Plot: What’s it about?
Go, Go, Go Joesph! That’s what I was singing after I watched this wonderful DVD for the first time. True, it’s not like a real “movie” in that sense of the word, rather it’s like a film crew came in and taped a performance of it, nevertheless it’s one of the better musical’s that I’ve seen (Not counting Broadway, of course). The story is of Joesph, and his envious brothers who sell Joseph into slavery. Eventually he rises to become one of the most powerful men in Egypt (that’ll teach ’em).
What makes Joesph…(rest of title) so amazing is partly the genius of Andrew Lloyd Weber, who originally wrote this musical back in 1968 for a school play. Now it’s been performed in over 15,000 schools worldwide and been seen on stage by more than 10 million people, no telling how many more new audiences that this DVD will reach (well, here’s one). Also, if you’re a fan of Lloyd’s style of music (Cats, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar), then it’s a safe bet that you’ll find yourself enjoying this as much as I did.
Now as for the casting, Donny Osmond was the natural choice for this role, as he played it on stage for quite a while. Also included are Sir Richard Attenbourogh (Director of In Love and War, Ghandi and acted in dozens of films but most recently in Jurassic Park and The Lost World) and Joan Collins (Dynasty-TV). Joseph and the Amazing Technocolor Dreamcoat may not be for everyone, but kids are bound to love it…and even a few adults as well.
Video: How does it look?
Whoa! This looks like a comic book that’s come to life. Never before have I seen so many bright, vivid colors on a DVD. But, with a name like Joseph and the amazing Technocolor Dreamcoat, I guess you have to splash that color around. The 1.55:1 image is too narrow to benefit from anamorphic enhancement, but the picture is still quite stunning with no artifacting and no shimmering at all.
Audio: How does it sound?
A nice suprise as Universal keeps adding the dual DTS/Dolby Digital soundtracks on one disc. I initially listened to the DTS version and it is by far the better of the two, with more depth and range that the Dolby Digital version. The Dolby Digital version is nice as well, and if I didn’t have the DTS to compare it to, I would think that it was great all by itself. Either choice you make, you’ll be happy.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Production notes and cast bios along with a documentary on the making of Joseph and the Amazing Technocolor Dreamcoat make very nice additions to this DVD.
