Robin Williams‘ films are seemingly timeless. Whether they be comedies or dramas, the beloved late star always gives so much into his performances and that’s what made him resonate with so many people. He was able to elicit powerful emotions through his films and his classics are now coming to 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Disney. One of the films was his predominantly dramatic turn in Dead Poets Society. Today, we take a look at the 1993 Chris Columbus classic — Mrs. Doubtfire.
Growing up in the 90s, it’s likely Mrs. Doubtfire was a staple of your childhood and one of the many shining examples that Robin Williams is a one-in-a-million talent. As a kid, we already knew how funny the movie was. Everyone loved it. Chris Columbus delivered a new winner after the one-two punch of Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Watching Mr. Doubtfire as an adult, I couldn’t help but notice just how well the divorce storyline was handled. When you’re younger and a Robin Williams fan, you’re sure to default to his side. Revisiting Mrs. Doubtfire with more mature sensibilities, it’s quite amazing to see how nuanced and sophisticated the dramatic parts are.
In my thinkpiece for the differences between Joe Dante and Chris Columbus for Gremlins 3, I cited how Columbus was much more suited for down-to-Earth human stories and Mrs. Doubtfire stands as one of his greatest achievements of making a laugh-a-minute comedy that has a ton of heart and soul. It’s easy to see how this movie was loved by everyone. The comedy is the hook and it is quintessential Williams humor, as he’s working overtime with his immensely impressive improv skills. But you also have the drama of a father who is at odds with his wife and when gets to his wit’s end, he does something so extraordinary, you can’t help but be entertained by it. Add to that — there’s some hefty competition for the attention of his family when Pierce Brosnan enters the picture as someone interested in becoming their new parent.
It was a nice surprise that, despite all the repeated viewings of this movie in my life, I was able to see it differently as an adult. Even the comedy is perfectly orchestrated. While there are certainly many scenes that let Williams play around with improvisation, the set up for the wacky situation in the restaurant finale has a ton of elements that just worked perfectly. There’s definitely a reason that this movie is one most-remembered in both Williams and Columbus’ resume.
Much like with Dead Poets Society, this is a great transfer. The picture is incredibly crisp. Despite being as good as Dead Poets Society‘s video presentation, the movie itself doesn’t particularly pop much more than past releases as the cinematography isn’t as artful in a way that Dead Poets Society is. There aren’t any shots that really stood out to me and while it’s a good-lookin’ movie, it is shot as a run-of-the-mill comedy for the most part. The Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos make the viewing an enjoyable experience, but if you’re looking for a solid reason to upgrade, it’s not a massive improvement over the HD version.
However, you get an ample of great special features. The annoying thing with these two releases is that all the extra material are solely located on the Blu-ray and the 4K only features the movie. However, it’s been said how much extra footage has been cut, and there’s a ton of extended scenes, deleted scenes, alternate scenes and alternate takes. There are even extended and alternate footage of the Chuck Jones cartoon from the intro. As with Dead Poets Society, all the special features have been carried over from a previous release. Honestly, though, I feel like they did a pretty great job at including a ton of extra material, so if they couldn’t add newer special features, I’m still pretty satisfied.
As with Dead Poets Society, I feel this is a pretty definitive way to watch the movie. However, I will say that you don’t have to really worry about upgrading if you don’t feel the need to. It looks great, but not spectacular. For fans of the movie, I would say, go for it! Both Dead Poets Society and Mrs. Doubtfire are already available with retailers.