The Natural

Watched this as a child and sought again this month. What a classic. Robert Redford shined in this as well as the character actors supporting his role. Baseball is the epitome of American Sports and this movie portrays and unlikely hero. A must-see for the baseball enthusiast. Great movie.

The version I purchased of The Natural was the two-disk Director's Cut set. I liked that viewers had the option at the very beginning to listen to Barry Levinson, the director, explain in brief how the cut altered the movie from the original theatrical release. Now, I saw the movie in the theater and once or twice on cable over the years, but honestly, I don't remember the original that specifically to tell what the differences are. I do appreciate having Levinson's comment about the changes up front, though. Viewers don't have to listen that first, but it's presented above the 'play movie' for those who are interested in doing so as I was.I enjoy Robert Redford movies and before the era of steroids and ridiculous salaries, I loved baseball, so seeing this in the theater upon release was natural for me. I recall liking it and thinking it was a bit slow in places, so buying the Director's Cut to see if that slowness was taken away, was also a natural for me. I may not enjoy baseball like I once did, but I still like a good Redford film performance.Levinson removed several minutes from the movie's first cut, rearranged and edited, and ultimately added five minutes and in total, this lengthened the movie by five minutes. The opening was definitely more tight, as he called it. Years ago, I remember thinking the opening in particular was so slow, almost dark and dreary, and I did not feel that way in watching the DVD today.Redford is Roy Hobbs, initially a young man with a bright future in baseball until he gets shot by a mysterious woman. It's sixteen years later when he finally gets a shot at the big leagues, although not everyone is on his side, including the manager (Wilford Brimley) who refuses to play such an old rookie. He doesn't even let him practice, until one day when Hobbs challenges him. Then the manager gets a big shock: this old rookie can play.From there, it's baseball drama and folks wanting to solve the mystery of Roy Hobbs' past while also putting in play a bit of a Black Sox scandal. The supporting cast is full of top notch actors, such as Glenn Close and Robert DuVall. Darrin McGavin, Kim Bassinger, Barbara Hershey, and Robert Prosky were also part of the cast. The big finale is an explosive delight, the kind that makes a fan cheer and smile with excitement. It takes a while to get there, but it's a good journey.The second disk has all of the bonus material, including a feature (in parts without a 'play all' option which annoys me) on the creation of the story and getting the movie made. It was truly interesting to hear the director and Redford discuss the ending of the movie and how it was changed from the novel, which provides a darker, more sad ending than what is seen in the film. That's followed by short "extras" that discuss different aspects of the movie, such as making era-appropriate uniforms, use of slow motion, and the one question President Reagan had about the movie.Next comes a segment called Clubhouse Conversations which includes folks like George Will, Bob Costas, Ryne Sandberg, Jason Giambi, and Don Mattingly talking (individually, not together) about the game of baseball. After this comes the shocking story of a baseball player shot by a female stalker. Though severely injured, he survived and returned to the game of baseball. She was the inspiration for the Barbara Hershey character in The Natural. The last part of this extra is about the various mythologies used in the novel and in the movie."The Heart of The Natural" is a featurette that features Cal Ripken Jr. on the gift or talent to play the game. This extends to include topics like the media and the business of the game. He also talks about heroes and the concept of role models.So, strong Redford performance, good drama, satisfying ending, and interesting extras make this an excellent DVD. Truly, my only complaint is the lack of a 'play all' option for that initial extra on The Natural coming together. Commentary would have been great, too, but as it is, the Director's Cut set is well worth it.

This movie was really good. If you are a baseball fan, you will love this movie!

Lofty Ambition, Love, Adversity, Betrayal, Greed, Corruption... Are some of the ingredients to be found in "The Natural."As a young man, Roy Hobbs has a desire and the talent to play professional baseball. He is Waylaid and blindsided by a tragic incident that could haveKilled him. Years later, Roy shows up to try out for a struggling professional team as a middle-aged man who just wants an opportunity.The unfolding of Roy's story is captivating and suspenseful as he encounters challenges and adversity that stand in his way to be "the best" that ever was.I greatly enjoyed this movie, and highly recommend it.

1 of my favorite baseball films ever! Special features are cool!

Good shape and like the different clips that were edited out of the other movie

If you like drama, baseball, or Robert Redford, chances are you'll love this movie. It's a great drama that has you rooting for Redford throughout until the unforgettable and heartwarming conclusion.

The natural feel good movie

Bon film assez ancien, mais l'histoire est bien.Le rêve de chacun peut être réalisé avec le temps.

