DAPs Magic Disney News – by Mr. DAPs
Sometimes the right decision isn’t always the smart decision. In War Horse, a poor farmer buys a show horse and not a work horse. From the local villagers, to his landlord, to his wife; they all think he is crazy. His son is different though and quickly falls in love with the horse, nameds him Joey, and begins to train him. It soon becomes apparent that this horse is a very special horse and the relationship he has with the boy is equally special. When war comes along, that horse and relationship are tested in ways that no being should have to endure. War Horse is the story about this very special horse and its journey.
Picture and Sound:
War Horse looked and sounded amazing. Within moments of this movie starting I was thinking that this was one of the best things I’d ever seen on my television. Visually, it was beautiful and stunning. I loved how the light was captured throughout the movie. The 1080p transfer was incredible.
The sound was presented in the 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track format and rivals the picture. It really showcases what can be done when quality is at a premium and the best people are allowed to do what they do best.
Bonus Features:
There was a nice assortment of bonus features included with War Horse.
- In War Horse: The Journey Home, Stephen Spielberg hosts two roundtable discussions about the various components that go into the making of the movie. I really liked this, even if I personally would have liked it to be MUCH longer.
- An Extra’s Point of View takes the look at the making of the film from the perspective of an extra that was on set almost every day in one capacity or another!
- A Filmmaking Journey offers a more in depth look at the making of War Horse. It is about an hour long and goes into more detail than The Journey Home.
- Editing & Scoring takes a look at the process of making the music. I personally loved this because it had John Williams in it and I’m a huge fan of his. I would always love to see more extras with John Williams!
- The Sounds of War Horse digs into the sounds that accompany War Horse. These were really well done and this is definitely worth watching.
- Through the Producer’s Lens has pictures taken by producer Kathleen Kennedy. They are beautiful but this was probably my least favorite bonus feature included with this film.
Overview:
War Horse really is a beautiful movie. I was pleased to discover also that, while it is a war movie, it isn’t too graphic or violent. It is tastefully created to tell a story that is about the bond between a boy and his horse and the hurdles they face rather than being about blood and guts. I always appreciate when the focus is on the story rather than shock value. This was definitely true in this case. I would definitely give a hat tip to this movie and suggest checking it out. You won’t regret it.
