and detail vary slightly throughout the movie, but the picture never strays too far into softness. The picture has respectable depth to the image at times, but appears a bit flat at others.
Some other flaws could also pop up, as well, but only briefly. Specks occasionally were noticed on the print used, although no major wear was spotted. A bit of edge enhancement and pixelation were seen here and there, but nothing too heavily distracting. On a positive note, colors looked gorgeous throughout, appearing crisp, natural and nicely saturated. Black level remained strong, if a little bit inconsistent. Overall, Artisan has done a nice job presenting this nearly three-hour title on one disc.
SOUND: "Stranded" is presented with its original 2.0 stereo soundtrack. While that's understandable given its origin on the small screen, "Stranded" is a good instance of a title that should have been considered for a 5.1 remix. Although I wouldn't expect a full-on soundtrack with the kind of layers and texture that sound designer Randy Thom provided for "Cast Away", a more enveloping presentation with additional ambience would have made the experience more enjoyable. Anyways, "Stranded"'s soundtrack delivers fine quality for the material, capturing a nice balance between dialogue, sound effects and other elements, all of which are delivered with fine clarity.
MENUS: Static menus with score in the background.
EXTRAS: With the entire 175-minute picture on a dual-layer disc, there probably wasn't room for much else - no supplements are included.
Final Thoughts: "Stranded"'s main flaw is its running time - although I understand it was apparently a miniseries, it really would have made for a perfectly fine two-hour movie. Still, the performances are excellent, the drama of the story is sincere and moving and the cinematography and locations are absolutely stunning. Artisan's DVD offers very good video quality, average audio and no supplements. Still, it's priced nicely at $19.99. Recommended.
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