What's new

Blu-ray Review Fantastic Voyage Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

Matt Hough

Reviewer
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2006
Messages
26,153
Location
Charlotte, NC
Real Name
Matt Hough
Fantastic Voyage Blu-ray Review

Richard Fleischer’s sci-fi trip through the human body Fantastic Voyage was a marvel in its day with its state of the art special effects (which won an Academy Award). Seen today, the effects that were so difficult to achieve then show their age, and yet their quaintness is part now of the film’s charms. It’s not really a great adventure, and the acting is rudimentary at best, but the representations of various parts of a human’s insides remain a novel viewing experience.

Posted Image


Studio: Fox

Distributed By: N/A

Video Resolution and Encode: 1080P/AVC

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

Audio: English 1.0 DTS-HDMA (Mono), English 5.1 DTS-HDMA, Spanish 1.0 DD (Mono), French 1.0 DD (Mono), French 5.1 DTS

Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish

Rating: PG

Run Time: 1 Hr. 41 Min.

Package Includes: Blu-ray

keep case

Disc Type: BD50 (dual layer)

Region: A

Release Date: 10/08/2013

MSRP: $24.99




The Production Rating: 3.5/5

When defecting scientist Dr Jan Benes (Jean Del Val) is attacked by spies and suffers a brain clot that’s too delicate for a traditional brain operation, a group of five people are miniaturized, injected into the man’s body, and undergo a hazardous journey through his bloodstream in order to get to his brain and use a new laser gun to perform the careful surgery that will revive the doctor. Two doctors: Duval (Arthur Kennedy) and Michaels (Donald Pleasence), their assistant (Raquel Welch), the navigator (William Redfield) of the miniaturized ship, and the radio technician (Stephen Boyd) make up the team. But one of the five is a mole sent to sabotage the mission and thus kill the doctor before he can reveal any secrets to the Americans.Director Richard Fleischer, who had plenty of experience directing widescreen adventures (he directed 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea), uses his widescreen canvas to utmost advantage not only in showing off the various “universes” of the body that the crew sails through but also in simple set-ups like the group being briefed on their mission where all of the major characters sitting around a table stretch interestingly from edge to edge so we can see all of their reactions to their incredible soon-to-be journey. The Oscar-winning production designers have really outdone themselves in the imaginative picturization of the lungs, the cardiovascular cavity, and the inner ear (after these marvels, the climactic brain sequence seems almost a letdown after what has come before), all of them necessary due to the ongoing efforts of sabotage (air tank leaks, the surgical laser disabled, attacks by antibodies and white corpuscles) which continually drive them to seek alternate routes to the brain. And like High Noon, the movie takes place basically in real time. The movie spends forty minutes on the briefing, the ship prep, and the shrinking of the vessel and its passengers, and since the miniature effects wear off in an hour, that’s the amount of time the team has to accomplish their mission before the movie’s running time expires. This gives an edge to the adventures that Fleischer helms wonderfully. Yes, there are plot holes (we never see how those white corpuscles burrow beneath a glass dome to get to their victim), and there isn’t much mystery to who the saboteur is (early on when one character tells Boyd’s Giani that a certain character’s loyalty is beyond question, it’s a sure sign that we’re being directed toward the guilty party). Additionally, it’s quite obvious that there’s a great hurry to get Raquel Welch out of her bulky coveralls and into her skintight white diving suit (there doesn’t seem much of a reason otherwise for her to be there). But the movie’s imaginative portrayal of a beating heart or a breathing, filtering lung is certainly worth watching even when compared with today’s ultra-sophisticated CGI effects which can make anything seem real.Stephen Boyd gets top billing as the film’s nominal hero, and he’s fine in the fish-out-of-water role, but there is actually more focus on Arthur Kennedy’s gruff surgeon and Donald Pleasence’s claustrophobic mission commander. Longtime character actors Edmond O'Brien (as General Carter) and Arthur O'Connell (as Colonel Reid) are pretty much wasted here as they sit around smoking cigars and drinking coffee full-sized while the miniaturized others do the heavy lifting. But this live action cartoon (the movie actually spawned an animated series after its success) doesn’t really need heavy dramatics: the production design and the special effects are the film’s big draw (along with Miss Welch’s cleavage, of course).


Video Rating: 4/5 3D Rating: NA

The film’s Cinemascope aspect ratio of 2.35:1 is faithfully reproduced in this 1080p transfer using the AVC codec. At its best, the sharpness is solid (solid enough to allow viewers to see matte lines throughout) and the color reproduction is first-rate, but due to the limitations of the time with the need to hide wires and disguise some of the effects work, portions of the film in the second half especially are soft focused and lacking fine detail. It’s not the fault of the transfer, of course, but it makes for an inconsistent visual experience. Flesh tones sometimes look more natural than at other times when they seem a bit too brown. Black levels can be nicely inky but again are inconsistently reproduced. There are no age-related artifacts present, however. The film has been divided into 24 chapters.



