Forrest Gump (Blu-ray) 15th Anniversary Edition Official AVSForum Review

( Max score: 100 )

89

Film Synopsis:

"Stupid is as stupid does," says Forrest Gump (played by Tom Hanks in an Oscar-winning performance) as he discusses his relative level of intelligence with a stranger while waiting for a bus. Despite his sub-normal IQ, Gump leads a truly charmed life, with a ringside seat for many of the most memorable events of the second half of the 20th century. Entirely without trying, Forrest teaches Elvis Presley to dance, becomes a football star, meets John F. Kennedy, serves with honor in Vietnam, meets Lyndon Johnson, speaks at an anti-war rally at the Washington Monument, hangs out with the Yippies, defeats the Chinese national team in table tennis, meets Richard Nixon, discovers the break-in at the Watergate, opens a profitable shrimping business, becomes an original investor in Apple Computers, and decides to run back and forth across the country for several years. Meanwhile, as the remarkable parade of his life goes by, Forrest never forgets Jenny (Robin Wright Penn), the girl he loved as a boy, who makes her own journey through the turbulence of the 1960s and 1970s that is far more troubled than the path Forrest happens upon. Featured alongside Tom Hanks are Sally Field as Forrest's mother; Gary Sinise as his commanding officer in Vietnam; Mykelti Williamson as his ill-fated Army buddy who is familiar with every recipe that involves shrimp; and the special effects artists whose digital magic place Forrest amidst a remarkable array of historical events and people.

My Take:

Mama always says. well, you know. Forrest Gump is a true cinematic masterpiece and a definitive achievement for its cast and filmmakers. It tells a complex story about a simple man whose daily life touched many but from his point of view was looked at as just another day. Forrest Gump has learned through the love and devotion of his mother that the world is a better place because he is in it. His limitations don't define who he is, his actions do. He is a deeply good man, the kind that god looks after. His successes in life are inspired by his innocence and ardent devotion to honesty, love and dedication to his word. Gump is such a wonderful film. Its multifaceted story is deeply enriching and allows us first row seats to view life as seen from Forrest's perspective. We experience a range of emotions as we laugh, cry, and feel for him as he works his way through one of the most turbulent and influential periods in our nations history. The film expertly and entertainingly inserts and exerts Forrest's presence and purported influence during its various stages thanks to the digital trickery and visual effects wizardry of Ken Ralston. Star Tom Hanks' gripping Oscar winning performance is strongly supported by an incredible cast that truly elevated the film's impact. Gary Sinese's memorable portrayal of LT. Dan Taylor carried nearly as much depth as Hanks' and as a team they provided some of the best moments. Mykelti Williamson's small but pivotal role a Bubba has to be his crowning achievement. I like Robin Wright Penn but find her to be one dimensional as an actress. Luckily the seemingly unlikable adult Jenny played to her strengths. As for Sally Field, little needs to be said, as she is one of the finest actors of her generation. Forrest Gump director Robert Zemeckis knows how to captivate his audience. His instincts as a storyteller and visionary are proven and this film places another feather in his already well featured cap. Forrest Gump is an American film classic and justly deserves that recognition. It is one of the finest films I have ever seen and I am absolutely thrilled to see it come to Blu-ray Disc. Paramount forwarded the collectible 15th Anniversary Chocolate Box Gift set for review. The set includes to the two disc Sapphire Series Blu-ray presentation and comes packaged in a chocolate box with chocolate scent, a commemorative booklet and a replica Forrest Gump feather bookmark.

Parental Guide:

The rating is for drug content, some sensuality, language, and war violence.

Audio: 88

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Video: 90

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Forrest Gump comes to Blu-ray Disc from Paramount featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 29 mbps and lossless DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 4 mbps.

Having owned Forrest Gump on DVD since its release I am familiar with how it looks in standard definition and have always felt it presented well. I had hoped that its presentation on Blu-ray would build upon its attributes and am happy to report that it improves upon the DVD in every respect. Images are three dimensional, exquisitely detailed, and at times seem to visually transcend the boundaries of the camera's lens to provide the looking through a window perspective. Colors are visually stimulating with rich, vivid highlights and natural rendering that looks superb. Fleshtones are delineated with enriching complexional structure and lifelike depiction. Contrast is strong without being distractingly overstated and blacks are dynamic, with deep, gradational quality and revealing detail in low lighting and shadowy backgrounds. Grain is rendered in fine visible layers that rarely drew my attention. This is a pristine and near reference quality presentation that looks impressive and is sure to please regardless of the size of your display.

Forrest Gump is essentially a dialogue driven film however its multilayered story contains elements that require it to deliver engaging and dynamic sound capable of eliciting visceral moments. For those familiar with the film we all know that those moments come during the Vietnam and ocean storm sequences. The lossy Dolby Digital sound on the DVD presented these segments well with good dynamic range and tactile response. This lossless DTS-HD Master Audio encoding easily bests it with superlative clarity, deeper, tighter bass and an incredibly wide and dimensional soundstage across the front of the room. This mix can be deceptive in terms of its use of the entire surround platform. In listening it has deep room penetration that has an enveloping nature however it reality the surrounds are rarely engaged. The sounds of pouring rain, explosive/falling debris, gunfire and jungle ambience emanate from the front channels. There are several discretely placed effects such as the napalm dropping fighter jets which veer left/right splitting the rear sound field after dropping their loads. Or the entrance of helicopter in the beginning of the Vietnam war segment. Occasionally mild ambient detail is bled through the surrounds and extends the depth of the front soundstage but honestly it really doesn't require it. The front soundstage is noticeably diffused with excellent separation and clearly articulated detail which is as good as I have heard. Bass is powerful with room energizing depth that can be felt throughout the listening area. Dialogue is rendered with succulent depth and descriptive tonal character which elevates the clarity of voices including Tom Hanks running monologue. This Blu-ray disc offers an incredibly nuanced and dynamically sound audio presentation that shed new light on an already good soundtrack and made it a great one.

Bonus Features:

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  Disc 1:

  
  
• Commentary with Robert Zemeckis, Steve Starkey, and Rick Carter
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• Commentary with Wendy Finerman
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• (HD) Musical signposts in history - 4 minute featurette
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  Disc 2:

  
  
• (HD) Greenbow diary - Behind the scenes video production diary - 26 minutes
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• (HD) The art of screenplay adaptation - 26 minute documentary
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• (HD) Getting past impossible - Forrest Gump and the visual effects revolution - 27 minute featurette
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• (HD) Little Forrest - 14 minute featurette with Michael Connor Humphreys
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• (HD) An evening with Forrest Gump - at USC - 55 minutes
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  Archival special features:

  
  
• Makeup of Forrest Gump
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• Through the ears of Forrest Gump - sound design
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• Building the world of Forrest Gump - production design
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• Seeing is believing - visual effects
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• Screen tests
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• Trailers

Final Thoughts:

Forrest Gump is a classic film that provides a bit of escapism to an imaginative yet very real world as seen through the eyes of one of cinema's most genuine characters. Its superlative cast, creative imagery and apt direction make it supremely entertaining. Its long anticipated release on Blu-ray Disc from Paramount is an impressive one that has it looking and sounding marvelous. There is a bevy a new bonus features (presented in high definition!) that take us further inside the production as well as the inclusion of the archival feature set offered on the previous DVD release. This is a must have for every film fan and I give it my highest recommendation.