Actors: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Colin Farrell, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman
Directors: John Lee Hancock
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: March 18, 2014
Run Time: 120 minutes
Film: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars
When I originally heard about “Saving Mr. Banks” and it has Tom Hanks playing the legendary Walt Disney, I couldn’t be more thrilled. I love the film “Mary Poppins” and I thought it was going to be a great film. After watching it originally, I was a little disappointed to see that Hanks’ portrayal of the man behind Mickey Mouse was very supporting and the focus was on Emma Thompson role of Mary Poppins” author P.L. Travers and her life growing up. In fact, I really only enjoyed the parts in the film focusing on Walt Disney. Disney hardcore fans will enjoy. I will most likely not watch this again in the foreseable future.
Official Premise: Determined to fulfill a promise to his daughters, Walt Disney (Hanks) works for twenty years to secure the rights to author P.L. Travers’ (Thompson) beloved book. Armed with his iconic creative vision, Walt pulls out all the stops, but the uncompromising Travers won’t budge. Only when he reaches into his own complicated childhood does Walt discover the truth about the ghosts that haunt Travers, and together, the set Mary Poppins free.
Disney delivered “Saving Mr. Banks” with a Blu-ray combo pack including a Digital HD Ultraviolet copy. The 1080p transfer looks quite sharp. The colors are very vibrant especially the flashback scenes. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track works well with the film’s beautiful score and music. In terms of special features this some decent extras but nothing amazing. “Walt Disney Studios: From Poppins to Present” is a tour of the Disney Studios lot with director Join Hancock. “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” has the cast and crew singing along on the last day of filming. Lastly there are three short deleted scenes included.
