Most people are at least passively familiar with Lord of the Flies, whether through William Golding's classic 1954 novel or Peter Brook's 1963 adaptation. It was never required reading in school, so I arrived late to the party...if by "party" you mean "dystopian tale about the inherent evil in young men trapped on a deserted island". Both filmed adaptations of Lord of the Flies, including this updated 1990 remake by Harry Hook, maintain the book's portrayal of the children's descent into savagery as a microcosm of humanity as a whole: there's really not all that much that separates most people from wild animals, save for a few learned manners and modern luxuries like grocery stores, paved roads, and running water. Mix in a little desperation, and everything eventually goes out the window.

Even in the worst situations, some will cling to decency a lot longer than others. Such is the case with these young military cadets whose plane crashed in the Pacific Ocean; the adults are either dead or critically wounded, so it's up to these disciplined young men to call the shots. Ralph (Balthazar Getty) and Jack (Chris Furrh) are the de facto leaders: the former has higher rank than the other boys, while Jack is perhaps the most aggressive and traditionally masculine of the group. There's tension at first, but their initial decisions are rational and even-handed beyond their years. Eventually, the remaining cadets gradually fall in line with one side or another...and some are caught in the middle, while others like "Piggy" (Danuel Pipoly) have chosen sides but still feel like outsiders. It's here that their temporary civilization completely breaks down, and before long, they're basically at war with each other.

As with most remakes, differences abound. These American military boys are of a vastly different background than the original British schoolchildren, with language and temperaments to match. Less layered with allegory than both previous versions, it feels a bit more brisk than Brook's adaptation despite sharing an almost identical running time. Twins Sam and Eric (Andrew and Edward Taft) are also given something of a reversed character arc, while the presence of one (albeit largely unconscious) adult on the island somewhat cheapens the ending's impact. But on the whole, many of these differences are surface-level at worst and this remake is almost equally effective in that regard. So while I prefer the performances in this 1990 adaptation and the addition of color brings their island to richer life, the addition of a few era-specific pop culture references gives this version less of a timeless appeal. Either way, Golding's novel serves as the best introduction....but unlike Gus Van Sant's Psycho, I'm glad this remake exists.

Peter Brook's 1963 adaptation has long been part of The Criterion Collection but this remake has been fairly neglected in recent decades, having been last released as a barebones MGM DVD back in 2001. Olive Films' new Blu-ray, like many others in the past year, uses source elements on loan from MGM; though we still don't get any extras, fans will appreciate the A/V upgrades that highlight Martin Fuhrer's cinematography and Philippe Sarde's music.

Presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Lord of the Flies looks excellent on high definition; this is easily a marked improvement over MGM's DVD (which was decent by 2001 standards), and miles better than any TV broadcast or fading VHS tape. Since this production was shot entirely outdoors with ample natural light, it's no surprise that image detail, and colors look uniformly good. Shadow detail limited during nighttime scenes, depth is usually quite good, and no major digital imperfections (excessive DNR, digital noise, etc.) could be spotted along the way. Grain is present but not overpowering. This appears to be a single-layered disc...but it barely cracks the 90-minute mark and contains no extras, so there's less danger of compression artifacts and other such eyesores. Overall, fans will appreciate Olive's efforts on loan from MGM, as this Blu-ray looks a notch or two better than expected.

On paper, this DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio presentation only represents a basic upgrade from the DVD's Dolby Digital 2.0 mix, but the added depth and presence of this lossless track makes up for its lack of surround activity. Dialogue and music are typically clean and well-defined without fighting for attention, while plenty of moments also feature strong channel separation. Don't get me wrong: your speakers or subwoofer won't get much of a workout overall, but what we get here is more than acceptable for a 25 year-old drama. Unfortunately, no optional English subtitles or captions have been included during the main feature, which isn't all that surprising for an Olive disc.

Most fans of Lord of the Flies---either William Golding's classic source novel or Peter Brook's 1963 adaptation---might consider this 1990 remake as unnecessary, overcooked, or both. I respectfully disagree...and even though I slightly prefer Brook's film overall, this one certainly has its merits and, like it or not, will probably appeal more to modern American audiences as a whole. It takes a few liberties with Golding's original story but not to extreme lengths, while the performances are superior and Martin Fuhrer's cinematography infuses the landscapes with much-needed color. So while the pacing doesn't feel as natural and it makes unfortunate use of a few now-dated pop culture references, this is still very much a worthwhile effort that holds up well. Olive Films' Blu-ray serves up an excellent A/V presentation but, like MGM's 2001 DVD, is completely devoid of bonus features. It's still Recommended despite the high price point, though stubborn fans of both earlier versions may want to stick with a rental.