Donovan's Reef

Nice story, loved this movie since I was a kid, glad to see a quality transfer. Shot on KAUAI in Hawaii and I am familiar with shooting locations.

A rollicking good time from director John Ford. Gorgeous 4k transfer. The Hawaiian locations are beautiful as are the flowers made more colorful in 4k. Clarity is good also, and the sound has been improved. I hope to see more John Wayne flicks get the 4k upgrade as they most deservedly need. Especially the Westerns like the very scenic THE COMANCHEROS really deserve the upgrade. THE SEARCHERS 4k upgrade is the absolutely very best as many reviewers reported on YouTube and it did not disappoint. I also excitedly await the king of all Westerns HOW THE WEST WAS WON to come to 4k. I have the blu-ray of that film that has the SMILE-A-VISION version that gives you and idea of what CINERAMA was like in its original format and is a great part of my collection, but I would definitely spring for a 4k upgrade. I hope that Amazon which now owns MGM is working on the 4k upgrade to this most iconic of classic American Westerns. It would be amazing!

Good movie.

John Wayne is not known for his comedies but he did do some fine work. The same could be said for Director John Ford. This film is proof of their talents. It is not something to be taken seriously but it is at once fun, sweet, dated and a precious Hollywood relic. John Wayne stars as Michael Donovan, a saloon keeper and shipping owner on a South Seas paradise island. Lee Marvin plays Gilhooley, a brawling friend who shows up every birthday for a ritual fight. Jack Warden rounds out the trio as the Doc. What all of them have in common is that they were shipwrecked on the island durnign WWII while it was under Japanese occupation and led a resistance movement but all of that is in the past. Now the war is over and each has carried on with life. In the case of the Doc, he married the hereditary princess of the island and had three wonderful kids. The problem is that he has a daughter from a prior marriage back in Boston who is scheming to be heiress of a major shipping line there and who comes out to the island to get evidence against her father she can use to show he is unfit. She arrives while the doc is making house calls to other islands and John Wayne steps in to protect the doc by claiming the kids as his own. Naturally, the Duke and the heiress fuss and feud but we all know that she is destined to be his lady. Much of this film is silly but that does not stop it from being fun. The film tries to be racially diverse in a style that would never go over today but was quite a step forward in the 50s. There is little or know physical danger beyond that which is alluded to from the war. The barroom brawls are handled as entertainment for all concerned. As I said, it is silly but it works. John Wayne plays himself as he does in all of his films. Lee Marvin plays a buffoon who manages to be fun even when he is being insulting. Jack Warden does little himself but what he does do, he does well and believably. Caesar Romero plays the French governor of the island and is fun as a good hearted, light villain scheming to marry the heiress himself. He too contributes to the success of this south seas romp. Perhaps the most fun is had from the 3 kids. They are not "actors" but they are first quality hams and they tend to steal the show with their campy lines. Sit back and enjoy this one.

Great movie experience for the entire family. John Wayne and an excellent supporting cast entertain us in a way that seems lost to moviegoers today. Nothing dark spirited, including the language used, makes this John Ford film about ex-Navy WW II personnel on a beautiful Pacific island suitable for all ages. Bottom line, it's a fun watch. The 4K version is an unbelievable upgrade in terms of all aspects (picture quality & sound) from the 20-year old DVD version. Far exceeds expectations. Thank you Kino Lorber.

I first saw this at the drive-in with my family when it was released; it was billed second on a double feature (remember them?) and to tell you the truth, my memory of the main attraction--probably something Disney, given my age--has escaped me for years. I immediately loved THIS film, however, and have seen it many times since on TV. I finally bit the bullet and bought it on DVD when it turned up for REALLY cheap on Amazon. Not unsurprisingly, the Technicolor print is stunning (it looks better than any print of the Quiet Man--which won an Oscar for its Technicolor cinematography--I've ever seen); surprisingly, so is the trailer, which comprises the only extra. There are French and English mono tracks in addition to the Dolby digital track, and optional English subtitles. The cheesy menus are only as interactive as menus with few options can be, and there's no hard-copy insert (an immediate minus in my book), hence my one-star demerit. It could be worse--at least it's anamorphic, and its list price accurately reflects Paramount's budget treatment. The film itself is delightful; it was one of John Ford's last, and is a complete joy (I especially got a kick out of his using Dorothy Lamour in a South Seas role...for the second time in 26 years, the first being The Hurricane). I will second a previous reviewer, however, in noting that there seem to be some gaps in continuity, especially at the end. And Jack Warden and Elizabeth Allen, at least, were still around at the time this was released on DVD--might it not have been nice to have had a commentary? This wasn't one of Ford's major works, but I can't imagine that most fans wouldn't like to hear what it was like to work with him, not to mention Lee Marvin and The Immortal Duke. Alas. Romance and male bonding on an island paradise--what's not to like? "Pappy" gave us a helluva good romp in the days before political correctness (I'm still wondering how "oriental" came to be a pejorative) that's not without poignancy, and if it doesn't make you want to beg, borrow, or steal fare to Polynesia ASAP, I respectfully submit that you're probably somehow deficient.

GOOD DVD WOULD RECOMMEND

I love this movie

Great movie. Duke was great.

Un bon john Wayne dans les îles avec de jolies musiques

If you remember the 50s 60s area cowboy films ad the actors you'l love this film. funny lovely scenary yes there is fights galor, but, no sex apart from the odd kiss. Great film.

La película es para mi padre. Esta comedia, protagonizada por John Wayne y Lee Marwin, divertida y entretenidísima, de principio a fin, es una de sus preferidas. Llegó un día antes de lo anunciado y muy bien empaquetada; con un albarán de entrega inmejorable.

C'est exactement ce que je cherchais. Merci beaucoup.