The Hawaiians Blu-ray Review

The Blu-ray release of "The Hawaiians" boasts a 1080p AVC encoded transfer presented in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The video quality is a notable improvement over the previous release of "Hawaii." Fine film grain has been meticulously retained, providing a film-like appearance that enhances the viewing experience. The intricate textures of the costumes, sets, and facial features are richly detailed, reflecting the high quality of the production design. The color palette leans slightly towards deeper earth tones, with prominent browns and lush greens, although primary colors like blues stand out vividly, particularly in sky and ocean scenes.

The transfer excels in its depiction of wide cinematographic shots, delivering excellent depth of field and conveying the vastness of the film's scenic landscapes. However, it does have its shortcomings. Some sequences, presumably second unit or location shots, exhibit a relative softness that detracts from the overall sharpness seen elsewhere. Additionally, while black levels are generally robust, certain scenes intended to depict late evening or day-for-night settings appear excessively dark, occasionally muddling depth and detail. Grain structure is naturally resolved and the film elements are in commendably good condition, ensuring a visually pleasing presentation that honors the original production.

The Blu-ray release of "The Hawaiians" features a meticulously restored DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track that excels in delivering an impeccable auditory experience. This lossless audio format provides pristine rendering of dialogue, Henry Mancini's elegant score, and various sound effects without any signs of age-related anomalies or distortions. Each component of the audio mix maintains a clear and balanced presence, ensuring that the dialogue always remains crisp and intelligible, and never overpowered by the musical score or ambient effects.

Despite the limitations inherent in a mono track, the DTS-HD MA 1.0 mix achieves a commendable sense of spatial depth and imaging, effectively avoiding any perception of flatness or lifelessness. The levels are precisely calibrated, requiring no manual adjustments by the viewer, making for a consistently enjoyable listening experience. Mancini's score, although not as renowned as Elmer Bernstein's work on the preceding film "Hawaii," is presented flawlessly in both the main soundtrack and the isolated score track segments.

In summary, this high-quality audio presentation highlights the best aspects of "The Hawaiians," enhancing the film's strengths with an excellent balance between dialogue, music, and sound effects. This exemplary audio track significantly enriches the overall viewing experience, reflecting meticulous attention to technical precision and historical authenticity.

The Blu-ray extras for "The Hawaiians" provide a well-rounded, engaging selection that enhances the viewing experience. The Original Theatrical Trailer appears slightly anamorphically stretched but maintains good quality. The MGM 90th Anniversary Trailer is clean and reflective of the studio's rich history. The Isolated Score Track, delivered in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, highlights the film's musical composition with remarkable clarity. These features, while concise, offer valuable insights and added engagement for viewers.

Extras included in this disc:

• Original Theatrical Trailer: Slightly anamorphically stretched but in good quality.
• MGM 90th Anniversary Trailer: Celebrates the studio's history.
• Isolated Score Track: Presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, showcasing the film's score.

"The Hawaiians" is a beautifully scenic yet emotionally detached follow-up to the 1966 film "Hawaii." Although it features a commendable cast and detailed production design, it fails to capture the depth and emotional heft of its predecessor. The movie's plot spans generations, focusing primarily on Whip Hoxworth (Charlton Heston), a sea captain turned pineapple plantation owner, and his exploits in Hawaii. The film's dense narrative often feels disjointed, struggling to encapsulate James Michener's vast source material within its 132-minute runtime. This rushed storyline leaves viewers feeling like they are missing critical context, undermining the emotional connections intended by the film’s creators.

Technically, "The Hawaiians" maintains high production values, with splendid cinematography that showcases Hawaii’s breathtaking landscapes. However, the film suffers from an uneven emotional impact, particularly in the relationships it tries to depict. While Whip’s marriage to Purity (Geraldine Chaplin) lacks the compelling dynamics of the original film's central couple, the secondary characters, Mun Ki (Mako) and Nyuk Tsin (Tina Chen), deliver more riveting performances. Their storyline, which subtly echoes themes from Pearl Buck's "The Good Earth," offers some of the most emotionally engaging moments, especially when Mun Ki is diagnosed with leprosy.

Ultimately, where "The Hawaiians" falls short is in its pacing and narrative structure. Key plot points rush by without allowing sufficient time for the audience to digest or feel their significance. Despite this, the film is a visually captivating piece and serves as an interesting piece of cinematic history. It may not achieve the impact of "Hawaii," but it's worth a watch for its historical context and visual beauty.

Twilight Time’s Blu-ray release of "The Hawaiians" exhibits an impressive A/V presentation, boasting a clean and vibrant transfer that does justice to the film’s scenic grandeur. Director Tom Gries, alongside cinematographers Lucien Ballard and Philip Lathrop, crafts a visually appealing narrative that diverges in focus, often leaning more heavily on the subplot involving Mun Ki and Nyuk Tsin than on the rather aloof main character, Whip Hoxworth. While the film features a commendable performance by Charlton Heston and a capable supporting cast, the broad scope of the story occasionally hampers its ability to foster deep emotional connections with the audience, making it feel overextended for its two-hour duration.

The film’s pacing benefits from Gries' adept direction, yet the persistent use of zoom lenses by Ballard and Lathrop can become distracting. Despite these minor technical quirks, the Blu-ray transfer is of high quality, preserving the vivid and lush colors of the original cinematography. Henri Mancini’s score stands out as a particular highlight, elevating numerous scenes with its rich orchestration and becoming the central supplementary feature included in this release. Michener enthusiasts may still prefer the depth and nuance of the original novel, which provides a richer exploration of themes and characters that the film only grazes over due to time constraints.

Conclusion: The Hawaiians is big, occasionally noisy, and almost always scenic, but it never develops any real emotional connection with the audience, at least with regard to its main character Whip. Instead, the real interest here tends to be the supposed supporting story of the odd couple of Mun Ki and Nyuk Tsin. Director Tom Gries keeps things moving well enough, even if his (or cinematographers Lucien Ballard and Philip Lathrop's) use of zoom lenses gets annoying after a while. Those who loved Hawaii will probably find enough interest in this follow-up to warrant a look, while others may want to devote some serious reading time to Michener's original novel. Technical merits are generally strong for those considering a purchase.