MovieFreak.com - "View from the Top" DVD Review by John Teves

DVD REVIEW

View from the Top (2002)

Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, Christina Applegate

Director: Bruno Barreto

Rating: PG-13

Distributor: Buena Vista Home Entertainment

Release Date: September 9, 2003
Review posted: September 6, 2003

Spoilers: None

Reviewed by John Teves

Synopsis

In this romantic comedy, Gwyneth Paltrow is Donna, a suburban California girl with big dreams. All Donna wants is to become a flight attendant and see the world. She hits turbulence when she's met with a catty colleague (Christina Applegate), a frisky pilot (Rob Lowe) and a crazy flight instructor (Mike Myers). But Donna's friend, an "experienced" stewardess (Kelly Preston), shows her the ropes.

Capsule Critique

VIEW FROM THE TOP demonstrates a lack of structure, levelness, and bad editing. These three things make the film somewhat cheap and manipulative. However, for all its flaws, I thought it seemed to be fairly entertaining simply due to the presence of Gwyneth Paltrow. She offered a surprisingly charming and light performance. Essentially, this movie is a no-brainer. You won’t want to mull over its complexities when it ends. In fact, you probably will forget it immediately once the end credits pop up. But, for what’s it worth, VIEW FROM THE TOP remains reasonably enjoyable and manages to pass the time.

The Video

VIEW FROM THE TOP appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.35:1 and the image has been enhanced for 16X9 televisions. As one might expect of such a recent film, the picture looked quite solid with virtually no concerns on display. Sharpness appeared consistently strong. The movie remained crisp and well defined at all times, and I detected no concerns related to softness. The image lacked any signs of jagged edges or edge enhancement, and print flaws seemed equally absent. I witnessed no examples of grit, speckles, or other marks that might tarnish the presentation. It was a clean and fresh picture through out its presentation. Colors were absolutely enjoyable. The hues always seemed natural and lively, and they looked bold and brilliant throughout the film. Black levels came across as deep and rich, while shadow detail was clear and appropriately solid.

The Audio

VIEW FROM THE TOP is presented in a Dolby Digital 5.1 track. Comedies usually concentrate on the forward spectrum, and this movie was no exception. Much of the audio stayed focused in the front channels, where it offered good presence. Music showed nice stereo imaging and definition, while effects seemed to spread across the forward channels well. Surrounds seemed to stay with general reinforcement of the effects and music, but they kicked to life when appropriate. Audio quality appeared reliably fine. Dialogue came across natural and distinct, and the speech showed no signs of edginess. Music was clear and vivid; effects showed good clarity and range, as they sounded accurate and lively. Overall, the track worked well enough for this meek romantic comedy.

The Extras

History of the Flight Attendant
A Journey Inside "View from the Top"
Music of "View from the Top"

Overall

The DVD offers excellent picture and sound plus some semi-superficial, but fun extras. VIEW FROM THE TOP may not be the best romantic comedy out there, but it’s a fairly charming diversion for fans of Gwyneth Paltrow. So, if there’s nothing else available at the store, rent the DVD.

John Teves rates the film 2 out of 4.

Review originally appeared on DVDFreak.net

VERDICT: RENT IT

DVD REVIEWS BY JOHN TEVES:

- Man Apart, A

- Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2-disc)

- Chicago