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Dreamgirls 2 Disc Showstopper Edition
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DREAMGIRLS
2-DISC SHOWSTOPPER EDITION
BLU-RAY
Studio: Dreamworks/Paramount
Film Year: 2006
Film Length: 130 minutes
Genre: Musical/Drama
Aspect Ratio:
• 2.35:1 theatrical ratio
Colour/B&W: Colour
Audio:
• English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Film Rating: PG-13
Release Date: May 1, 2007.
Rating: 4/5
With: Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Danny Glover & Jennifer Hudson
Based on the Broadway Production by: Tom Eyen (book & lyrics), Henry Krieger (music), and Michael Bennett (direction)
Written & Directed by: Bill Condon
DREAMGIRLS is a high-spirited adaptation of Michael Bennett’s hit Broadway musical about a 1960’s girl group that closely resembles The Supremes. It’s an energetic, good-looking period piece that ultimately is more about its surfaces than anything truly deeper. Regardless, the songs are a lot of fun and two performances stand out: Jennifer Hudson’s Oscar-winning turn in the part originated by Jennifer Holliday, and Eddie Murphy in a surprisingly strong dramatic role. Murphy has been noted for the musical numbers he pulls off here – but his real strength is in several wordless dramatic moments, particularly late in the film. Although the film has been opened up considerably from the original stage production, its greatest power lies in the musical numbers performed throughout – and many of them are real showstoppers, backed up by Jules Fisher’s spellbinding lightshows.
For the DVD release, Paramount has put the movie out on all 3 formats simultaneously. The Blu-Ray edition features a spectacular 1080p transfer with a 640k 5.1 soundtrack in English, Spanish or French. (More on the level of the sound later…) This edition also features an armload of extras on the 2nd disc, most in 1080i HD format, giving a lengthy examination of the positive aspects of making the film. As one of the first 2-disc Blu-Ray editions out there, I can attest that this is definitely worth your time to pick up, even if only for the picture itself.
VIDEO QUALITY: 5/5
The DREAMGIRLS Blu-Ray has an AMAZING 1080p transfer. In fact, that may be an understatement. I was completely floored by the sheer level of detail and color on display here. I could go on for quite some time about the flesh tones, or about the sharpness of the image, or about the breathtaking stage lightshows on display from Jules Fisher. (There are multiple examples of colorful stage lighting arrangements throughout, and Fisher never repeats himself) But it’s probably a better idea to let you just pick this up and be amazed for yourself. I cannot praise this transfer highly enough. (I should note that I have heard some comments about this being a MPEG2 transfer and not the VC-1 that is on the HD-DVD. Having seen the Blu-Ray 1080p picture, I am completely satisfied with it. I ask anyone that is unconvinced to see the disco presentation here of “One Night Only” and make their own decision.)
AUDIO QUALITY: 4/5
DREAMGIRLS gets a 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack in English, French or Spanish which came across beautifully on the Sony FX500 system. The surround channels are utilized nicely throughout the musical numbers and throughout the film. There wasn’t a lot of subwoofer activity other than the occasional stage effects, but this really isn’t that kind of movie anyway. The only issue here is that for Blu-Ray, DREAMGIRLS receives only a 640k sound transfer, while the HD-DVD version apparently has received a 1.5m DD+ transfer. (Neither format received an uncompressed soundtrack, which is a little hard to understand, given that other films are getting the uncompressed treatment – and a musical really should be a no-brainer when it comes to choosing a soundtrack.) For myself, I had no problems with the sound - it’s a really good track and nothing that should stop anyone from picking this up.
SPECIAL FEATURES: 4/5
Both discs have a series of special features to fill out your appreciation for the movie and the work that went into making it. Subtitles are available in English, French and Spanish. Also, the feature film itself includes the standard pop-up menus as you watch the movie, as well as the standard scene index with plenty of chapter stops. However, the special features do not have this ability.
The first disc includes a few items, along with the movie itself:
• Extended Musical Numbers – (36:02 total) Twelve musical numbers from the film are included, in their entirety, and without most of the dialogue interludes or cutaways that happen during the normal viewing of the movie. (“Fake Your Way to the Top” still includes the dialogue…) The numbers are all presented in full 1080p, and they look and sound properly glorious. “Steppin’ To The Bad Side” is a showcase piece for Fatima Robinson’s amazing choreography – and with all the additional cuts restored, the piece takes on an irresistible rhythm.
