Yellow Submarine [Blu-ray]

"Yellow Submarine" surfaces with a colorful presentation (this review is for the Blu-ray)
"Yellow Submarine" surfaces with a sharp, colorful presentation for Blu-ray. The 4K restoration for the film looks brilliant and is a huge upgrade when compared to the original 1999 DVD. I haven't seen the DVD remastered edition of this put out at the same time but I would imagine it uses the same high def source. The painstaking restoration for the film is evident in just about every frame which is brimming with more a sharper, more detailed image and colors that positively pop.

The Beatles (none of the band provided their own voices) are recruited to help overthrow the Blue Meanies when they take over Pepperland by Fred who is going to transport the Fab Four in his Yellow Submarine. Things go awry along the way as Ringo gets launched out of the sub, they meet Jeremy a Nowhere Man who finds helps them free Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band from being kept captive by the music hating Blue Meanies. A truly surreal adventure as Jon Lassiter points out in his introduction...

Beatles on Blu-Ray!
This is an excellent transfer of the film. I've owned the VHS version, the DVD, and now the Blu-ray. Without question the Blu-ray with its remastered video is a revelation. Colors are better, the picture is the sharpest its ever been and the music is well, still the Beatles which means if you're a fan it's a no-brainer. This is the same version as the DVD which means it includes "Hey Bulldog" and a few other minor changes from the VHS release. The audio is available in both a new HD surround track or the original film version.

The movie itself is very simple but wonderfully weird as it involves freeing Pepperland from the clutches of the "Blue Meanies", with numerous Beatles songs along the way. If you like the Beatles, psychedelic animation, or cultural artifacts from the 1960's this is a great buy.

Fantastic music and animation, a fantasy Beatles delight!
This new 2012 DVD release of Yellow Submarine is advertised as having been lovingly restored frame by frame to ensure the best picture quality since it was first shown in theaters so many years ago. As for the movie itself, if you're a Beatles or animation fan (or hopefully both) and have never seen this film then you owe it to yourself to do so. The Peter Max-esque artwork is spectacular fantasy fun, the script is highly amusing, and the Beatles music chosen for the film sounds as good today as when it was new. Though the Beatles had little to do directly with the film and their voices are impersonated till the live footage of them singing recorded for the end of the film their sensibilities are all over this project and they did compose three new (at the time) songs for the film, all of them terrific. I can't recommend this movie enough and it's very "family friendly" if you are looking for something fantastic to enthrall your children and introduce them to the music of the Beatles...

Click to Editorial Reviews