Plot: What’s it about?
As a group of prep school boys travel across the ocean, they have no idea what dark fate awaits them in a short while. A horrific plane crash sends them headed toward the waters, where a lot of the young men survive, but their adult supervisors perish in the event. The survivors gather on an isolated island and while they’re just young boys, they are also military cadets and as such, have some idea of how to survive, even in the wilds. At first, the boys band together and attempt to survive via helping each other, but as time passes, they become more comfortable in their new island dwellings. As such, some differences of opinion arise and two camps emerge, one led by the aggressive Jack (Chris Furrh) and the other by the more reserved Ralph (Balthazar Getty). As Ralph and his friends try to build up an organized system, Jack and his group live like barbarians, which creates some serious conflict. As tension mounts and confrontation seems imminent, which side will emerge as the true survivors of this tragic chain of events?
Although I prefer the Peter Brooks rendition or even the loose interpretation found in Battle Royale, this remake of Lord of the Flies is still decent enough. I’ve seen it a million times, as I used to watch it on cable often and eventually picked up the VHS tape. I don’t think this is a great movie by any means, but I still revisit it and each time, I am glad that I did. The writing here sticks close to the book and that’s good, since there isn’t much that should be changed, if you ask me. The premise is played out to solid impact, thanks to some good production values and locations, which ensure the ominous atmosphere is present. The dark visuals really add to the suspense and in movie like Lord of the Flies, tension is an element you need in spades. The young actors do well enough, with a couple standout turns from Balthazar Getty (Young Guns II) and Chris Furrh in the leads, but don’t expect award level performances. If you’re a fan of the source material, I think this updated Lord of the Flies is worth a look. MGM has done little with the disc, but offers it at a welcome low price, so in terms of value, this one is decent enough.
Video: How does it look?
Lord of the Flies is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is a very nice visual effort, complete with clean source print and sharp overall image. I did see some grain at times, but nothing too extreme and as such, no real worries there. The dark visuals look terrific here, thanks to well balanced contrast and on the mark black levels. The colors are in order also, especially the red and green shades, which are the most prominent hues. A few print flaws and grain spots aside, this is a more than solid transfer and fans should be pleased.
Audio: How does it sound?
I found the included 2.0 surround track to be more than adequate, with some nice use of the rear channels and a solid overall atmosphere. The jungle environment is ripe with audio potential, from the cracks underfoot to the ambient noises, most of which is well handled here. This track is not as active as a full 5.1 option might be, but it sounds great and never disappoints. The dialogue is clean and clear from start to finish, with no volume errors to speak of, at least that I could notice. This disc also includes subtitles in Spanish and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc contains no bonus materials.
