Plot: What’s it about?
Scotty Smalls (Tom Guiry) is the new fifth grader in town and of course, he wants to make friends and such, but he is quite the shy fellow. His mother is nice and tries to encourage him to seek out new friends, while his baseball loving stepfather (Denis Leary) pushes him toward the sport, as a chance to break the ice with the local kids. But Scotty is no natural athlete and has minimal skills, which could make the whole experience much harder. Even so, he heads off to the nearby makeshift field with his glove in tow, hoping to make some friends and with a little luck, not make a complete fool of himself. He gets off to a rough start, but is soon taken in by the team’s star player Rodriguez and soon enough, he’s a regular player on the field. The guys soon embark on all sorts of adventures, from barnburning games of baseball to sneaking peeks of the gorgeous lifeguard to feuding with another local team, all the while having the best summer of their lives. But when Scotty brings one of his stepdad’s prized balls by mistake and it ends up in the yard of a massive, legendary killer dog, is it the end of the paradise?
I like The Sandlot and have watched the laserdisc countless times, so I am quite pleased to see this released to DVD, of course. The movie has a good amount of nostalgia involved, so it appeals to children and adults, but it does have some flaws, of course. At times, The Sandlot is very brisk and comedic and those moments work very well, but then it takes some sharp turns and heads toward dramatic ground. This is where the film loses steam to me, as the more serious scenes lack the energy and timing of the lighter ones, so it never really fuses into the theme of the movie, if you ask me. But even with that, The Sandlot has a lot to offer and since most family aimed flicks stink to high heaven, even this solid one stands above the others. The story is a good one and one that we can all somewhat relate to, which is vital in this kind of movie, since it deals with childhood, moving on, and growing up. Yes, it can be a little too sappy at times and the more serious moments do drag, but for the most part, The Sandlot is a worthwhile family feature. As Fox has given the movie a solid treatment with a low price, I more than recommend this release.
Video: How does it look?
The Sandlot is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, with a full frame edition also included on the disc’s flip side. Fox has issued a nice looking transfer here, one that improves greatly upon their laserdisc release. The image is quite sharp and shows much less wear than expected, thanks to a clean source print. The colors have a bright, natural sheen to them and flesh tones look good also, while contrast is stark and allows ample detail to surface. This transfer has some flaws, but given that this is a lower priority catalog title, I think Fox has given us a more than solid visual effort.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included Dolby Digital 5.1 track is a good one, but this material is dialogue driven, so there’s not much potential for the mix to shine. Even so, the speakers do open up at times and enhance the experience, though not too often. The baseball field sounds come through in fine form, while the music is rich and sounds terrific here. No flaws to speak of with dialogue either, as vocals are crisp and always easy to understand. This disc also includes 2.0 surround options in English and French, as well as Spanish and English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a brief behind the scenes featurette, seven television spots, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
