Big Picture Big Sound

The Film

Rarely (if ever) is a remake as good as its original. The late John Hughes tried to break the spell with his 1994 rendition of Miracle on 34th Street. However, as the screenwriter, he didn't do enough to the film to actually make it any better than its predecessors -- all three of them.

Yes, this is actually the fourth time that someone has retold the holiday classic. There were two TV versions sandwiched in between the 1947 original and this '90s box-office revival.

There are still drunken Santas (although many more of them) and non-believers are as rampant as ever. Overall, this story sticks pretty close to the original, drawing out a few key scenes and condensing others. Santa also gets his own update. Instead of speaking Dutch, he does sign language.

Instead of working at Macy's, he's all about Cole's. (Macy's refused to take part in the remake.) He even has an extra "s" in his name -- for completely unknown reasons.

The other characters remain almost the same as well. Doris Walker becomes Dorey (Elizabeth Perkins), and she is a bit more of a downer than her counterpart from the original film (Maureen O'Hara). The competing store is slightly more evil, and the climactic courtroom scene doesn't quite pack the same punch.

Still, this remake isn't all that bad. Hughes and director Les Mayfield were wise not to mess too much with a good thing. All of the performances are fine and the film manages to conjure up the same holiday cheer as its predecessor.

The Picture

Nothing compares to the original -- unless you like your movies in color. Fox left out the promised colorized version from its recent Blu-ray release of the 1947 film, so this is a nice alternative. It isn't as beautiful as Christmas morning, but it will do. There are a lot of spots that appear soft and fuzzy. Also, like the 1947 version, this one lacks a lot of detail, which is sad considering its subject matter. For its age, though, the 1.85:1 transfer does show off a pretty nice color palette, with strong blacks, as well as reds and greens popping like giant Christmas bows.

The Sound

The newer version gets the same DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack as its predecessor. It sounds a tad better here. Like the original, this track is all about dialogue, with the faint sounds of shoppers and holiday cheer chiming throughout the right and left front speakers. However, this one features more music than the mall at Christmas time. It's a rather loud, omnipresent soundtrack, too, with music accounting for the only real rear channel sounds you'll notice throughout the movie.

The Extras

We're putting Fox on the naughty list for this one. There are absolutely no extras included on this disc.

Final Thoughts

Santa himself probably doesn't need multiple versions of Miracle on 34th Street. Since the original got its Blu-ray release on the exact same day as the remake, the decision would seem like a no-brainer. This version is fine, so it may come down to whether or not your Christmas dreams need to be in color. If it's not a requirement, go for the original; it's better and has a bevy of extras on the Blu-ray.

Product Details

• Actors: Richard Attenborough, Elizabeth Perkins, Dylan McDermott, J.T. Walsh, James Remar, Jane Leeves, Mara Wilson
• Director: Les Mayfield
• Audio/Languages: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English), Dolby Digital 5.0 (English), Dolby Surround (French)
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Region: A
• Number of Discs: 1
• Rating: PG
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• Blu-ray Disc Release Date: October 4, 2009
• Run Time: 113 minutes
• List Price: $34.99