• Listen (Beyoncé Knowles Music Video) – (3:49) The music video for a song added to the movie by Knowles and original stage composer Henry Krieger is included here in standard definition, non-anamorphic format. While the song is okay, the primary value here is to point out both the tremendous difference in Knowles’ look for the film and the tremendous difference that a 1080p transfer can make. If you line up the movie clips from this video next to the film on the same disc, it’s a night and day comparison.
• Soundtrack Promo – (1:03) A standard definition, non-anamorphic commercial for the soundtrack CD is included.
The first disc also includes a 1080p trailer of Blu-Ray movies coming soon. When you first put the disc in, this trailer runs automatically. If you want to see it again, it can be accessed through the Extras Menu.
Disc 2 is where the curtain gets drawn back partway and the viewer gets to see the making of the film:
• Building the Dream (1:54:58 total) A 9-part 1080i HD look behind the scenes of the movie is included here, with the usual interviews, on-set footage and intercut film clips. There’s a wealth of great stuff here, including footage of the extensive singing and dancing work that went on before production and some great impromptu footage of Eddie Murphy at work on the set. The only drawback here is that there really isn’t much of a feel of the sweat that went into this. If you’re looking for a fly-on-the-wall look at the film, or an examination of all the ups and downs, this will not fill that bill. This is certainly a lot of material, but it’s a little fluffier than the length would lead one to expect. Keep in mind that the 1080i above is not a typo – the special features here are HD but not to the full 1080p level of the feature film.
• Dream Logic: Film Editing – (4:08) This is a brief 1080i HD look at the work that Virginia Katz and her staff did to cut over a million feet of film into the finished 2 hour movie. As one example of this, “Steppin’ To The Bad Side” took up over 5 hours of film in raw form before being cut down to around 5 minutes.
• Dressing the Dreams: Costume Design – (8:22 total) This is a brief 1080i HD look at the work of costume designer Sharen Davis. There are numerous crossfades here between Davis’ designs and the finished costumes seen in the film, all accompanied by Davis talking about the work.
• Center Stage: Theatrical Lighting – (8:44) This is a brief 1080i HD look at the work of Jules Fisher and his associate Peggy Eisenhauer in designing the multiple stage lightshows seen throughout the film. Fisher is known throughout the American Theater scene for his stage lighting and this film showcases his abilities to the nth degree. In addition to illustrating the various lighting plots used in the film (particularly the totally over the top disco number), this featurette includes great footage of Eisenhauer at work calling cues, as she puts it, organically.
• Beyoncé Knowles Screen Test (“Dreamgirls”) – (2:24) Knowles’ screen test, in which she performed the title number by herself to solo piano, is included here in 1080i HD.
• Anika Noni Rose Screen Test (“Ain’t No Party”) – (2:10) Rose’s screen test, in which she performed the number “Ain’t No Party” from the original stage production is included here in standard definition non-anamorphic format.
• Fatima Robinson Choreography Audition (“Steppin’ To The Bad Side) – (6:21) A standard definition non-anamorphic copy of Robinson’s audition tape for her choreography is included here. It’s actually an interesting piece of work, given that the work on display is purely the choreography – this was clearly shot on a home video camera at Robinson’s dance studio, but the energy of the moves and the performers still jumps off the screen.
• Previsualizations – (28:09 total) A series of 6 musical number previsualizations are included in anamorphic standard definition format. In the “Building the Dream” documentary, these are mentioned as having been part of Bill Condon’s way of seeing how the movie would cut together before production actually began. For that reason, these are interesting to see – this is the storytelling before the cameras have actually started rolling. Essentially, these are intercuts of Robinson’s videotaped choreography sessions and storyboards of the proposed scenework. There are occasional intercuts of second unit photography here and there, but most of this is just the storyboards (with voiceover by various production personnel) and the choreography sessions, which are interesting in and of themselves.
IN THE END...
DREAMGIRLS is a great Blu-Ray DVD presentation, between the picture, the sound and the plentiful extras. It may not be the full story of the making of the film, and it may not be the same HD material as on the HD-DVD, but it’s still an incredible piece of work. I was absolutely amazed by the picture and sound on display here. If you’re a fan of this film, you will love this Blu-Ray. If you haven’t seen the film and wish to be amazed at how good a film can look, this is a good place to start.
Kevin Koster
April 28, 2007.
