The Greatest Game Ever Played on Blu-ray Disc Review
By Rachel Cericola
The Film
Before Shia LaBeouf battled Transformers or became the spawn of Indiana Jones, he was part of the Disney family, starring in
Even Stevens. Despite the TV series ending in 2003, LaBeouf held on to his Disney cred long enough to star in the studio's
The Greatest Game Ever Played.
Directed by Bill Paxton (yes,
Big Love's Bill Paxton), this flick is very much in the vein of other Disney sports stories, such as
The Rookie and
Miracle. This time, it's the true story Francis Ouimet, an underdog who was the first amateur golfer to win the U.S. Open.
Paxton pulls off an interesting movie, with a lot of crazy, if not impossible, shots and angles. Most of the film takes place on the course, so if you're not a fan of the sport, the film may drag at a hearty two hours. In fact, the film has more golf than CBS on U.S. Open weekend, but it's also got a lot of heart. Also, in true Disney fashion, you can guess what happens at the very end. However, you could also pick up a history book.
The Picture
The manicured green, the outfits and the shiny clubs; golf is a good-looking sport. Of course, you won't see any Nike or Titleist emblems here, but there is still plenty to look at in this 1.85:1 transfer. The blacks are deep, which makes some of the more drab colors stand out. Of course, the drab typically comes in items like the clothing, which is just to reflect the time period. That's not to say that it doesn't have tons of detail. You've got to love an era where the scally cap makes a daily appearance. Overall though, be thankful that most of the movie takes place in the great outdoors, where detail is plentiful and popping.
The Sound
Disney swings at this soundtrack using DTS-HD Master Audio, which nicely matches the image. Of course, most of the film is dominated by dialogue, which sounds crisp and clear. Still, there are plenty of crowd scenes throughout the movie, which provide a lot of little details for your array of surrounds. Like the image, the best here will come during the scenes on the course. Basically, it's the closest you're ever going to get to a pro game without having to caddy for Tiger Woods.
The Extras
Like most true sports movies, this release features snippets on its real-life counterparts. However, Disney opted for quality over quantity here. There's a 6-minute blurb on the lives of Francis Ouimet and Harry Vardon. How much can you learn in six minutes? Enough to want to follow up with the 24-minute "From Caddie to Champion: Francis Ouimet," a 1963 documentary with actual Ouimet interviews.
Final Thoughts
Despite his action-hero status, Shia LaBeouf plays this one quite nicely under the guidance of director Bill Paxton (
Frailty wasn't a fluke!). After all, when it comes to underdog sports stories, Disney has yet to disappoint.
The Greatest Game Ever Played isn't the best sports movie; it's not even the best golf movie. However, this release is a real winner and worth the extra bucks for the Blu-ray.
Where to Buy:
Product Details
- Actors: Shia LaBeouf, Stephen Firth, Elias Koteas, Josh Flitter
- Director: Bill Paxton
- Audio/Languages: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (English), Dolby Digital 5.1 (Spanish, French)
- Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
- Region: A
- Number of Discs: 1
- Rating: PG
- Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
- Blu-ray Disc Release Date: June 16, 2009
- Run Time: 120 minutes
- List Price: $34.99
- Extras:
- A View from The Gallery: On the Set of The Greatest Game Ever Played
- Two Legends and the Greatest Game
- From Caddie to Champion: Francis Ouimet
- Audio Commentary with Director Bill Paxton
- Audio Commentary with Author, Screenwriter and Producer Mark Frost
