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Lassie
Paramount // PG // March 12, 2002
List Price: $24.98 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
Likely looking to extend his grasp further out into the cinematic landscape, beyond mere movie-spinoffs of his "Saturday Night Live" bits, Lorne Michaels produced this 1994 update of "Lassie", a film that, despite an almost infinite amount of cliches, at least remains partially enjoyable and entertaining. The opening, however, is deeply off. The film starts out with the cynical teenager (Thomas Guiry), flatly dismissive of his parents and, when his sister turns on the old "Lassie" show, he tells her not to watch it ("I told you not to watch this crap") and turns on MTV instead. Hilarious.
In this edition, Lassie (apparently, one of the original Lassie's decendants) is originally owned by a farmer who treats her well but, after a traffic accident, the dog finds itself without an owner. Matt (Guiry) and the rest of the Turner family come upon the dog and, while the father is not accepting of the new pet at first, it follows them till they break down and accept it into the family. Off they head into the country, where Matt will become horrified at the lack of electricity due to a storm.
Obviously, this is one of those films that proclaims that moving from the city to the country will cure emotional ailments. While that may prove true for some, it's usually not handled very well in film. This picture, however, has quite a nice sequence where the rain of the previous day subsides to reveal a stunning landscape the next morning. The performances also nicely display the right amount of awe to say that, well - just maybe - there's a change happening in the way that the family looks at life. Lassie takes Matt's headphones into the woods, dropping them when he reveals to Matt a beautiful pond just down the way.
The film offers familiar villians and a predictable plot, but does so in a fashion that indicates it knows it has settled into comfortable familiarity; the film, even with a few dramatic and intense moments, gains interest from engaging performances. "Dawson's Creek" fans will recognize Michelle Williams in an early performance as April, a country girl Matt falls for.
This "Lassie" update certainly isn't the most memorable family picture out there, but it's harmless, fairly well-acted and will likely be entertaining for both adults and children.
The DVD
VIDEO: Paramount presents "Lassie" in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. Kenneth MacMillan's cinematography at first appears rather dark and visually unappealing during the city sequences, then brightens up considerably when the film shifts to the country. Sharpness and detail are inconsistent but, at best, are quite good. Low-light interior scenes can look a bit soft, but a lot of the outdoor scenes offer strong clarity and even good depth to the image.
There really aren't too many problems apparent during the course of the picture. Some slight edge enhancement is visible now and then, but doesn't take away from the picture quality that much. The print is in better-than-expected condition, as the 1994 film looked quite clean, with only one or two specks visible. Again, colors looked subdued throughout the opening sequence, but appeared more natural and vivid once the action shifted into the country. Overall, a very nice transfer.
SOUND: "Lassie" is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1. I'd be willing to guess that the film was not originally presented in 5.1, but this new DVD edition's soundtrack is pleasant. While there isn't as much ambient detail as I would have liked, the music (which ranges from 90's rock to 60's tunes) sounds full and crisp coming from the front speakers, as does the light Basil Poledouris score. Dialogue also came through clearly.
MENUS: Very basic film-themed backgrounds.
EXTRAS: Nothing. Not even a trailer.
Final Thoughts: I found this "Lassie" update surprisingly enjoyable - it's built upon familiar elements, but it's often genuinely heartwarming, fairly well acted and beautifully photographed. While the DVD has a nice presentation, it's not really exceptional in any other way. Still, families will likely find this an enjoyable film and consider adding it to their collection.
Likely looking to extend his grasp further out into the cinematic landscape, beyond mere movie-spinoffs of his "Saturday Night Live" bits, Lorne Michaels produced this 1994 update of "Lassie", a film that, despite an almost infinite amount of cliches, at least remains partially enjoyable and entertaining. The opening, however, is deeply off. The film starts out with the cynical teenager (Thomas Guiry), flatly dismissive of his parents and, when his sister turns on the old "Lassie" show, he tells her not to watch it ("I told you not to watch this crap") and turns on MTV instead. Hilarious.
In this edition, Lassie (apparently, one of the original Lassie's decendants) is originally owned by a farmer who treats her well but, after a traffic accident, the dog finds itself without an owner. Matt (Guiry) and the rest of the Turner family come upon the dog and, while the father is not accepting of the new pet at first, it follows them till they break down and accept it into the family. Off they head into the country, where Matt will become horrified at the lack of electricity due to a storm.
Obviously, this is one of those films that proclaims that moving from the city to the country will cure emotional ailments. While that may prove true for some, it's usually not handled very well in film. This picture, however, has quite a nice sequence where the rain of the previous day subsides to reveal a stunning landscape the next morning. The performances also nicely display the right amount of awe to say that, well - just maybe - there's a change happening in the way that the family looks at life. Lassie takes Matt's headphones into the woods, dropping them when he reveals to Matt a beautiful pond just down the way.
The film offers familiar villians and a predictable plot, but does so in a fashion that indicates it knows it has settled into comfortable familiarity; the film, even with a few dramatic and intense moments, gains interest from engaging performances. "Dawson's Creek" fans will recognize Michelle Williams in an early performance as April, a country girl Matt falls for.
This "Lassie" update certainly isn't the most memorable family picture out there, but it's harmless, fairly well-acted and will likely be entertaining for both adults and children.
The DVD
VIDEO: Paramount presents "Lassie" in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. Kenneth MacMillan's cinematography at first appears rather dark and visually unappealing during the city sequences, then brightens up considerably when the film shifts to the country. Sharpness and detail are inconsistent but, at best, are quite good. Low-light interior scenes can look a bit soft, but a lot of the outdoor scenes offer strong clarity and even good depth to the image.
There really aren't too many problems apparent during the course of the picture. Some slight edge enhancement is visible now and then, but doesn't take away from the picture quality that much. The print is in better-than-expected condition, as the 1994 film looked quite clean, with only one or two specks visible. Again, colors looked subdued throughout the opening sequence, but appeared more natural and vivid once the action shifted into the country. Overall, a very nice transfer.
SOUND: "Lassie" is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1. I'd be willing to guess that the film was not originally presented in 5.1, but this new DVD edition's soundtrack is pleasant. While there isn't as much ambient detail as I would have liked, the music (which ranges from 90's rock to 60's tunes) sounds full and crisp coming from the front speakers, as does the light Basil Poledouris score. Dialogue also came through clearly.
MENUS: Very basic film-themed backgrounds.
EXTRAS: Nothing. Not even a trailer.
Final Thoughts: I found this "Lassie" update surprisingly enjoyable - it's built upon familiar elements, but it's often genuinely heartwarming, fairly well acted and beautifully photographed. While the DVD has a nice presentation, it's not really exceptional in any other way. Still, families will likely find this an enjoyable film and consider adding it to their collection.
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