James and the Giant Peach (Special Edition) (Blu-ray Review)

A hit-or-miss family film receives a hit-or-miss release...

It isn't often that a children's film tries to teach young viewers that their ideas are valuable -- that a fresh perspective can solve innumerable problems -- and James and the Giant Peach aims to do just that. Sadly, it misses the target. Somewhat loosely based on Roald Dahl's famed novel of the same name, producer Tim Burton and director Henry Selick's partially animated adaptation boasts a fantastic, smartly conceived second act, one bursting with stop-motion magic and wonder, but op...

Video

Assessing the quality of Disney's problematic 1080p/AVC-encoded presentation proved to be quite difficult. On one hand, videophiles will appreciate the faithful aspects of the transfer: its wonderfully grainy texture, Selick's subdued color palette, the preservation of his unforgiving shadows, and the gauzy, diffuse-lensed haze that settles overtop many of the film's live-action scenes. On the other hand, many will rightfully criticize the transfer's many apparent problems: rampant crush, prin...

Audio

Thankfully, James and the Giant Peach's stalwart DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track fares better than its video transfer. Dialogue is intelligible and well-prioritized, Postlethwaite's soothing narration is situated perfectly in the soundscape, and the tiniest sound effects earn a seat at Disney's sonic table. The rear speakers are a tad restrained at times, as is the LFE channel, but the whole of the soundfield kicks into high gear anytime a mechanical behemoth or rotting pirate ma...

Supplements

Unfortunately, the Blu-ray edition of James and the Giant Peach doesn't offer many more special features than its near-barebones standard DVD counterpart. A BD-exclusive "Spike the Aunts" interactive game headlines the new release, but the remaining material -- a sugary archive EPK (SD, 5 minutes), a Randy Newman music video (HD, 3 minutes), a still frame gallery, and the film's original theatrical trailer (SD, 2 minutes) -- is short, dated and dry. ...

Final Words

James and the Giant Peach didn't work for me, but who am I to question the power of nostalgia? Those who followed James to New York at a young age will probably enjoy Selick's film as much today as they did in 1996. Still, newcomers beware: James lacks the punch and polish of classics like The Nightmare Before Christmas and modern stop-motion marvels like Coraline. Alas, the film's Blu-ray release is primed to disappoint. Its problematic video transfer is a bit of......

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James and the Giant Peach (Special Edition) (Blu-ray Review)