HAWAII © 1966 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Two cultures collide in this vast, lavish and truly spectacular film starring Julie Andrews, Max Von Sydow, Richard Harris, Gene Hackman and Carroll O'Connor. Adapted from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and nominated* for seven Oscars, this "majestic, gorgeously framed epic is adventuresome picture-making, a credit to the industry" (The Film Daily) and riveting entertainment!

They came to bring God, but instead brought disease and destruction. The Rev. Abner Hale (Von Sydow) and his gentle wife Jerusha (Andrews) attempt to convert early 19th-century Hawaiian natives to Christianitybut find themselves ill-equipped to endure the unexpected tribulations of paradise. Surging with the excitement of windstorms, firestorms, shark attacks and magnificent island scenery, Hawaii shines as passionately as the island paradise itself!

Based upon the famous novel of the same name, "Hawaii" is an absolutely stunning visual journey to the most beautiful place on earth. It's not difficult to make the Hawaiian coast look good, but this film really captures the magnificence and serenity of the islands. Just beautiful - you could almost put the sound on "mute" and just bask in the glory...

... and you might want to, because this is a painful movie to sit through. Does it look great? Absolutely. Does it reek of uber-cheesy 1960s dialogue? Yes. Julie Andrews and Max Von Sydow make a nice pairing, but the dialogue and script is just so brutally cliched. Yikes. I just focused on the background and tried to avoid the on-screen butchering.

Video: How's it look?
Presented in a stunning 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, the film really looks fantastic on this DVD, with great cinematography, vibrant colours, strong detail, and only the slightest film aging to detract from the otherwise gorgeous presentation.

Audio: How's it sound?
With only a mono track presented, the audio portion does little to compliment the stunning video transfer & cinematography. Dialogue is mostly audible, but there are times when it seems somewhat "compressed" (like you're listening through a bad set of tv speakers), as does some of the soundtrack, but overall you can hear what's going on.

Extras: What all's on the 2-DVD set?

• featurette from the 60s
• theatrical trailer
• anti-piracy ad (no joke)

Closing Thoughts
Gorgeous DVD + only a lone notable extra = solid DVD offering