That Thing You Do! Blu-ray Review

The Blu-ray presentation of "That Thing You Do!" falls short of expectations with its 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer. The image quality sadly reflects a dated DVD-era master, likely sourced from a poorly maintained internegative. Filmed on 35mm using spherical lenses—which generally result in softer images—the film surprisingly pushes past softness into outright blurriness, devoid of fine detail. The print is marred by specks and excessive grain, particularly in overexposed highlights, leading to a rather distracting visual experience. Closeups, in particular, suffer, amplifying the rough texture.

Color reproduction fares only marginally better, with uninspiring black levels that often crush shadow detail in darker scenes. Cinematographer Tak Fujimoto's intended tones oscillate between overly saturated and weak, with skin tones periodically appearing unnatural. Although the film's original palette ought to bring some visual charm to the period it depicts, the transfer unfortunately fails to deliver, depriving viewers of a crisp and enjoyable experience. This Blu-ray release serves as a cautionary example of what shouldn't be done when transitioning from DVD to Blu-ray.

The Blu-ray edition of "That Thing You Do!" comes with a well-executed lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound track, which seamlessly enhances the overall viewing experience, especially given the film’s musical focus. The audio mix ensures that the dialogue remains consistently clear and prominent, effectively allowing the characters’ interactions to come through effortlessly. This sound mixing strategy is particularly crucial in a film so reliant on music, providing an immersive auditory experience.

Ambient sounds and applause are skillfully distributed across the rear speakers, creating an inclusive environment as they blend into the surround channels. As the band, The Wonders, performs their iconic tracks, the sound becomes richer and more expansive, particularly noticeable in the drum sections that gain more presence as the film progresses. These sonic enhancements contribute significantly to the viewer's immersion into the musical journey depicted on screen.

Additionally, the disc features Spanish and French dubs along with English SDH and Spanish subtitles, ensuring broader accessibility. While the overall sound mix may not deliver groundbreaking dynamics, it does achieve a fine balance between music and dialogues, maintaining an engaging auditory landscape throughout. The audience cheers are rendered authentically, augmenting the live performance feel that is pivotal to this film.

The Blu-ray release of "That Thing You Do!" brings together a comprehensive collection of extras from the 2007 DVD release, although it's worth noting that all the content is presented in standard definition. Among the standout features, "The Story of The Wonders" delves into the film’s origins with insightful interviews from Tom Hanks and key contributors. "Making That Thing You Do!" provides behind-the-scenes glimpses and quick interviews with the cast and crew, while "That Thing You Do! Reunion" captures the cast's 2007 gathering to reminisce about the movie's production. Additionally, the "HBO First Look" promotional piece and "The Wonders! Big in Japan!" offer various perspectives on the filming and promotional activities. Rounding out the extras are a music video, trailers, and TV spots.

Extras included in this disc:

The Wonders! Big in Japan!: The cast recall their trip to Tokyo to promote the film.

The Story of The Wonders: Discusses the origin of the project, its characters, and its period piece details.

Making That Thing You Do!: Quick interviews and on-set behind-the-scenes footage.

That Thing You Do! Reunion: The cast reconvene in 2007 to reminisce about the making of the film.

HBO First Look: The Making of That Thing You Do!: A short promo covering similar ground as previous featurettes.

Feel Alright Music Video

TV Spot

Trailer A

Trailer B

Trailer C

Tom Hanks' "That Thing You Do!" bursts with nostalgia and charm, capturing the effervescent spirit of early '60s rock. The film features the unforgettable title song, masterfully written by Adam Schlesinger, which successfully emulates the bubblegum pop sound of the era. Hanks’ directorial debut injects a palpable sense of earnest enthusiasm into every scene, even if it does sidestep the grittier aspects of rock ‘n’ roll history. Tom Everett Scott leads as the affable Guy Patterson, navigating from Erie’s mundane appliance shop to fleeting rock stardom with a pitch-perfect ensemble cast featuring Steve Zahn, Johnathon Schaech, and Ethan Embry. Each character’s distinct personality enriches the narrative, making the band’s meteoric rise a heartfelt experience.

The film's available in its original theatrical cut and an extended director's cut via seamless branching on Blu-ray, allowing viewers to explore additional character background and enhanced storyline nuances. The extended cut, in particular, reveals Mr. White's (played by Hanks) backstory in intriguing ways and adds depth to the band's internal dynamics. These inclusions make the elongated runtime well worth it for fans seeking a more comprehensive dive into the Wonders’ journey. Both versions showcase the actors' synchronicity and their ability to genuinely evoke the camaraderie and subtle tensions typical of any rising band.

Despite the heartwarming narrative and strong performances, the Blu-ray transfer itself is somewhat disappointing, marred by compression artifacts and subpar picture quality. While this issue detracts from the viewing experience, it fails to overshadow Hanks' nostalgic homage to an era of burgeoning rock ‘n’ roll dreams and fleeting fame. The film remains a true crowd-pleaser, brimming with charm, infectious music, and a wistful look back at a seemingly simpler time in American pop culture history.

The Blu-ray release of "That Thing You Do!" presents a mixed bag for consumers. While Tom Hanks' 1996 directorial debut remains a delightful and nostalgic journey through the 1960s pop music scene, the technical execution of the Blu-ray leaves much to be desired. The video quality of this Blu-ray transfer disappointingly represents a repurposed DVD-era master. The result is a blotchy and noisy image with visible artifacts and inconsistent clarity that detracts from the viewing experience. Although the audio presentation is solid, it doesn't compensate for the visual shortcomings experienced during playback.

From an extras standpoint, fans will find no new incentives with this Blu-ray release; it recycles features from previous DVD editions. This lack of additional content is disheartening for enthusiasts seeking fresh insights or behind-the-scenes material. Despite the evident love for the film itself, capturing its charm, wit, and infectious music, the Blu-ray package fails to offer substantial reasons to upgrade from prior DVD releases. The omission of enhanced or remastered visual elements further exacerbates this issue.

In conclusion, while "That Thing You Do!" remains charming and enjoyable as ever, its Blu-ray release falls short of delivering the superior audiovisual experience one might expect in 2023. Fans of the film might still derive joy from revisiting it, but those with an existing DVD copy would be better served retaining their current version. Potential buyers should consider renting before making a purchase to circumvent possible disappointment. This Blu-ray edition underscores the need for a future release that adequately captures the film's endearing qualities with improved technical standards.