Rating: 
Summary: The "flying-rubber-professor" film in its original form.
Review: If ever there were a film that took a silly idea and milked every possible gag out of it, this is it. Four stars as a film, but five stars for being a classic.The "science-fiction comedy" is a movie genre with few entries. (I'm thinking of films in which an SF premise and its development is the film's focal point. "Back to the Future," for example, doesn't count.) I can think of only two significant others -- "It Happens Every Spring," in which Ray Milland synthesizes a chemical that repels wood (don't ask), and "The Man in the White Suit," the classic-but-not-really-very-good Alec Guinness vehicle in which his invention of an indestructible, never-needs-cleaning fabric threatens to ruin the clothing industry. Disney continued the genre with "The Misadventures of Merlin Jones" and "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes," but none of them is remotely as good as "The Absent Minded Professor." It's a classic of visual humor. Not only is there the famous flying Model T, but the professor's attempts to woo his ex-fiance by dancing in flubber-heeled shoes, and a flubber-enhanced basketball game that's an encylopaedia of "What can you do with flying basketball players?" gags. Style-wise, this classic sequence looks as if it were lifted directly from MAD. Bill Walsh's smart script has some good satirical jabs ("I hear Medfield's athletes make as much as their teachers") and they hold up. One of the best anticipates Congress's destruction in "Mars Attacks!" And the professor's attempt to prove he's a loyal, patriotic American cuts even more sharply today than it did 40+ years ago. One of the few good things about Disney comedies is that almost all the secondary roles are populated with talented character actors -- Keenan Wynn (who'd repeat his Alonzo Hawk villain in other Disney flicks), Ed Wynn (his father), Elliott Reid (at his greasy, pompous best). Special kudos go to Belle Montrose (Steve Allen's mother! -- note the resemblance) as the professor's housekeeper. Nancy Olson -- an Oscar-winner for "Sunset Blvd." -- delivers a smart, heads-up performance that falls apart only when she stops being mad at Fred MacMurry and becomes a bit of a bubble-head. Robert Stevenson (grandson of Robert Louis Stevenson) had a directorial career ("Jane Eyre") before he became a Disney house director, but I've never thought much of his talent ("Mary Poppins" is slack and sluggish). "The Absent Minded Professor" shows him at his best -- brisk and light, almost as weightless as flubber renders the Model T. "The Absent Minded Professor" was shot in B&W, because the special effects were too difficult (and too expensive) to do well in color. Had Disney known what a major hit TAMP would be (it played first-run for months), he might have sprung for color. The previous attempt to colorize it was a disaster. We finally have this little gem in its original form -- an exquisite B&W enhanced-widescreen transfer. (Amazon editor -- please have the negative reviews for the awful colorized version moved or removed. These are fundamentally different releases.) The rich blacks and sharp detail are outstanding -- far superior to even the old LV release. This is close-to-demo-quality B&W.
Rating:
Summary: The "flying-rubber-professor" film in its original form.
Review: If ever there were a film that took a silly idea and milked every possible gag out of it, this is it. Four stars as a film, but five stars for being a classic. The "science-fiction comedy" is a movie genre with few entries. (I'm thinking of films in which an SF premise and its development is the film's focal point. "Back to the Future," for example, doesn't count.) I can think of only two significant others -- "It Happens Every Spring," in which Ray Milland synthesizes a chemical that repels wood (don't ask), and "The Man in the White Suit," the classic-but-not-really-very-good Alec Guinness vehicle in which his invention of an indestructible, never-needs-cleaning fabric threatens to ruin the clothing industry. Disney continued the genre with "The Misadventures of Merlin Jones" and "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes," but none of them is remotely as good as "The Absent Minded Professor." It's a classic of visual humor. Not only is there the famous flying Model T, but the professor's attempts to woo his ex-fiance by dancing in flubber-heeled shoes, and a flubber-enhanced basketball game that's an encylopaedia of "What can you do with flying basketball players?" gags. Style-wise, this classic sequence looks as if it were lifted directly from MAD. Bill Walsh's smart script has some good satirical jabs ("I hear Medfield's athletes make as much as their teachers") and they hold up. One of the best anticipates Congress's destruction in "Mars Attacks!" And the professor's attempt to prove he's a loyal, patriotic American cuts even more sharply today than it did 40+ years ago. One of the few good things about Disney comedies is that almost all the secondary roles are populated with talented character actors -- Keenan Wynn (who'd repeat his Alonzo Hawk villain in other Disney flicks), Ed Wynn (his father), Elliott Reid (at his greasy, pompous best). Special kudos go to Belle Montrose (Steve Allen's mother! -- note the resemblance) as the professor's housekeeper. Nancy Olson -- an Oscar-winner for "Sunset Blvd." -- delivers a smart, heads-up performance that falls apart only when she stops being mad at Fred MacMurry and becomes a bit of a bubble-head. Robert Stevenson (grandson of Robert Louis Stevenson) had a directorial career ("Jane Eyre") before he became a Disney house director, but I've never thought much of his talent ("Mary Poppins" is slack and sluggish). "The Absent Minded Professor" shows him at his best -- brisk and light, almost as weightless as flubber renders the Model T. "The Absent Minded Professor" was shot in B&W, because the special effects were too difficult (and too expensive) to do well in color. Had Disney known what a major hit TAMP would be (it played first-run for months), he might have sprung for color. The previous attempt to colorize it was a disaster. We finally have this little gem in its original form -- an exquisite B&W enhanced-widescreen transfer. (Amazon editor -- please have the negative reviews for the awful colorized version moved or removed. These are fundamentally different releases.) The rich blacks and sharp detail are outstanding -- far superior to even the old LV release. This is close-to-demo-quality B&W.
