For young Walter
(Osment), being stuck on his "crazy" uncles' farm is the last
place on earth he wants to spend the summer. First, shocked by
their unconventional behavior, including ordering an African
lion through the mail, Walter soon gets caught up in their
mysterious past. The rumors that his uncles (Duvall and Caine)
were bank robbers or maybe even worse are hard to believe, but
they do seem to have an endless supply of cash! Little by
little, an amazing story comes to life - filled with adventures
in exotic lands involving kidnapped princesses, Arabian sheiks
and lost treasure. These tales not only bring him closer to his
uncles but also teach him what it means to believe in
something... whether it's true or not
CRITIQUE
Tim McCanlies'
script, which presents a mostly heartwarming story about a
pre-teen boy and his two uncles, is a little quirky but definitely
imaginative judging by today's standards. To be original is not
easily achieved in Hollywood anymore. So many films follow
familiar patterns and formulas, but Secondhand Lions is
different. It centers on a story most people can relate to and in
the process introduces a whole subplot that takes place several
decades in the past; that of the adventures of Walter's uncles.
It's important to note that McCanlies, also the film's director,
makes both stories flow seamlessly together. Neither of the two
stories claims to be better than the other, but it is clear
Walter's experience on the farm is the central story; the tales
about the Arabian desert and sheik serve as the film's backbone,
not to mention they're action-filled and exciting to watch.
As I said, the two
stories go well together, although there are a few times when the
mood is a bit sappy. The emotional scenes are not forced, but
there was one scene I did not completely buy into. In general, the
central story is interesting to follow, the script gives the
viewer characters to care about. In that respect, Secondhand
Lions is very worthwhile. The film is also not without laughs
and amusing scenes. However, there are a number of violent scenes
that go along with fun. McCanlies' direction is pretty good
overall, cinematography by Jack Green is quite marvelous, and the
acting is solid and generally believable. Robert Duvall and
Michael Cane make two excellent uncles. Their disagreements often
lead to small chuckles. Meanwhile, Haley Joel Osment speaks with a
pretty high-toned voice for a duration in the film; it appears his
voice began to change during production. Despite that, he performs
well by himself and opposite the two veteran actors.
I liked
Secondhand Lions, but not as much as to highly recommend it.
Instead, the film provides solid (family) entertainment for a
little under two hours. There's some good comedy and drama
combined, as well as some action, yet the film didn't overwhelm me
completely.
THE VIDEO
New Line presents
Secondhand Lions in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. Colors
are bright and well-saturated. Detail and sharpness looks very
fine. Black levels and dark tones are good. The print image is
in good condition, but grain turns up in a few scenes, as do
minor compression artifacts. Also showing up is a little edge
enhancement, but overall this is a pretty nice transfer. You
have the option of watching the film in widescreen or
fullscreen.
THE AUDIO
New Line presents
Secondhand Lions in English EX 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound.
I didn't expect much from this soundtrack, but it's surprisingly
loud and effective. Dialogue is clear and easy to understand,
the front speakers emitting all sound with much clarity and
separation. Rear speakers act from time to time, and the sound
effects are clearly audible, as well as some good bass in
several scenes. The music score by Patrick Doyle sounds good
also. A very good presentation.
Also available is
an English Stereo Surround soundtrack.
THE EXTRAS
This is one of the
(much) better Platinum Series releases in a while from New Line,
though I can't speak for the Freddy vs. Jason DVD. The
dual-layer disc features worthwhile material. The first thing is
an audio commentary
by director Tim McCanlies. He offers a fast, informative and
engaging track as he comments on certain scenes, the filmmaking
process, the history of the project, working with the actors,
etc. A recommended listen to those viewers who liked the film.
Now flip to side B
and you'll find the remaining bonus material. It starts off with
deleted scenes with optional commentary by McCanlies.
Some of the scenes add a little more background to the
characters and the story, although the original ending that's
included is a bit too sappy. Otherwise, a decent collection of
scenes. Next is an in-depth look at the history of the film's
script in the 26-minute documentary called
Secondhand Lions: One Screenplay's Wild Ride in Hollywood.
It features interviews with McCanlies and various producers, and
tracks the history of the project which originated at least ten
years ago and was at one point considered as a sequel to
Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid (ridiculous) as well as
another Grumpy Old Men film. Well, that obviously didn't
work. Either way, this is a pretty good documentary with some
good insight into the writing process in Hollywood and how
projects get made (and don't get made).
On The Set with
Secondhand Lions is a 26-minute look at the shooting of
the film. It includes enough interviews, with McCanlies and the
actors, to remind you how fun it was for everybody. Despite the
small moments of happy-talk, this documentary shows a good
portion of interesting behind-the-scenes footage that's at times
revealing but mostly general information. Also on hand is a
roughly 10-minute featurette called Haley Joel Osment: An
Actor Comes of Age that's fine but not terribly interesting.
Interviews again support the various clips, but you probably
won't find a lot of insight here. Watch it at your discretion, I
guess, because I didn't care for this one that much.
Rounding out the
extras are several visual effects comparisons, the film's
theatrical trailer, seven TV spots,
two bonus trailers, and a few easter eggs. Last
but not least, there are several DVD-ROM features that
include the script-to-screen feature, scene medleys,
a commentary digest, an interactive photo gallery,
and weblinks.
You can
select to view the film with optional English, French and Spanish subtitles. The
110-minute feature is organized into
twenty-one chapters. A glossy paper insert lists scene
selections and DVD-ROM features.
FINAL THOUGHTS
At times engaging and
sweet, the film is mostly solid family entertainment, and there are
only a few sappy moments. Acting is pretty good, and the film looks
gorgeous visually. The DVD presents very good video/audio, and almost
every single extra is informative. The film comes recommended, but the
DVD package warrants a highly recommended rental. Those who've already
seen the film and liked it, a purchase is worth it.
