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Boy [Blu-ray]
(Taika Waititi, 2010)
Review by Gary Tooze
Production: Theatrical: New Zealand Film Commission Video: Kino
Disc: Region: 'A' (as verified by the Momitsu region FREE Blu-ray player) Runtime: 1:27:57.689 Disc Size: 27,938,702,977 bytes Feature Size: 21,453,625,344 bytes Video Bitrate: 27.00 Mbps Chapters: 13 Case: Standard Blu-ray case Release date: July 9th, 2013
Video: Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio English 2028 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 2028 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit) DTS-HD Master Audio English 1614 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1614 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
Subtitles: None
Extras: • Two Cars One Night - a short by Taika Waititi (11:45)• Interview and B-Roll Footage (41:26)• Theatrical T railer (2:20)
Bitrate:
Description: The year is 1984, and on the rural East Coast of New Zealand Michael Jackson's ''Thriller'' is changing kids' lives. ''Boy'' (James Rolleston) is a dreamer who lives with his brother Rocky, a tribe of deserted cousins and his Nan. While Boy idolizes Michael Jackson his other hero is his father, Alamein (played by director / writer Taika Waititi), who is a distant memory to him, but is the subject of Boy's dreams and fantasies. Boy imagines his father as a deep sea diver, a war hero and a close relative of Michael Jackson (he can even dance like him), but in reality he's ''in the can for robbery''. When Alamein returns home after seven years away, Boy is forced to confront the man he thought he remembered find his own potential and learn to get along without the hero he had been hoping for. Inspired by the Oscar nominated ''Two Cars, One Night'' (also included on this Blu-ray), BOY is the hilarious and heartfelt coming-of-age tale about heroes, magic and Michael Jackson.
The Film: Like his previous feature, Eagle vs Shark, Taika Waititi’s Boy tells a mere wisp of a story, yet both films are filled with compelling characters, situational color, knowing observations about youthful behavior, and quirky bits of oddball and fantastical humor. Set in a modern Maori village on the eastern coast of New Zealand in 1984, Boy focuses on an 11-year-old whose name is Boy (Rolleston) – not such an unusual name in this place where pop culture has bequeathed many of Boy’s friends with appellations such as Dallas, Dynasty, and Chardonnay. Boy is a Michael Jackson superfan who lives with his younger brother Rocky (Eketone-Whitu), his grandmother, and several cousins since his mother is deceased and his father is in prison. A teacher at school tells Boy he has potential but neglects to explain what that means. School is out and Boy is left to be the man of the house while his grandmother is away for a week at a funeral on the other end of the island. Of course, during that time, his father Alamein (Waititi) returns to find some money he buried in a pasture before going to jail. Excerpt from Majorie Baumgarten at the Austin Chronicle located HERE
Boy is a pitch perfect film that has something for everyone. The
seamless juxtaposition between joy and sadness, comedy and drama, and
hope and shame bring a truly unique and wonderful experience to the
screen. Both light-hearted, and deeply emotional, this is a film that
simply needs to be seen.
Image : NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc. Boy appears quite impressive on Blu-ray from Kino. The disc is dual-layered with a responsive bitrate - exporting much of the film's rich colors and pleasing detail in close-ups. The art direction, with the use of colors - mostly in the children's sensibility - is the most appealing part of the 1080P transfer. Contrast is adept but not a high point. There are hints at depth and the locale scenery of Waihau Bay, New Zealand is accented with vibrant fields, grasses and mountainous backgrounds. There are plenty of eye-popping scenes and I expect the transfer is a healthy representative of the theatrical appearance.
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Audio :Audio gives the option of a DTS-HD Master 5.1 at 2028 kbps or a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel at 1614 kbps. I noted a scant few notable separations but everything is clean and clear. Unfortunately there are no subtitles, which would have been a benefit as the accent is quite heavy at times. My Momitsu has identified it as being a region 'A'-locked.
Extras : Kino include the 2004 12-minute short by Taika Waititi entitled Two Cars, One Night. It was the inspiration for Boy. There is also 40+-minutes of B-Roll Footage including an interview with Waititi. There is also a trailer.
BOTTOM LINE: Gary Tooze July 2nd, 2013
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About the Reviewer: Hello, fellow Beavers! I have been interested in film since I viewed a Chaplin festival on PBS when I was around 9 years old. I credit DVD with expanding my horizons to fill an almost ravenous desire to seek out new film experiences. I currently own approximately 9500 DVDs and have reviewed over 5000 myself. I appreciate my discussion Listserv for furthering my film education and inspiring me to continue running DVDBeaver. Plus a healthy thanks to those who donate and use our Amazon links.
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