'Wyatt Earp' - High-Def Digest review

[jed]

Kenneth's review of 'Wyatt Earp' is up. Although opinions differ on the film itself, he says this one's a middle-of-the-road HD DVD release, featuring average video and weak supplemental package.

Full review here:
http://hddvd.highdefdigest.com/1006/wyattearp.html

[Spideybat]

I, like Ken, also prefer Tombstone over this. I liked it, but it was overlong and tedious. The Director's Cut is even worse, running almost four hours. I plan to watch this again October 6th on HDNet Movies.

[movie15]

He did not mention Dennis Quaid in his review. I thought he had the best role in the film

[Ken Brown]

Originally Posted by movie15

He did not mention Dennis Quaid in his review. I thought he had the best role in the film

I actually avoided him in the review because his performance was too grating for me personally. I'm biased on this point because I can't stand when actors add a growl to their voice -- I know he was accurately portraying Doc's rampant TB, but it comes across as very stagey to me. I guess it just sounds false to my ear (like a little boy trying to sound like his dad).

Val Kilmer rolled with Doc beautifully in 'Tombstone' and turned in one of my favorite period performances/interpretations of this particular character. Since I knew this would be a polarizing tangent and distract from my review's look at the overall film, I decided to keep mention of Quaid to the message boards.

Again, just this guy's opinion. I know a lot of people dig Quaid in 'Earp.' Thanks as always for posting!

[Rolltide1017]

Well, I enjoy Earp much more then Tombstone because of the crowded script. I think Earp gives a much better, more accurate interpretation of Wyatt's life. I also think I'm the only one on the planet that prefers Quaid's performance more the Kilmer's. I enjoy both movie but would much rather watch Earp if I was forced to choose.

I'm a bit disappoint that Ken didn't mention the weird jumping, stuttering (or shaking) at the beginning of the movie. I mainly noticed it during the opening credits. I don't have the 2 disc DVD anymore so I don't remember if it was evident there as well. It was so bad that I almost took the HD DVD back but, the jumping stop after a few minutes. I'm guessing that something happened during the original transfer to cause this. I would just like to know how something like this happens and isn't corrected. It was very distracting during the opening of the film.

Overall, I'm happy with the HD DVD (except for the above jumping) and I'm glad I purchased it. Now, if only Disney would release Tombstone on BD.

[FreddyC]

Originally Posted by Rolltide1017

Well, I enjoy Earp much more then Tombstone because of the crowded script. I think Earp gives a much better, more accurate interpretation of Wyatt's life. I also think I'm the only one on the planet that prefers Quaid's performance more the Kilmer's. I enjoy both movie but would much rather watch Earp if I was forced to choose.

I'm pretty much with you on the above quote. Tombstone seemed a bit more contrived and comic bookish. BUT, I really like Tombstone. I just like Earp better, simply because it didn't glorify Earp and Holliday so much.

So far as Kilmer or Quaid, I liked them both. I really did. Kilmer was much more entertaining, but I thought Quaid really looked the part.

They are both terrific movies. I don't have the HD DVD of Wyatt Earp yet, but I plan on getting it. Freddy

[Brad1963]

I like both, but prefer GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K. CORRAL over the two. Kirk Douglas as Doc Holliday was perfect.

[cooltobeyou]

I've seen Tombstone quite a few times, and I think its a pretty good film. I never had the opportunity to see "Wyatt Earp" though, so I'm looking forward to seeing this one when it arrives from Amazon

[Crispin]

Finally got around to watching Wyatt Earp last night and was generally pleased with the image and sound. I hadn't watched this movie for several years since the last version I bought was on laserdisc (collection gathering dust in my basement) and I didn't bother getting it on DVD since westerns don't appeal much to my wife, so needless to say that I watched this by myself.

Brown's 3.5 stars for HD video seems about right as does the 3.0 for audio. The surround field was most obvious (and best) in the two main gunfights - the OK Corral and during the ambush scene in the rocky pass. I didn't really notice any artifacts except in a few spots and only briefly. At times the picture was razor sharp and at other times soft especially in the crowd scenes - don't know whether to blame the mastering or the original cinematography. The film takes a leisurely pace to tell the story which is fine as long as you are in the right mindset for this. At any rate I am pleased to own it.

Tombstone is a guilty pleasure that I enjoy watching when I'm in the mood for a western done in a graphic novel style, in other words bearing little resemblance to the actual events with plenty of action and gunplay. If the Old West had had super-heroes Wyatt Earp would have been one of them in the Tombstone version.

[cooltobeyou]

I saw this movie for the first time last night, and I'm generally pleased with the film as well. I agree that the 3.5 stars for video quality is spot on.

As for the actual movie, I have to say that I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. I put off watching this film for years and years, due to the 3 hour+ running time and the fact that the subject matter didn't interest me. Then when I was at work the other day, the principal at my high school told me that Wyatt Earp's old house is right across the street from our school...and somehow that sparked my interest in seeing this movie....

I particularly enjoyed the earlier parts of the film, as they really dug into Wyatt's childhood/teenage years. They did a great job of making him seem like a very complex and rounded character during the first two hours of the film. In fact, I was ready to give the movie itself 4 stars. However, I felt that the ending portion (the last 45 minutes or so) lacked the intimacy and pacing of the beginning of the film. I'm ashamed to admit that I wouldn't have minded if they tacked on an extra 20 minutes in order to make the scenes in Tombstone more CLIMACTIC. In the end though, I felt very short changed by the ending of the film. For a movie that was so epic, the ending just seemed very anticlimactic and dull. In the end though, I'd probably still give this a 3.5/5 and I enjoyed it a little more than "Tombstone." I'm very pleased to own this movie

[davcole]

Blast from the past!!!

Watched this one last night and just a few randoms:

I like both Tombstone and Wyatt Earp though I favor Wyatt. I love the expanse bio of the man, I think his story is fascinating and deserves to center around more than Tombstone.

Next to Prince of Tides, this is my favorite James Newton Howard score. Heroic, melancholy and adventurous, it's an all encompassing score.

The video is a definite upgrade over the DVD, but as the review states, it's problematic. There wasn't consistent sharpness or color detail, some scenes were downright murky. Still and all a worthy upgrade.

I can't think of anything upgraded about the DD+ track. I sensed no more detail than the DVD's DD track. I was suprised how front centered it was, then again this is a early 90's flick.

[allargon]

Originally Posted by Rolltide1017

Well, I enjoy Earp much more then Tombstone because of the crowded script. I think Earp gives a much better, more accurate interpretation of Wyatt's life. I also think I'm the only one on the planet that prefers Quaid's performance more the Kilmer's. I enjoy both movie but would much rather watch Earp if I was forced to choose.

I'm a bit disappoint that Ken didn't mention the weird jumping, stuttering (or shaking) at the beginning of the movie. I mainly noticed it during the opening credits. I don't have the 2 disc DVD anymore so I don't remember if it was evident there as well. It was so bad that I almost took the HD DVD back but, the jumping stop after a few minutes. I'm guessing that something happened during the original transfer to cause this. I would just like to know how something like this happens and isn't corrected. It was very distracting during the opening of the film.

Overall, I'm happy with the HD DVD (except for the above jumping) and I'm glad I purchased it. Now, if only Disney would release Tombstone on BD.

Holy thread resurrection. I remember the gate jumping on this when it came out. The same gate jumping at the beginning exists with the broadcast version shown on HDNet Movies. So, it's a master thing. Oh well.

I agree with the review. It's not a reference quality transfer. However, it's definitely not a Traffic.