Audio Rating: 4/5

The disc offers DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 and 5.1 sound mixes. The surround mix doesn’t really do much with the rear channels, but there is marvelous spread across the fronts with the sound effects and Leonard Rosenman’s sometimes lush score that give the listening experience some heft. The mono mix is clean and likely represents the listening experience that most moviegoers had in 1966, but the more opened up 5.1 mix offers a more enjoyable ride. Kudos to Fox for offering both in lossless audio.


Special Features Rating: 3/5

Audio Commentaries: Film and music historian Jeff Bond offers a fine analytical discussion of the film’s merits on his solo track. On the isolated score track, he and fellow historians Jon Burlingame and Nick Redman offer a thirty-five minute discussion of Leonard Rosenman’s score along with talk of other notable screen composers of the era and the Fox music department then headed by Lionel Newman. All are worthy audio tracks.Isolated Score Track: Leonard Rosenman’s score is offered in Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo.Lava Lamps and Celluloid (17:40, SD): two special effects specialists offer complimentary (and complementary) views on the Oscar-winning special effects of Art Cruickshank which are featured in the film.Storyboard-to-Scene Comparison (2:22, SD): the viewer is able to toggle between the storyboards and the finished version of the whirlpool scene (and have them both appear in split screen).Promotional Materials (13:07, SD): the theatrical trailer, a feature promo reel, and two TV spots are offered in montage form. They may also be watched individually.


Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Fantastic Voyage is still an amusing science fiction yarn almost half a century after its original release, and the Blu-ray transfer of the film offers its best-ever home video release even if difficulties with the original production must of necessity be carried over into today’s high definition world.


Reviewed By: Matt Hough


Support HTF when you buy this title:

 

Ronald Epstein

Founder
Owner
Moderator
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 3, 1997
Messages
66,561
Real Name
Ronald Epstein
I concur. This is an exceptional film -- one I have seen many times during
my childhood and adult years. So happy to see that it has finally been released
to Blu and that it looks great. Looking forward to my copy.
 

Keith Cobby

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2013
Messages
4,511
Location
Kent "The Garden of England", UK
Real Name
Keith Cobby
This release and Violent Saturday from Carlotta (France) has been a good year for those of us who are fans of Richard Fleischer's work. As well as 20,000 Leagues I would really like The Narrow Margin and Armored Car Robbery in 2014.
 

Charles Smith

Extremely Talented Member
Supporter
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2007
Messages
5,984
Location
Nor'east
Real Name
Charles Smith
Fantastic Voyage has been a favorite since I saw it in its opening week at the Gateway (in my avatar). Whatever its weaknesses, story-wise, effects-wise, or any other -wise, I already love this BD in advance. :)
 

dpippel

Yoyodyne Propulsion Systems
Supporter
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2000
Messages
12,295
Location
Sonora Norte
Real Name
Doug
Screened this last night and it looks really, really good. Lots of nostalgia here for me. Along with The Andromeda Strain, Fantastic Voyage is one of my favorite "hard" science fiction films of the sixties. Thanks Fox!!!
 

ahollis

Patron
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2007
Messages
8,864
Location
New Orleans
Real Name
Allen
Received this today based on your review. As I watch, it is everything you said it was. Thanks.
 

ABritch

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
May 14, 2017
Messages
88
Real Name
Anthony Britch
Has there been any talk of scanning Fantastic Voyage into 4k and cleaning up the effects digitally to get rid of the grain and shimmer the composite effects cause on the BluRay transfer? Is that feasible?
 

Johnny Angell

Played With Dinosaurs Member
Senior HTF Member
Deceased Member
Joined
Dec 13, 1998
Messages
14,905
Location
Central Arkansas
Real Name
Johnny Angell
the production design and the special effects are the film’s big draw (along with Miss Welch’s cleavage
As the resident dirty ol’ man, I find it unsatisfying that Raquel never wore anything revealing than her wetsuit. Surely they could have also miniaturized a bikini? :lol:
 

B-ROLL

Senior HTF Member
Joined
May 26, 2016
Messages
4,977
Real Name
Bryan
As the resident dirty ol’ man, I find it unsatisfying that Raquel never wore anything revealing than her wetsuit. Surely they could have also miniaturized a bikini? :lol:
I don't think you Fathom ...She was a Doctor not a go-go girl ;)!
1603669789113.png
 

Nelson Au

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 16, 1999
Messages
19,043
Hey guys. I have not watched this blu ray since the Blu ray was first released. I watched it last night after the news of Raquel Welch came out. I too have seen this film many times since childhood and it’s one of those favorites as it fired up the imagination and makes a mark on a young person! I’ve collected it on laserdisc and DVD and blu, so it’s a favorite!

Since I last watched this, I had upgraded to an OLED display that is larger then my previous plasma. It was quite engaging seeing this on a larger screen when the Proteus and the crew are in the human body. The set pieces are extremely well done considering it was made in 1966. I agree there are tons of matte lines and a few errors in the optical effects processing while in the Proteus. But it still works!

It always struck me as a negative during the titles music that we hear some sound effects that were constantly being used on Irwin Allen shows and it took me out of the film. Fortunately during the film, this quickly passes. On this viewing, I thought at the time, Fox was making Lost in Space for the TV division, so they could have made new sound effects. But I suspect they were fairly new sound effects then too.

