Plot: What’s it about?
As the American space program nears a historic milestone, the behind the scenes movements have become intense, as all the preparations are made. In an effort to broadcast the first steps on the moon, NASA has been working with Australian technicians, to plant a massive dish in their landscape. This one thousand ton dish was to be placed in a good, isolated location, in order to provide the clearest, cleanest signal possible. But when the Australians positioned the dish in a sheep farm, NASA started to worry, if just a smidge. Then as time closes in on the historic broadcast, the dish goes cold and it looks like the whole operation is out the window. Now NASA’s by the book staff of workers has to get along with the eccentric, but good natured Australian team, to make sure the event is seen by the public, as intended. It won’t be an easy task, but with such lasting consequences, perhaps the two teams can manage to get along, if just for a short while.
Based on the real events around the broadcast of Apollo 11’s historic moments, The Dish is a wonderful Australian import, loaded with humor & heart. I was quite impressed with the film and purchase an import disc, prior to the release of this Region 1 edition. I’ve since viewed the movie more than a few times and in truth, it never seems to lose a single laugh. This is an impressive task for any film, but comedies tend to lose power after a while, though The Dish seems as potent as ever. I found it to be well written, well performed (by such names as Sam Neill, Patrick Warburton, and Kevin Harrington), and on the whole, it just seem well executed, on both sides of the camera. I know the Australian humor might not connect with everyone, but the film is never out of reach in that respect. I was quite pleased to see The Dish released by Warner here in the U.S., but they have done little to enhance the disc, to be sure. The Australian (Region 4) edition sports a stacked deck of supplements, while we’re stuck with this bare bones release. In any event, the film is well worth a look, but thanks to Warner’s lack of effort, I think a rental will suffice in most cases.
As usual, Sam Neill is able to bring a lot to the table and while he isn’t seen in comedies often, he handles the tasks here with ease. I’ve seen most of Neill’s films and he is great in more humorous pictures, but is better known for his dramatic works, I think. In The Dish, he is able to play both sides of himself, with some more serious moments, but also a lot of humor to bounce around. He nails the role and balances the elements very well, in yet another impressive performance. I hope to see Neill take on more comedic roles in the future, as he is so good within them, even if given just a little comedy to inject into his characters. You can also see Neill in such films as Jurassic Park, Event Horizon, Sirens, Possession, The Piano, and In The Mouth of Madness. The cast also includes Kevin Harrington (Guru Wayne, My Second Car), Patrick Warburton (Scream 3, The Emperor’s New Groove), Tom Long (Strange Planet, Two Hands).
Video: How does it look?
The Dish is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is a very good visual effort, but it has some flaws and in the end, falls short of greatness. I suppose the material is somewhat to blame, but since no serious issues arise, I won’t be too rough on it. The print looks clean, but shows some small blemishes and defects, a few more than expected, given the film’s age and pretty quick move onto home video. Even so, the colors look bright, flesh tones are natural, and contrast seems accurate, so all the basics are covered here. This should please viewers despite the flaws, as they never get in the way that much.
Audio: How does it sound?
I found the audio to be well presented here, but keep in mind, this is not a dynamic film in terms of audio presence. The music adds to the atmosphere and opens the surrounds, but aside from the soundtrack, only a few scenes take advantage of the additional channels. This is how it should be though, as the material is very talky and just doesn’t need the distraction, which unneeded surround effects can be. The dialogue is rich and clean at all times, with no evidence of volume errors I could detect. This disc also includes subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes some talent files, as well as the film’s theatrical trailer. This bare bones release from Warner is a shame, as the Region 4 disc boasts a wealth of supplements, including multiple audio commentary tracks.
