The Babe Blu-ray Review

The Blu-ray release of "The Babe" by Mill Creek is largely on par with the prior Universal disc, sharing the same master but exhibiting notable differences in compression handling. While both releases offer similar levels of textural finesse and grain management, this Mill Creek edition suffers from intermittent minor compression artifacts that aren't as prevalent in the Universal version. These artifacts, most discernible around the 17-minute mark, can detract from the viewing experience. Despite these issues, the core attributes of the original master remain intact, ensuring a relatively stable viewing experience for most users.

However, it must be noted that Mill Creek’s disc carries over the same dated film scan utilized by Universal four years ago. This results in a 1.85:1 presentation that is only adequate, marred by inconsistent color grading and tonality. Issues such as telecine wobble, uneven colors, muddy soft-focus, and occasionally washed-out colors persist. The contrast varies inconveniently from average to excellent without apparent reason. Despite these shortcomings, the AVC encode largely manages to handle the grain structure well, exhibiting only minor artifacts. Moreover, it is commendable that the film transfer has seen minimal filtering and processing, indicating that the raw image quality has potential; a more meticulous color timing effort could substantially improve its presentation for 1080P video.

In summary, while the Mill Creek Blu-ray release of "The Babe" mirrors the Universal disc in many respects, it falls short due to occasional compression artifacts and dated color grading issues. The presentation remains mostly acceptable but would benefit immensely from a refreshed film scan dedicated to more consistent tonality and improved handling of compression.

Mill Creek’s Blu-ray presentation of "The Babe" features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack, the same used in the Universal release. The audio here is proficient, with excellent dialogue reproduction albeit within a modest soundstage. The audio maintains clarity without any major discrepancies from previous releases, ensuring that viewers can appreciate clear and distinct interactions throughout the movie.

Notably, "The Babe" has not benefited from a contemporary surround remix for home video, relying instead on its original 2.0 DTS-HD MA track. While the sound design features competent but unremarkable audio effects, it remains serviceable. Composer Elmer Bernstein’s score, seemingly inspired by Randy Newman’s work for "The Natural," adds to the film's musical depth but does little to elevate the overall sound experience. The baseball effects are sharp, providing some vivid listening moments, yet overall, the lacks notable atmosphere or dynamism. The release also includes optional English SDH subtitles in a legible white font for accessibility.

Mill Creek has released "The Babe" on Blu-ray with their signature "Retro VHS" slipcover, but this version is notably barebones, omitting the extras found in Universal's previous 2017 release. For dedicated fans, the 2017 edition featured nearly forty minutes of additional content, including several featurettes which provided more depth and context to the film. This current release uses the same film transfer as the Universal disc, so while the audiovisual quality remains unchanged, the lack of supplementary material might dissuade hardcore collectors who seek a more comprehensive edition.

Extras included in this disc:

• None: Without any added bonus features, this Mill Creek release leaves out what was included in the previous Universal release.

Mill Creek has reissued the 1992 film "The Babe" starring John Goodman on Blu-ray, originally released by Universal in 2017. This version mirrors the audio and video quality of the previous release but does not include the supplemental material found on the Universal disc.

The biopic follows the life of George Herman "Babe" Ruth, tracing his journey from a troubled youth in a Baltimore orphanage to his legendary status as one of baseball’s greatest players. The narrative opens with Ruth’s early years, showing his initial struggles and subsequent discovery of his remarkable talent for baseball. Goodman’s portrayal of Ruth is compelling, capturing both his athletic prowess and larger-than-life personality, despite taking some dramatic liberties for storytelling purposes.

Significant performances by Kelly McGillis and Bruce Boxleitner support Goodman, whose notable physical resemblance to Ruth enhances the film's authenticity. Directed by Arthur Hiller, "The Babe" draws inspiration from iconic baseball films like "The Natural," blending mythic elements with realistic depictions of Ruth's life. However, Goodman's swing lacks realism, a minor shortcoming managed by strategic editing. The film balances Ruth’s baseball achievements and his tumultuous personal life with a focus on his relationships with his first wife Helen and later Claire, providing an emotional depth to the narrative.

"The Babe" may not have the standalone dramatic strength to captivate non-baseball fans but offers a respectful and engaging portrayal for enthusiasts of the sport. The film's chronologically loose recounting of historical events, combined with its focus on Ruth's personal exploits, creates a rich, albeit embellished, narrative of the baseball icon’s storied career.

"The Babe" Blu-ray offers a mixed viewing experience for both casual fans and avid collectors. The film attempts to chronicle the life of Babe Ruth, capturing key moments of his career and personal life through John Goodman’s capable, albeit not outstanding, performance. However, the narrative structure lacks cohesion and often feels disjointed, resulting in a movie that presents iconic scenes in chronological order without the dramatic flair needed to truly engage the audience. Despite good intentions, the film falls short of delivering an impactful story about one of baseball's greatest legends.

Mill Creek's Blu-ray presentation does little to distinguish itself from Universal’s earlier release. While the video quality is generally satisfactory, maintaining a clean and stable picture with reasonable color accuracy, it doesn't offer significant improvements over its predecessor. The audio track, although serviceable, doesn’t exhibit any remarkable enhancements either. A notable downside for collectors and fans is the absence of supplemental content – the Mill Creek edition omits a quartet of featurettes and a trailer present in the Universal release, which diminishes the overall value of this edition.

The Babe isn’t a failure of a film, but it's a disappointment all the same. It capably captures Ruth's life highlights, but the film is hardly a Ruthian effort, not narratively, not structurally, not in John Goodman's performance. The picture lacks cohesion and a sense of dramatic intensity, happy to simply throw memorable moments at the screen in a chronological order. Mill Creek's Blu-ray is not seriously altered from the Universal disc. It's missing the quartet of featurettes (and a trailer) but the video and audio qualities are not drastically altered. Those who don't mind the supplemental absence would be well served by picking this version up.