MOONWALKER (1988) (1988)




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  While I can admit that Moonwalker is not a great film, as a Michael Jackson fan, it's always held a special place in my heart. It's a series of music videos (or short films) strung together with a pretty loose plot. Scrutinize it and it will fall apart, but if you don't take it too seriously, it can be very fun.

With that said, if you're looking up import blu ray editions of the movie, you're likely a big enough fan of it (or Michael Jackson's music) that you don't need anyone to write a review telling you about the film itself. So instead of going into detail about the movie, I'll focus exclusively on the blu ray.


Assuming Amazon keeps my review on the right page (I've seen reviews get tussled around to related items), the edition I'm referring to is the UK blu ray of Moonwalker. At present, there is no US version (nor was there an official US DVD edition) so I bought this to upgrade my import DVD and I was quite impressed with the results.

First, let me say that this is a region-free blu ray, so it should work on any US blu ray player or PS3 and the packaging is entirely in English (with the exception of a little bit of Spanish on the disc art itself).

The film itself is in full 1080p 1.85:1 widescreen, keeping it in its original theatrical aspect ratio, and the print looks beautiful. I've never been impressed with the A/V of Jackson's DVD releases in the past, but Moonwalker is very clean, preserving an 80s film-like look without any noticeable damage or dirt marks on the print. Colors are vibrant and contrast is consistent with the original look of the movie... if every Jackson release in the future looks this good, we could consider ourselves lucky. The audio, presented in DTS-Master Audio 5.1 surround, was just as impressive. I didn't find myself blown away, but compared to past Jackson releases, as well as other movies of the era, this track certainly does the movie justice.

The only negative thing I have to say about this release is that it was censored. I've had the VHS and DVD of this movie (both were left uncut) and now, for the first time, a line toward the end of the film, where Pesci's character Lideo threatens to get the kids high while holding a needle, was cut. I can't say that I particularly loved the line, but as a purist, it was kind of annoying for me to see anything cut. However, at the very least, the cut is handled in such a way that if you didn't know where the line was supposed to go, you likely wouldn't notice it. Other references to drugs (from Pesci's character) were left intact and there is no option to watch the original version of the film.

A theatrical trailer is provided in anamorphic widescreen, and although its print is quite dirty, I was still very happy to see it on the disc. Generally, Jackson DVDs leave special features on the cutting room floor so, at the very least, it was great to have something.

For the clean, clear and vibrant presentation with a great audio track and a bonus trailer, I'd have easily given the UK blu ray edition of Moonwalker a 5/5, however, I can't in good conscience give it a perfect score when the film's been cut... especially after Jackson's death when he is no longer around to have had a say in the matter. So I'll leave it with a 4/5, and a very high recommendation to fans nonetheless.