Plot: What’s it about?
The streets are filled with people on the go, looking to make it to their destination on time, so they have little time to stop and check on the news. This is where the newspaper sellers come in, as they shout out the day’s top stories in hopes of selling their issues, which is how these young boys eat, put clothes on their backs, and keep a roof over their heads. These kids have next to nothing to call their own, but they work as hard as they can to push out copies of the papers, to have something to live on, at least. But when Pulitzer and Hearst, the owners of the presses, decide to increase the price of the goods to the sellers, it sparks an intense chain of events, as the boys simply cannot afford the rise, even as small as it might sound. As Jack Kelly (Christian Bale) has seen what strikes can do thanks to a local union, he and some other paperboys decide to rally their forces and stage one of their own. But when the owners don’t cave in to their demands, it means if they are to stick to their guns, the newsies will have even less than before. Will they be able to outlast hunger, thirst, and the thought of perhaps having no future?
The idea of a musical based on the exploits of rebellious newspaper delivery boys seems absurd, almost like a sketch on a comedy show. But Newsies was made somehow, bringing the tale of paperboys with problems to life and while it is rather silly at times, I think Newsies is a fun flick to take in. I wouldn’t recommend this picture to those in search of historical dramas, but this movie offers some lively musical numbers, very nice visuals, solid production design, and if all else fails, you can just laugh at the premise, I think. I mean, it is sort of like Cop Rock with newspapers instead of revolvers, which means in some scenes, it is impossible to view the film in serious fashion, it simply cannot be done. So it all sort of depends on your attitude, if you want to have fun then you can, but sour minded folks won’t enjoy Newsies too much. The cast is good, with such names as Robert Duvall (The Apostle), Christian Bale (American Psycho), and Ann-Margret (Grumpy Old Men), among others. If you’re a fan, then its a no brainer to nab this disc, but even those with casual interest should give Newsies a spin.
Video: How does it look?
Newsies is now two decades old and with this inaugural edition on Blu-ray, we’re treated to a rather unique viewing experience. First off, the image looks much-improved over the previous DVD edition. The 2.35:1 AVC HD image seems to be clearer in most scenes though there are several scenes that, to me, seemed unusually grainy. That said, the colors seem brighter despite the overly earthy-toned look and feel of the movie. Fleshtones seem a bit on the cooked side, though contrast and black levels seem to be on the mark. The image doesn’t seem to suffer from any DNR and for a film that was Disney’s biggest live-action flop (this was prior to John Carter), they’ve given it a very good-looking refresh.
Audio: How does it sound?
The DTS HD Master Audio track has also been improved and given the content of the film, it’s a welcome “upgrade” if you will. The vocals seem to have benefitted the most as they seem a bit more crisp and clear than the previous DVD offering. The songs, by and large, sound about the same though there seems to be a bit more ambiance in the surrounds. Musicals, by and large, sound pretty good even if they’re presented in standard Dolby surround. Thankfully that isn’t the case here, but no matter how you judge it – this is an improvement over the DVD.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The supplements are the same as with the 10th Anniversary Edition DVD. The commentary was recorded specifically for that DVD and it’s included in its entirety here. Director Kenny Ortega, as well as several others from the production crew, discus how the film was shifted from a drama to a musical, which is very interesting, but all too often, they focus more on praising their own work. I’m glad to have this track and all, but I wish there was more talk about the production and less back-patting, to be sure. A trio of behind the scenes featurettes is next and all clock in at around twenty minutes, so when combined, we’re talking about an hour of content, which is no small amount. The first two are your general behind the scenes looks, while the third focuses more on the real life story behind the film, which is most welcome and enhances the feature itself, if you ask me. You’ll also find a text based guide to some of the Newsies phrases, a special karaoke subtitle option, storyboard-to-scene comparison (with audio comments), and two of the film’s theatrical trailers.
