This is my first time writing a dvd review and I am doing so for several reasons. The first is because a friend of mine was asking about the movie and the second is because I wanted to try photobucket.com so I thought I would write a review and post some pictures of the dvd. I have no idea if anyone wants to read this, but I was also thinking of doing Apollo 13: 2 Disc Anniversay Edition and Orgazmo: Special Edition.

Finding Neverland

The Film:
"Finding Neverland" details a part of the life of J.M. Barrie, the author of "Peter Pan." Depp stars as the famous author and the movie begins with Barrie bearing the disappointment of having a failed theatrical production. Soon after, he meets the Davies family and becomes fond of the four young boys. Their mother is played by Kate Winslet and their overbearing grandmother is portrayed by Julie Christie. I found "Finding Neverland" to be a highly entertaining and touching story. The actors are very good, especially Winslet, Depp, and Christie. Although I am not sure if this should have been nominated for a Best Picture Oscar, it is a very well-made film. Especially nice are the "fantasy sequences" stemming from Barrie's imagination. My only concern is that the film has a few slow scenes (most of the film has a nice pace but a few stick out) and could have used a little bit of editing. Overall, I would give "Finding Neverland" a "B+".

The DVD:

Picture:
Miramax isn't known for the best quality dvd transfers, however this transfer isn't as bad as some others from the studio. Most of the film is presented fairly well in this anamorphic transfer, however there are some problems. The largest of these problems is the sharpness, as many scenes look quite soft and even fuzzy. Often, backgrounds are a blur (as in Kill Bill Volume 1) and details are not clear. Edge enhancement isn't a huge problem, however several scenes are a bit grainy. I did not notice any print dirt or scratches. I would grade the transfer on this dvd a "B-".

Audio:
I only have a simple Dolby 5.1 setup, however since that was the only option on this dvd there are no worries. Because this movie is mostly dialogue-driven, the Dolby 5.1 mix is not incredibly active. All voices are clear and distinct, but I felt that the track was recorded at a lower level than most of my dvds. Fantasy sequences do provide a nice bit of surround action, most of it comes from a storm. I give the audio a "B+".

Extras:
Sadly, Miramax didn't go all-out for this film movie on DVD. Of course the movie is the main draw for me when buying a dvd, but extras go a long way in my book. First up are three delted scenes with optional commentary. These are rather slight, but I liked the one where Depp informs one of the kids that "only grownups have children." Next is a short making-of called "The Magic of F.N." which is mostly fluff. You know it's a bad sign when half of the featurette is made up of scenes from the movie and scenes from Depp's other films. Voice-over narration and ass-kissing make this pretty useless. "Creating Neverland" is a bit better, but way too short. It details the creation of the fantasy scenes. Another pointless feature "On the Red Carpet" takes footage from the premiere but is not informative. There are also five minutes of outtakes and a decent commentary (let's put our phones on silent guys) where the director, producer, and writer chat about the film. They discuss everything from scene shooting, the pedophilia issue, to working with the actors. Not a bad track, but not stellar either. I give the extras a "C."

Overall:
"Finding Neverland" is a nice piece of non-flashy cinema and I enjoyed the film and the performances. I would at least reccomend this as a rental and possible purchase because of the film. The transfer is merely okay, the audio good, and extras slim so technically, the disc could be better. I rate this disc (movie, presentation, and extras) a "B."

I will be posting some pictures below.

DVD art: (If I'm not supposed to post pictures, let me know)


Front:
I really liked the original art they had for this (similar to poster) and I really dislike this cover. The bottom is alright, but the colors are ugly and so are the giant heads. At least the spine is decent...


Back:


Insert: I like these inserts with chapters and extras breakdown.



Screenshots:

Looks like you got a defective copy, it's all fuzzy.

Haha, yeah my camera was being a pain and I didn't care about them being perfect quality. Hey they kind of mirror the transfer.

Very good review, I would agree with everything you said about the movie/DVD.

Sky captian being in your collection made me cringe

Can't help you there, I really enjoyed Sky Captain.

just keep the reviews coming

I posted "Closer" and may do Apollo 13, Orgazmo, or something else.

I gave up trying to get good clear shots with a camera....now I use my scanner on any thing that will lay down and behave....it's amazing how great the picture will be that way....

Well, I definitely disagree with you concerning the commentary - I thought this was an entertaining and informative track that helped explain how the script was developed and changed, why scene decisions were made, etc. I also appreciated the several references about bits of dialogue and business that were contributed by the actors themselves - it helps you understand how really good actors become part of the overall creative process.