Mama Blu-ray Review
By: MattInRC
Universal's Mama brings home good video and exceptional audio, even though it's got flaws.
Warning: major spoilers ahead.
As I emerged from the press screening of a film back in late March, theater employees were handing out related posters. As I flipped the poster over, I learned that the studio was already planning its home release by encouraging audiences to pre-order it. At the time, I thought this was a marketing ploy based on the long delay which the film faced (I'm totally giving the name of this title away). But as the Summer 2013 season got underway, more and more titles suddenly became available for pre-release, representing an interesting trend - the idea that studios want to cash in on their marketing more effectively by quickly get their products into consumers' hands. As soon as Star Trek: Into Darkness and Fast Six were released in theaters, their pre-orders became almost instantly available. In short, we're seeing a fundamental change in the way studios want us to consume their entertainment.
Caught up in the old release timetable is Mama, a film that could be one of the last films that featured long wait times before their home releases were announced. Luckily, Universal doesn't skimp on the supplements or audio, although its video transfer is a bit dark.
The Movie - 4/5
After murdering his wife, a whacked-out father of two (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Oblivion) flees the scene with his two infant children, crashing his car in the process. As the three seek shelter, they wander upon an abandoned cabin in the woods (no movie relation) which happens to be...you guessed it...haunted with a terrible spirit which calls itself Mama. Forgotten by the authorities, the girls Victoria (Megan Charpentier) and Lilly (Isabelle Nélisse) soon become incoherent crawling Gollom-like children who are found five years later and awarded custody to the late father's brother Jeffrey (also played by Waldau). A starving artist whose girlfriend Annabelle (Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty) plays in a band, Lucas is not exactly what the kids need. However, the psychiatrist Dr. Dreyfuss (Daniel Kash, Lucky Number Slevin) thinks Lucas and Annabelle can bring the children some structure, and puts them up in a home used for clinical studies. Victoria soon begins to respond positively to the change, but Lilly is still clearly affected by their disappearance. Soon, weird things begin to happen in the house, including the arrival of a creature the two begin to refer to as Mama (Javier Botet). As an attack leaves Jeffrey in the hospital, he children must decide whether to stay with their new family or plunge headlong into the dark world of a creature that's just looking for closure.
Whether Mama works depends upon your expectations. If you desire a straight-up horror flick, filled with creepiness and violence, then its backstory will seem tedious. However, if you're like me and want well-polished procedural ala Sinister, rather than the gore-fest of an Evil Dead, then you might be in luck. Even still, Mama is a well-acted and conceived film that misses the mark, but just barely. Place blame on brother and Director/Co-Writer Andy Muschietti and his sister Producer/Co-Writer Barbara, who are literally three mistakes away from making an instant classic. Those mistakes rear their heads again and again throughout the film, cheapening the experience because of the film's established reality. From the overused cabin in the woods/scary monster inside, to the inconceivable notion that people must visit remote places without letting anyone else know, these tips-of-the-hat to the genre end up costing the film dearly. From the moment it starts, Mama's premise is that the spirit world is not accepted by human beings, who require scientific proof that such realities exist. It's because of a terrific delivery from Kash about this that leads to its undoing. Even its effective twist of an ending doesn't solve the scientific riddle of possession, nor does it explain why Mama needs a living human female to gain closure, when Annabelle provides the spirit with the remains of her actual child. Creating a horror-fantasy hybrid does sound appealing, but again it's the execution and those mistakes in specific which left me lacking. There's also a completely unnecessary sidestory involving Dreyfuss wanting to publish the children's ordeal into a book, which only stands as a distraction to Annabelle's investigation.
Producer Guillermo del Torro (Hellboy) was drawn to the project by a 5-minute short which appears on the Blu-ray, but it's clear that he also missed the practicality of the premise. Well-known for bringing new directing talent to American audiences, del Torro proves that his pipeline is strong, even if the Muschettis missed the boat on the story. They definitely create a creepy fantasy horror flick that does an excellent job of scaring us half to death. Chastain would not have been my first choice to play the skater-musician-turned mom, but she turns in a fine performance regardless. Waldau is unfortunately limited to punching bag status, choking off his interaction and growth with the children to lying in a hospital bed. The real joy here is in the performances of Anderson and Nélisse, both of whom don't overtake the screen as many child actors tend to do. Anderson brings a real depth of both sadness for her situation and a feeling of being trapped by Mama. When she pushes Annabelle away during a critical scene, you can see all of these emotions on her face, which tell you everything without the use of dialogue. Nélisse, who couldn't speak a word of English when she came on the set, uses this to her advantage by only uttering a few words during her scenes, and with a roughness that makes her character seem even more disconnected.
