Plot: What’s it about?
Captain Bligh (Anthony Hopkins) has always been a hard edged, tough commander, but his men have followed orders, waiting for the time when he takes his command too far. He has taken them into rough storms and lost men, battled other ships with the odds against them, and other tasks that pushed their limits, but the men have remained loyal until this point. Now Bligh wishes to lead his men into a massive trek across over twenty-seven thousand miles of ocean waters, which doesn’t have his crew in the best of spirits, to say the least. After thirty-one days of trying to complete the trek, the ship takes leave in Tahiti and things begin to break down. The men start to love their new tropical home and consider Bligh’s authority to be a secondary option. As the days begin to mount up, Bligh informs them it is time to set sail once again, which the men are not pleased to hear. Under the new command of first mate Fletcher Christian (Mel Gibson), the crew mounts a mutiny against Bligh. Will the crew be able to take control of the ship, or will they fall under the hand of Bligh once again?
Man, talk about a loaded cast. You’ve got Mel Gibson, Anthony Hopkins, Liam Neeson, Laurence Olivier, Daniel Day-Lewis, and others, in this epic on the seas. And these folks don’t waste their talents here either, all turn in superb performances and the masses of extras also seem very at home in this film. I love epic films and where better to have one than on the seas, with a stunning cast of gifted actors? I have to admit, I can find few flaws with movie and I think it captures the material well, very realistic. I love the locations and sets used for this motion picture, as they’re so complex and well planned. Of course, you need a very nice boat to have a film on the seas and this film delivers, the sequences aboard the boats look excellent. Also in fine form is the production design, which supplies some gorgeous costumes, makeup, and other design nuances. I love the costumes in The Bounty and in truth, I sometimes watch the film just to see them. This story has been told many times before, but this is my favorite cinematic take. A loaded cast, fantastic production design, great writing, and a competent director all combine to deliver a fantastic film. I recommend this film and disc, a rental or purchase is a wise choice.
As I mentioned above, this film boasts an impressive cast, loaded with award winning and critically acclaimed performers. The leads are played by Anthony Hopkins (The Silence Of The Lambs, Surviving Picasso) and Mel Gibson (Lethal Weapon, Braveheart), both of whom are in top notch form. Gibson doesn’t quite keep pace with Hopkins all the time, but he always manages to be consistent. He seems to be a little too over the top at times, but again, his work is on the mark in the end. Hopkins gives another tour-de-force turn as the captain, full of energy and passion. We always expect a lot from Hopkins and as usual, he delivers the good in this movie. I think this film is stolen by Liam Neeson however, who has less screen time, but fills it with skillful work. Neeson (Schindler’s List, The Haunting) is excellent in The Bounty and I think his performance here rivals his best work. The cast also includes Laurence Olivier (Marathon Man, Clash of the Titans), Daniel Day-Lewis (The Boxer, My Left Foot), Edward Fox (Never Say Never Again, Lost in Space), and Bernard Hill (True Crime, The Ghost and The Darkness). The director of The Bounty is Roger Donaldson, who also helmed such films as Cocktail, White Sands, Species, No Way Out, and Dante’s Peak.
Video: How does it look?
The Bounty is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is a very good visual transfer, with only a few small flaws present that keep the score down. Some minor grain is present in some of the darker sequences and in many scenes, the colors have faded somewhat. But the colors still have a bright appearance, they just seem a little less rich than they once were. But this film is over fifteen years old, so I suppose we can’t expect sheer and utter perfection. The contrast has some trouble spots, but on the whole, detail seems high and the lot looks well balanced. This is a good treatment for this film, although I wish it looked a little less dated.
Audio: How does it sound?
This disc includes a Dolby Digital 5.1 track and while this film isn’t loaded with dynamic audio, this still sounds very good. I love the musical score used in the movie, which seems to mesh to perfection with the images and events. It sounds stupendous in this mix, as the surrounds come to life and allow the musical to envelop the viewer. The normal sound effects come across well, though a little on the conservative side, while the powerful stuff rocks the speakers. A very active overall experience indeed, but the dialogue is never buried or obscured. The vocals come across in smooth, crisp form and I found no problems in the least. This disc also includes English captions and subtitles in Spanish & French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the film’s theatrical trailer.