It is also interesting that I notice that Rachel Welch is billed second next to Stephen Boyd. Yet she must have had the least amount of dialogue. I wonder why they gave her such high billing? I say that with tongue in cheek. ;)

Overall, I still enjoyed very much re-visiting this film. A favorite along side other science fiction titles of the decade of the 1960’s, Planet of the Apes, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Time Machine and at the top of the group, 2001 which is on another level.
 
Last edited:

Charles Smith

Extremely Talented Member
Supporter
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2007
Messages
5,984
Location
Nor'east
Real Name
Charles Smith
I'm years overdue for a viewing, and that will be rectified. I fondly remember thrilling to its first release several times at the theater in my avatar.
 

Ronald Epstein

Founder
Owner
Moderator
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 3, 1997
Messages
66,561
Real Name
Ronald Epstein
Hey guys. I have not watched this blu ray since the Blu ray was first released. I watched it last night after the news of Rachel Welch came out. I too have seen this film many times since childhood and it’s one of those favorites as it fired up the imagination and makes a mark on a young person! I’ve collected it on laserdisc and DVD and blu, so it’s a favorite!

Since I last watched this, I had upgraded to an OLED display that is larger then my previous plasma. It was quite engaging seeing this on a larger screen when the Proteus and the crew are in the human body. The set pieces are extremely well done considering it was made in 1966. I agree there are tons of matte lines and a few errors in the optical effects processing while in the Proteus. But it still works!

It always struck me as a negative during the titles music that we hear some sound effects that were constantly being used on Irwin Allen shows and it took me out of the film. Fortunately during the film, this quickly passes. On this viewing, I thought at the time, Fox was making Lost in Space for the TV division, so they could have made new sound effects. But I suspect they were fairly new sound effects then too.

It is also interesting that I notice that Rachel Welch is billed second next to Stephen Boyd. Yet she must have had the least amount of dialogue. I wonder why they gave her such high billing? I say that with tongue in cheek. ;)

Overall, I still enjoyed very much re-visiting this film. A favorite along side other science fiction titles of the decade of the 1960’s, Planet of the Apes, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Time Machine and at the top of the group, 2001 which is on another level.

Lost In Space is closely tied to this movie as part of the Fantastic Voyage set was used (if I remember correctly) as the inside of an alien space craft Season 1 of the show.

0.jpg
 

Nelson Au

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 16, 1999
Messages
19,043
I noticed that the spell check changed Raquel to Rachel in my post above! I fixed it.

Ron, I would bet that similar people work on both productions and used similar procesess with a littler more budget for the film. I always admired that the Allen TV shows had very good visual effects.
 

Ronald Epstein

Founder
Owner
Moderator
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 3, 1997
Messages
66,561
Real Name
Ronald Epstein
I noticed that the spell check changed Raquel to Rachel in my post above! I fixed it.

Ron, I would bet that similar people work on both productions and used similar procesess with a littler more budget for the film. I always admired that the Allen TV shows had very good visual effects.

Absolutely, Nelson. Irwin Allen was way ahead of his time. Those shows hold up well even today.
 

B-ROLL

Senior HTF Member
Joined
May 26, 2016
Messages
4,977
Real Name
Bryan
Lost In Space is closely tied to this movie as part of the Fantastic Voyage set was used (if I remember correctly) as the inside of an alien space craft Season 1 of the show.

View attachment 176723
Irwin Allen reused a lot of different things from the FOX(RIP) lot. If I remember correct the some original SoundEFX came from Desk Set ...
1676924121279.png
 

Matt Hough

Reviewer
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2006
Messages
26,153
Location
Charlotte, NC
Real Name
Matt Hough
All of the studios reused their props, sets, and costumes especially if they had been pricy to start with. They wanted to get every penny's worth of use out of them. It's quite fun noting items from one film in another (or in a television show).
 

Nelson Au

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 16, 1999
Messages
19,043
I re-watched the film yesterday with the audio commentary with Jeff Bond who spoke of the production and the music of course as that is one thing Jeff Bond is known for.

I wasn’t aware that it was Harper Goff who designed the Proteus. He was a Disney art department designer who designed the Nautilus in 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. Goff also had contributed a lot to the art direction of that Disney film. He was a freelance designer at the time of Fantastic Voyage if the information I found is correct. He seemed like quite a character, an avid model train collector and banjo player. He probably gave Kirk Douglas some pointers! Of course the film was directed by Richard Fleischer who directed 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea and asked for Goff to work on the film.

The production designers who developed the Combined Miniature Deterrent Forces complex where the Proteus is shrunken and links to the operating theater with the control complex above was designed by the same production designer who worked on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Jack Martin Smith. And Smith worked with Goff on the interior of the Proteus. This is all interesting stuff, but it’s clear the art department at Fox were engaged in this film and the TV productions.

Oh yeah, James Brolin is listed in the opening credits. He’s listed as a technician on IMDB, he must have had a really small part because I don’t think I ever saw him in the movie!
 
Last edited:

Users who are viewing this thread

Latest Articles

Forum statistics

Threads
356,818
Messages
5,123,881
Members
144,184
Latest member
H-508
Recent bookmarks
0
Top