Rating: 
Summary: Great movie, lacks of information
Review: It's great that Disney released this movie in its original aspect ratio and color, but, somebody knows if this release has Spanish subtitles? (or the Spanish audio track like the colorized version). I searched in a lot of pages, and i can't find a review of this release.
Rating:
Summary: I Knew Disney Would Do [This!!!]
Review: Kudos to Walt Disney Studios for releasing this movie in the way it was conceived by Walt Disney himself; in glorious B&W AND in its Original Aspect Ratio. Walt Disney was a hands-on man dedicated to making movies of superior quality and accuracy. Aside, this movie is just a pure delight for all. The earlier Colorized, Full Screen release should have been a later alternative for those who desire such specs. Hopefully this is a sign that the BUYING public has been finally heard. All the of the live action Disney treasures should be treated equally so. Hopefully no future Disney classic will "Natty Ganned" ever again. I guess we'll see.
Rating:
Summary: I Knew Disney Would Do [This!!!]
Review: Kudos to Walt Disney Studios for releasing this movie in the way it was conceived by Walt Disney himself; in glorious B&W AND in its Original Aspect Ratio. Walt Disney was a hands-on man dedicated to making movies of superior quality and accuracy. Aside, this movie is just a pure delight for all. The earlier Colorized, Full Screen release should have been a later alternative for those who desire such specs. Hopefully this is a sign that the BUYING public has been finally heard. All the of the live action Disney treasures should be treated equally so. Hopefully no future Disney classic will "Natty Ganned" ever again. I guess we'll see.
Rating: 
Summary: Sad day for DVD.
Review: Not only is this and many of the other live action DVDs released by Disney in January of 2003 being butchered to full frame instead of shown in their original widescreen ratio, but this movie is also being released in a colorized version. I thought we learned in the 80's just how evil colorization is, but I guess Disney hasn't learned. Avoid this horrible version at all costs and pray Disney learns how to properly release DVDs.
Rating:
Summary: no widescreen, no extras
Review: So much for the wonders that the DVD format (at the dvd price) can do for your viewing pleasure. Disney has taken a wonderful gem of a movie and colorized it, which is bad enough. But they alos cut off the edges and made it into standard vhs fare, no widescreen. Also no extras and Disney has a ton of great goodies in the vault for this movie. What ashame they rushed this into the arket to make a quick buck. So may people bought this and did not know until too late it was not widescreen, so be warned.
The movie itself is a gem and I seperately reviewed the vhs version. I will keep my old vhs copy for now, and boycott buying any films that disney treats like this. They can do good when they try, see some great disney widescreen fils for sale here at Amazon[.com] such as "Old Yeller", "Swiss Family Robinson" Pollyanna", "The Parent Trap", and some animated gems as well. Also the Disney Treasures are a nice collection as well.
Rating:
Summary: no widescreen, no extras
Review: So much for the wonders that the DVD format (at the dvd price) can do for your viewing pleasure. Disney has taken a wonderful gem of a movie and colorized it, which is bad enough. But they also cut off the edges and made it into standard vhs fare, no widescreen. Also no extras and Disney has a ton of great goodies in the vault for this movie. What a shame they rushed this into the market to make a quick buck. So may people bought this and did not know until too late it was not widescreen, so be warned.
The movie itself is a gem and I seperately reviewed the vhs version. I will keep my old vhs copy for now, and boycott buying any films that disney treats like this. They can do good when they try, see some great disney widescreen films for sale here at ... such as "Old Yeller", "Swiss Family Robinson" Pollyanna", "The Parent Trap", and some animated gems as well. Also the Disney Treasures are a nice collection as well.
Rating:
Summary: Flubber professor in its B&W glory
Review: Somehow, the people in amazon mixed reviews from the B&W version and the colorized version of this film... this is causing some confusion between some consumers, so, this is a review from the B&W version. Some time ago, Disney Company releases this movie in Full Screen and colorized... a lot of people complained because nobody (except, perhaps my mom)wants colorized version of movies in B&W; recently, they re-released it in its original form (B&W and Widescreen) Video: Amazing!! I can't believe that this movie is almost 50th years old!, you can't notice any age related issues (stripes, grain, etc), just look perfect. Sound: Very good, and with Dolby Surround. Extras: D'uh!, nothing, nada, zip, zippola! :( Foreign language support: Not very good... in the audio section, it contains English and Spanish Track... subtitles just in english. Conclusion: If you like this movie, you'll love the transfer (and at least, there is a Spanish track for those that speak in this language)... if you are looking for this movie because the extras, better wait, because you'll get frustrated by this disc.
Rating:
Summary: Flubber professor in its B&W glory
Review: Somehow, the people in amazon mixed reviews from the B&W version and the colorized version of this film... this is causing some confusion between some consumers, so, this is a review from the B&W version. Some time ago, Disney Company releases this movie in Full Screen and colorized... a lot of people complained because nobody (except, perhaps my mom)wants colorized version of movies in B&W; recently, they re-released it in its original form (B&W and Widescreen) Video: Amazing!! I can't believe that this movie is almost 50th years old!, you can't notice any age related issues (stripes, grain, etc), just look perfect. Sound: Very good, and with Dolby Surround. Extras: D'uh!, nothing, nada, zip, zippola! :( Foreign language support: Not very good... in the audio section, it contains English and Spanish Track... subtitles just in english. Conclusion: If you like this movie, you'll love the transfer (and at least, there is a Spanish track for those that speak in this language)... if you are looking for this movie because the extras, better wait, because you'll get frustrated by this disc.
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