Emperor of Peru (Odyssey of the Pacific) (Treasure Train) (Blu-ray Review)

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The train of fantasies, the duck of dreams

1982’s “Treasure Train” (also known as “Odyssey of the Pacific” and “The Emperor of Peru”) emerges from an era when family entertainment provided a little more leeway in terms of political overtones and fantastical encounters. It’s an utterly bizarre motion picture, but one made with a certain endearing permissiveness, attempting to give younger audiences exactly what they crave from matinee entertainment while carrying some impressively complex emotions for adults. “Treasure Train” is also a Mi...

Video

The AVC encoded image (1.66:1 aspect ratio) presentation shows surprising signs of life for an obscure cult item pulled from the depths of 1980s. As to be expected with such a fringe title, an effort hasn’t been made to clean the print up, with dirt and hair spotted on occasion, while reel changes gouge the source material. Overall, the viewing experience is pleasant but uneven, maintaining the moody cinematography, delivering an image that manages softness and sharpness satisfactorily, sustaini

Audio

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is a concentration of dubbing and ADR work than a truly accurate read of the original audio track. The lip synch is consistently sloppy, which seems to be an unavoidable element of the source material, though the dialogue is never swallowed by the action, making the cast easily understood. There’s some mild distortion on voices, which sound too processed at times. The track is on the shrill side, without any real elements of bass, reaching a few peaks of youthful acti

Supplements

• Interview with Mickey Rooney (8:24, HD) is bound to disappoint fans of the film, as the 91-year-old star just doesn’t have a single memory concerning the making of the movie. The interviewer makes a few attempts to extract morsels of BTS information, but, God bless him, Rooney just didn’t do his homework before the chat, often directing the conversation to other screen achievements or talk of educational needs. While it’s great to see the legend in motion (the interview wa

  Final Words

  “Treasure Train” maintains an evocative sense of curiosity, holding itself down to a knee-high view of the world and its unimaginable challenges. The ending itself is an interpretive closure that calls to mind the finale of “Radio Flyer,” merging the soaring spirit of imagination with the dark realism of dangerous underage adventuring. It’s a surprisingly multi-layered picture, just not one with a rigid structure that limits improvisational shenanigans. One thing’s for sure, it’s unpredictable, ...

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  Emperor of Peru (Odyssey of the Pacific) (Treasure Train) (Blu-ray Review)

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