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on June 9, 2017
The film is excellent. Adding characters and motivations that are not in the novel. Carl Foreman produced wanting a more provocative movie than just the action. After a few false starts with other directors J. Lee Thompson was acclaimed by the actors as the best and he proves worthy.
But what makes this box set so good are the features which explain all this. One is a memoir with Peck, Quinn, Darren, and Thompson talking about the picture. This is so much better than the feature that is on previous sets. The other is an essay of how the film transformed movie making in the early sixties and how Foreman basically rewrote the story.
I have had problems with movies that stray too far from the original story, and don't find much purpose in the Darren character, (which is why I only give the film a four star rating) however, the casting of the actresses is justified. And David Niven is such a pleasure to see attempting to be an action hero, while his character is attempting much the same.
But what makes this box set so good are the features which explain all this. One is a memoir with Peck, Quinn, Darren, and Thompson talking about the picture. This is so much better than the feature that is on previous sets. The other is an essay of how the film transformed movie making in the early sixties and how Foreman basically rewrote the story.
I have had problems with movies that stray too far from the original story, and don't find much purpose in the Darren character, (which is why I only give the film a four star rating) however, the casting of the actresses is justified. And David Niven is such a pleasure to see attempting to be an action hero, while his character is attempting much the same.
on May 11, 2017
I watched this as a child and had forgotten most of it and found myself watching it as for the first time. A well made and thrilling film it is a classic and if you are a war film junkie as I am, it will please. Good for watching on a night in bad weather - family entertainment. A treat.
on August 11, 2017
I haven't seen this movie in as brilliant a presentation since I saw it in the movie theater back in the day. I was, and still am, a western fan and thought this was a western until I saw a clip on The Ed Sullivan Show. The effects of the day may seem dated but they are actually brilliant and keep you in the film, which many CGI effects of today do not accomplish. A true action adventure movie with some great actors. I put off owning a copy and I'm glad I did. The best.
on March 25, 2015
This is a great Alistair MacLean story with an all-star cast. I watch this movie over and over because the writing is top notch and the characters unforgettable. Two things keep me from giving this five stars: the lighting is very dark, many night scenes shot during the day with a night filter so viewing the movie in anything by extreme darkness is a little annoying. The second thing that always bothers me is one scene where German troops are moving out in trucks to search for the commandos. As the troop tuck pulls away - again, night scene shot during the day with filter - the tailgate of the truck is clearly marked DODGE. Maybe in the next restoration they can blur that out using digital effects!
on July 2, 2017
Arrived prior to ETA and in great shape. This is one of the few war movies that I watch again and again. The cast is chuck full of stars who don't disappoint. The Greek countryside is beautiful and the music is outstanding, especially the wedding scene.
on June 22, 2017
I purchased this for my husband. It arrived on time and he watched it that night. I asked if he enjoyed watching it. Yes, he forgot some parts and the acting was good. He liked it.
on April 20, 2015
Looks really good. The film elements had been very poorly preserved and they did a great job of restoring it considering the bad condition of what they had. There's a very good extra feature about how they did it on the disk. This is still the best of the "High Adventure" films. I remember seeing it several times as a kid at the Gary Theater in Boston and the Criterion in New York. Many imitations came out afterward but none equaled it.
on October 5, 2015
I'm specifically reviewing the technical quality of the UHD master of this fantastic film.
This is still a great movie, but the Ultra HD master doesn't hold up very well.
The problem is that the master they used just doesn't have the resolution to bother with 4k. The extra resolution renders film grain, but not any edge sharpness of actual features. This may be an ongoing problem with many films, but as one of the few initial UHD releases Amazon is offering (at a hefty premium), this does not showcase UHD at all, and frankly the 1080p viewing experience may even be better. The compression hash is just woeful.
This is still a great movie, but the Ultra HD master doesn't hold up very well.
The problem is that the master they used just doesn't have the resolution to bother with 4k. The extra resolution renders film grain, but not any edge sharpness of actual features. This may be an ongoing problem with many films, but as one of the few initial UHD releases Amazon is offering (at a hefty premium), this does not showcase UHD at all, and frankly the 1080p viewing experience may even be better. The compression hash is just woeful.
on October 17, 2011
Those who will get to watch 'The Guns of Navarone' for the first time in blu ray are very fortunate! I saw it when it appeared in the theater circuit back in 1961 with my father. I was in my single digits, so I can't compare quality then with even the VHS copies that were around decades later (circa 1989). This is a film that was meant to convey adventure and action, and Alistair MacLean's novel is not short-changed in any way. Featuring an all-star cast headed by Gregory Peck with David Niven, Anthony Quinn, Irene Papas, and a young James Darren it earned a top billing wherever it played, and more than tripled it's 6 million dollar budget earning over $18 million in receipts. In the early 1960s, a film that could earn a million dollars was considered a financial success!
The film had quality control issues and the many copies produced resulted in the loss of several reels of the original negative. However, in the 80s when VHS was the only way to any home entertainment experience, the secondary video quality was not given much thought. The film's action and intensity overshadow most technical losses.
Showing in theaters during an era when b & w TV was the norm, how it looked in the theater certainly was most satisfactory by most anyone's standard. Such a film made available on VHS in 1989 was exciting, offering a new home viewing experience. I haven't owned a VHS player in years, and anything I had of value of family sentiment was transferred to DVD years ago. I cringe at the thought of watching this film in that format, but then I never liked VHS! S-VHS offered little improvement, though its increased resolution was nice, but few releases were ever made in Super VHS.