I've loved this movie for years and have the DVD but when I got the opportunity to get it on Blu-Ray at a decent price I couldn't pass it up. Set in the late 30's it's the story of a promising young baseball player who inadvertently gets side tracked by a sinister "woman in black". When he returns to baseball some 15 years later no one's sure if he's able to play in the majors. Until I got the Blu-Ray I had no idea the movie was based on a true story. There's a plethora of "Special Features" that are ALL extremely interesting and factual. Of course Robert Redford, Glenn Close and a stellar cast are all fabulous - it's a movie the whole family can watch and enjoy and it leaves you with a very positive outlook to boot! Highly recommended!Greg.

迅速な対応ありがとうございました。また機会がありましたらよろしくお願いします。

Film: 5 SterneBild: 5 SterneTon: 5 SterneCover: FSK-freies WendecoverFilm: Dieser Klassiker liegt hier im DC vor, die entsprechenden erweiternden Scenen wurden unsynchronisiert im Original belassen, leider fielen dabei auch einige Sätze der bereits synchronisierten Version zum Opfer. Der Film ist eine Hommage an's Baseball, ein ruhiger Film mit toller Musik. Ein Vergleich zu einem alten Film mit Kathrine Hepurn und Spencer Tracey fällt mir hierbei auf, in dem Hepurn eine Tennisspielerin mimt, die in Anwesenheit von Tracey immer nicht zu ihrem Spiel findet und verliert. Das gleiche dumme Prinzip hat man hier gewählt. In dem Moment wo Redford mit Memo (Bassinger) zusammen ist trifft er keinen Ball mehr; Drehbuchautoren können manchmal so uninspiriert sein. Nichtsdestotrotz liebe ich diesen Film.Bild: Im 1:1.85 Format, schön, endlich wieder Vollbild. Wenn ich keinen Film mit Landschaftspanoramaaufnahmen habe, ziehe ich diese Format hier vor. Bildqualität ist tadellos. Schärfe, Kontrast, Schwarzwert und Sättigung sind anstandtslos. Mein TV ist ein 1,50 mtr Plasma, und Aufnahmen wie z.B. das Duell zwischen Redford und "Dem Hammer" auf dem Jahrmarkt sind der absolute Highlight. Die Bilder die hier entstanden sind zählen für mich zu den schönsten Aufnahmen im Filmbereich. Während dem Werfer- Schlägerspiel arbeitet die Kamera perfekt mit Tiefenschärfespielen und fängt auch wunderbar die vielen kleinen Partikel wie Blüten oder Insekten ein, welche um die Protagonisten herum träge unscharf ihre Kreise ziehn, während die Kamera auf die Spieler focusiert bleibt. Auch während des restlichen Films gibt es immer wieder solche schönen Momente. Der Kameramann hat hier bei dem Spiel mit der Tiefenschärfe alle Register gezogen, das Ergebnis ist hervorragend.Ton: DTS-HD, man braucht nur die 1. Minute im Film zu sehn, und ist voll zufrieden. Bei einem Sportfilm erwartet man einen brauchbaren Ton und erwartet keine so große Umsetzung im Bassbereich. Wenn jedoch in der 1. Minute ein Zug von links nach recht gemächlich durch's Bild rollt, mit bimmelnder Glocke und dampfgetrieben, gibt mein Subwoofer mir das deutlichst zu verstehn. Im Zug sitzt Redford danach auf der rechten Seite und meine linke hinter Box spielt mir Umgebunggeräusche ein, schön umgesetzt. Auch beim Rest des Film setzt sich diese liebevolle Umgestaltung des Tons fort, und wenn Redford dann mal den Ball in das Flutlicht schlägt reißt mein Subwoofer mich wieder mal aus der Stille raus, toll. Ton ist anstandslos.Menü: Sony, sonst würde ich es nicht erwähnen. Ich liebe Sony Menüs, schlicht und praktisch, geziert von im Hintergrund ablaufenden Filmszenen in bester Qualität.Auch hier wieder nur 3 Sprachen, alle mit der gleichen Tonart - DTS-HD (Englisch, Japanisch, Deutsch).Fazit: Perfekter kann man einen Film nicht auf BD transferieren, klare Kaufempfehlung.P.S. Universum und Warner, bitte schaut bei Sony wie man Menüs gestaltet, dann braucht der ehrliche Käufer einer BD-Scheibe nicht 5 Minuten zu warten bevor der Film losgeht.

Très bon film sportif que je conseIlle