The Magic Flute (Blu-ray) review

[David Vaughn]

Studio: Shout Factory
Release Date: May 16, 2023
Rating: Not Rated
Film:  3/5

Plot
From Executive Producer Roland Emmerich (Moonfall) comes a captivating film that follows a teen on two journeys: one into a prestigious boarding school to fulfill his aspirations as a singer, and another into a parallel world filled with fantasy and adventure. Tim (Jack Wolfe, Shadow And Bone) has been dreaming his whole life about attending Mozart All Boys Music School, but already his first days there confront him with a hostile headmaster (F. Murray Abraham, The White Lotus), the stresses of a first love, and serious doubts about the authenticity of his singing voice. When he discovers a mystical gateway in the school’s library, he is pulled into the fantastic cosmos of Mozart's opera, The Magic Flute, where imagination has no limits and the Queen of the Night (Sabine Devieilhe) reigns.

My Thoughts
I had never heard of the film and decided to give it a try. I enjoy Mozart’s music, but am not a fan of opera, so I was very surprised when the fantasy realm depicted in the film is actually an opera. My wife found it quite dull and unentertaining while I did my best to enjoy it for what it was—a way to introduce Mozart to young adults. In a lot of ways, the school environment reminded me of a Hogwarts for music prodigies and I kept waiting for one of the kids to whip out a wand and cast a spell. Regardless, the overarching story is middling, but the music is good.

The soundtracks shines with the music and action elements, but utterly fails when it comes to dialog intelligibility. In fact, it wouldn’t shock me if the center channel was recorded a few dB too low, because I rarely have an issue with dialog in my theater. The video is sharp, which is to be expected since it was shot digitally, and the CGI is passable, but not the best I’ve seen.

Video 4/5 (AVC)
Audio 4/5 (DTS-HD MA 5.1)

Special Features:

• The Making of The Magic Flute
• Visual Effects Presentation
• A Visit to the Premiere
• Trailers
• Blu-ray + DVD

Conclusion
Before requesting this I should have watched the trailer with my wife to see if it was something she might enjoy—it turns out it wasn’t her cup of tea and I ended up finishing it alone. While it isn’t a bad movie by any stretch, it wasn’t what I expected and I was surprised when the opera elements came into play.   


Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 110” 2.35:1 Screen
Trinnov Altitude 16 Audio/Video Processor
ATI AT527NC Powering Bed Channels
ATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
Kaleidescape Strato + Server
Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
System Controller: URC MX-990
M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)
M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
SVS PC-Ultra Cylinder Subwoofer
SVS SB3000
HSU VTF-15H MK2 Subwoofer
M&K Sound X15+ Subwoofer
Mini DSP HD controlling all subwoofers
Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner

[Paul Heroy]

Looks somewhat intriguing, though other reviews aren't strong either. From the trailer, that looked like an almost copy & paste of Hogwarts and the uniforms for the kids. 

Like you I enjoy Mozart's music (symphonies mostly) but not opera as much; adding a layer to tolerate on the WAF front is that mine will automatically go into untrained copycat mode whenever this type of singing comes up, lol. 

On another note, amazing that F. Murray Abraham is still acting, and of course almost 40 years since his star turn in Amadeus (when he was already in his 40s!) the Mozart connection is pretty cool career symmetry.

[bmoney]

Thanks for the review!