I bought the DVD back in 2000, and it looked good but the soundtrack is not overwhelmingly different from the new blu ray version. It does have a slight edge in its audio definition and has been digitally cleaned-up a bit and enhanced, with some spacial additions adding ambiance for a few scenes. But don't expect the serious surround today's features offer. It didn't exist back in 1961! Since many scenes in 'Navarone' were daytime exposures made to look like night, the underexposure and lighting tend to offer slightly more visibility in the new blu ray version, and the more detailed definition in color is also nothing short of a great movie experience. Such an experience has not been possible since this film was presented in its theatrical version in theaters half a century ago, so this should not go unnoticed! A punchier, more bass-laden audio as recorded today with full dynamic range would be nicer, but the audio you will hear will not disappoint you. A full orchestra in 1961 was a challenge to record, and with an average dynamic range of perhaps 70 db on a good day with great acoustics and recording equipment, today's worst recordings can surpass this half again. But a great soundtrack such as this film presents as written and conducted by Dimitri Tiomkin would likely not ultimately be more justified by technology than the action this film gave it then. 'The Guns of Navarone' stands as a feature that has not only survived the test of time, but for many of us even survived the test of repeated performances! From its theater days to TV, VHS, DVD and now blu ray... I suspect it will find sales to many who, like myself, wanted it long before the studio even scanned it fresh for its HD debut. Look for it soon on streaming sources and in HD when it does show on TV.
Classic films are what they are... most of us know which films they are, and when one comes along (which in our present day I have found can be counted on one hand with fingers left over!) it is recognized as something special. A film which stands the test of time is truly rare in today's world, and classics will always be recognized for the action, entertainment and artistic quality they have brought to audiences in the years they have endured.
With half a century passing since its theatrical release, 'The Guns of Navarone' belongs in the same ranks as other iconic war films such as Patton, Bridge On The River Kwai, A Bridge Too Far, The Longest Day and Tora, Tora, Tora. No collection could be complete without it, and thankfully, Sony Pictures must agree.
'The Guns of Navarone' in blu ray can be purchased new for well below its retail list of $19.99 (ie, Amazon where I ordered mine). It is a film well worth the time to watch, and one you will appreciate and want as part of your collection.
The film had quality control issues and the many copies produced resulted in the loss of several reels of the original negative. However, in the 80s when VHS was the only way to any home entertainment experience, the secondary video quality was not given much thought. The film's action and intensity overshadow most technical losses.
Showing in theaters during an era when b & w TV was the norm, how it looked in the theater certainly was most satisfactory by most anyone's standard. Such a film made available on VHS in 1989 was exciting, offering a new home viewing experience. I haven't owned a VHS player in years, and anything I had of value of family sentiment was transferred to DVD years ago. I cringe at the thought of watching this film in that format, but then I never liked VHS! S-VHS offered little improvement, though its increased resolution was nice, but few releases were ever made in Super VHS.
I bought the DVD back in 2000, and it looked good but the soundtrack is not overwhelmingly different from the new blu ray version. It does have a slight edge in its audio definition and has been digitally cleaned-up a bit and enhanced, with some spacial additions adding ambiance for a few scenes. But don't expect the serious surround today's features offer. It didn't exist back in 1961! Since many scenes in 'Navarone' were daytime exposures made to look like night, the underexposure and lighting tend to offer slightly more visibility in the new blu ray version, and the more detailed definition in color is also nothing short of a great movie experience. Such an experience has not been possible since this film was presented in its theatrical version in theaters half a century ago, so this should not go unnoticed! A punchier, more bass-laden audio as recorded today with full dynamic range would be nicer, but the audio you will hear will not disappoint you. A full orchestra in 1961 was a challenge to record, and with an average dynamic range of perhaps 70 db on a good day with great acoustics and recording equipment, today's worst recordings can surpass this half again. But a great soundtrack such as this film presents as written and conducted by Dimitri Tiomkin would likely not ultimately be more justified by technology than the action this film gave it then. 'The Guns of Navarone' stands as a feature that has not only survived the test of time, but for many of us even survived the test of repeated performances! From its theater days to TV, VHS, DVD and now blu ray... I suspect it will find sales to many who, like myself, wanted it long before the studio even scanned it fresh for its HD debut. Look for it soon on streaming sources and in HD when it does show on TV.
Classic films are what they are... most of us know which films they are, and when one comes along (which in our present day I have found can be counted on one hand with fingers left over!) it is recognized as something special. A film which stands the test of time is truly rare in today's world, and classics will always be recognized for the action, entertainment and artistic quality they have brought to audiences in the years they have endured.
With half a century passing since its theatrical release, 'The Guns of Navarone' belongs in the same ranks as other iconic war films such as Patton, Bridge On The River Kwai, A Bridge Too Far, The Longest Day and Tora, Tora, Tora. No collection could be complete without it, and thankfully, Sony Pictures must agree.
'The Guns of Navarone' in blu ray can be purchased new for well below its retail list of $19.99 (ie, Amazon where I ordered mine). It is a film well worth the time to watch, and one you will appreciate and want as part of your collection.
