Father Hood Blu-ray features mediocre video and decent audio in this mediocre Blu-ray release
Deadbeat dad kidnaps his kids from the bus to an abusive foster home and they go on a run. The cops are after them, they bicker constantly and his idea of a way out is grim, yet this dangerous ride might just turn them into a family.
For more about Father Hood and the Father Hood Blu-ray release, see the Father Hood Blu-ray Review published by Martin Liebman on November 11, 2012 where this Blu-ray release scored 2.5 out of 5.
'Father Hood' is currently available as part of a two-film bundle with Life with Mikey from Mill Creek Entertainment.
We only got a 2.5???
Jack Charles (Patrick Swayze) is a small-time hustler with his eyes on a big score in the Big Easy. It's a surefire get-rich-quick plan, and there's only
one thing -- two, really -- that could mess it up: family. Jack is visited by his tween daughter Kelly (Sabrina Lloyd). She's tracked him down after
escaping from a juvenile center called Bigelow Hall. Her younger brother Eddie (Brian Bonsall) is on his way there. Kelly warns Jack of
mistreatment by facility officials, including handcuffing the children. Jack won't have any of it. He breaks his son out of a facility transport and the
three of them hit the road, evading the cops and finding themselves the subject of an ever-growing -- and highly sensationalized -- national media
story and manhunt. Jack comes into contact with a reporter named Kathleen Mercer (Halle Berry) who's on the verge of breaking the Bigelow abuse
story, and
she
might be the only person in America Jack and his children can trust. As they leave California and head towards the score in Louisiana, family feuds
become family love as the three bond but fear the breaking of their new relationship with every glance over their collective shoulders.
Father Hood -- note the clever one-word-split-into-two-double-entendre-a-la-Cast Away -- is an example of the proverbial "kitchen sink" early 1990s
flick that crams pretty much everything but Horror into its 90 minute runtime, happily embracing family drama, comedy, action, adventure, car
chases, gun play, police procedural, investigative reporting, a corrupt system, road trips, and a wannabe tear-jerking finale. Unfortunately, it's all
largely forgettable, a classic "zone out" movie that never finds much of a stride thanks to flat characters and no real focus on any one or two primary
styles. There's nothing novel or cutting edge as it maneuvers through all of the motions that audiences have seen before but perhaps never
crammed into one movie like it all is here. Father Hood does benefit from a fairly strong cast; it's a name roster up and down the list, but
even some of the top leads and best character actors in the business can't save a movie so mired in mediocrity it nearly defines the term.
Much like the movie it serves, Father Hood's high definition transfer doesn't particularly impress, but neither is it a complete disaster. The
image
begins dubiously, appearing almost like plastic: hugely inorganic and very smooth. Fortunately, it picks up a bit of life after the title credits. Grain
fluctuates from ridiculously spiky to practically nonexistent. Details range from pleasant to, again, ultra-smooth and waxy. Black levels are often
washed
out, and the color palette appears a bit unnaturally bright. Still, the image proves highly watchable from a base perspective. There are enough quality
facial and clothing textures and a sufficiently vibrant palette to please undemanding audiences and at least get videophiles through the film. Certainly
it's a bargain basement sort of transfer, but then again so too is the Blu-ray release.
Father Hood's DTS-HD MA 2.0 lossless soundtrack doesn't set the world on fire, but it's a serviceable presentation, particularly in its handling
of
the film's diverse and regular musical output. Popular music sounds pretty good all around. It plays with commendable clarity, satisfying spacing
across
the front, fine balance, and just the right output level. Big sound effects such as car chases, explosions, and some of the other fun elements the
movie
packs in play with passable authenticity. This isn't the sort of track that will place listeners in the midst of the action, but when a helicopter
buzzes
just above a speeding car, for example, the sensation is adequately conveyed. Ambient effects are few but moderately effective, such as slight shifting
and coughing in an otherwise quiet courtroom or the background din of a busy news office. Dialogue hangs around the center, plays with good clarity,
and is never challenged or overpowered by music or effects. All in all, this is a passable track that handles its duties well enough, particularly
considering
Mill Creek's aggressive pricing.
Father Hood crams a few laughs, a bit of action, family drama, tearjerking moments, and pretty much everything else imaginable into a movie
that strives to please everyone but never quite settles into a foundation capable of keeping all the elements propped up. It's a movie of good intensions
and fair watchability, but it's one of many generic 1990s flicks that's more aimless than it is on target. Mill Creek's Blu-ray release of Father
Hood contains passable video and audio qualities. No extras are included. Normally, recommended as a skip, but at rock-bottom pricing it's not the
worst candidate for collection inclusion.