It's said many times in the commentary and in the supplements that the Muschettis didn't want to exploit the characters or the story for horror's sake. After watching Mama, I fear they missed their own point. The film is creepy, engaging, and so close to being a classic you almost want to shout your frustrations in the hopes something would immediately change.
The Video - 3.5/5
Universal's presentation of Mama is delivered in a MPEG-4/AVC transfer that's a bit too dark for my liking. Shadows fade to black way too early, leaving few details on clothing and hair that arrives in almost every scene, even outdoors. Just to be sure, I adjusted my plasma to a more dynamic video setting, but that only created contrast issues between those shadows and the lighting. The darkness permeates the entire 1080p print, reminding me of Act 1 of The Avengers. The issue doesn't gravely ruin the experience, and in some ways contributes to the horror element which the Muschettis were striving to achieve. Let us know if you notice the darkness as well. Browns and dark greens seem to dominate the color scheme here, contributing to the film's foreboding nature. Clarity does suffer a bit from the darkness, but grain is definitely there, which also does contribute to the overall creepiness of the film. And while there's no edge enhancement, banding, or aliasing, Universal clearly just missed the boat with its transfer.
The Audio - 4.5/5
Mama features a splendid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track that is exactly what one would desire from a horror film - quiet in many parts, then erupting in a crescendo of music and sound effects while our heroes attempt understanding and escape. The LFE pounces on us throughout, like a predator chasing, cornering, and devouring its prey. It's not a constant effect, but when it arrives, the scene is much better for it. When Mama presents herself, either through song or more violent means, the rear speakers follow, enveloping the listener with excellent results. Dialogue is never a problem here, even though it exists primarily in the forward speakers. Sounds move from left to right with perfect clarity, resulting in a Remote Game-free experience. Composer Fernando Velázquez creates a musical environment that plays very well throughout all 5 speakers, even if it's a bit too fantasy-like for my tastes. Overall, Mama boasts a nice lossless track that, like every film should, heightens the experience and reminds us why horror works so well in a surround sound environment.
Supplements - 4.5/5
Mama comes complete with several nice extras that shed an excellent light on the production, all of which are presented in HD:
Audio Commentary by Director/Co-Writer Andy and Producer/Co-Writer Barbara Muschietti: The brother/sister duo provide a thorough breakdown of the film, hitting on elements such as the difficulty of bringing Mama to life. It was interesting to hear about their interpretations of the film's ending, which are by itself worth listening to after you've seen the film.
Original Short (4:32): This short served as the basis for the film, and is introduced by Producer Guillermo del Toro. Although true to its nature, the short is very effective, dare I say scary. After watching it, you'll see clear references to the theatrical version and why del Toro and others were drawn to the project. There is also an optional commentary by the Muschiettis.
The Birth of Mama (HD, 9:36): This well-produced behind-the-scenes featurette is thorough without being boring, and sports interviews from the cast and crew.
Matriarchal Secrets: The Visual Effects of Mama (6:00): DDT Makeup is featured as the chief prosthetic makers, but you also learn how the filmmakers blended real-life and computer-generated effects to make a truly frightening creature.
Deleted Scenes (HD, 7:31): There are six deleted scenes - each with optional commentary - including, Honey I'm Home, Not Raised by Animals, Doll Parts, Conversations with the Wall, Lilly in the Garden, and A Discovery in the Closet. There's only one scene I wish they had kept, because it helps Annabelle in Act 3 when she uncovers Dreyfuss's interviews with Victoria. Otherwise, there's nothing really insightful here, and the other cuts probably helped to streamline the film.
Our evaluation copy came complete as a Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy Combo with Ultraviolet. The slipcase from Universal is simple but attractive.
The Bottom Line - 4/5
If you're a fan of del Toro's work, then this was probably a first-day buy for you, regardless of its issues. If you're into enjoyable (although somewhat predictable) horror, Mama represents a solid example, delivering good video and solid audio. Universal's embraced the effort to bring its films to the home market in a more rapid fashion; luckily, this release doesn't show the quick turn around. At the very least, consider it for a rental; perhaps you'll get more out of it than I. Mama is rated PG-13 for violence and has a runtime of 100 minutes.
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