As a young teenager I remember renting King Ralph and watching it with my family. When I saw the cover of Ralph with the crown and sitting on the throne it had my family hooked.
The film has lived in my memory ever since. Now the good folks at Mill Creek Entertainment are releasing King Ralph on Blu-ray as apart of their Retro VHS Collection. To say I was excited for this Blu-ray release would be an understatement.
When the entire British royal family are together for the first time in a long time, they wanted to capture the reunion for posterity. But when a freak accident wipes out the entire monarchy, there is a scramble to find someone to ascend to the throne. The mad dash leads them to Las Vegas and a lounge singer Ralph Jones. He is the lone heir to the throne. Now it's up to Sir Cedric Charles Willingham to transform the outlandish Ralph into a proper British monarch.
John Goodman rose to fame as Dan Conner in the classic sitcom Roseanne, but here he is tremendous as the outlandish and somewhat obnoxious lounge singer. But he is not alone here John is surrounded by a great cast of actors and actresses including Peter O'Toole (Laurence of Arabia), John Hurt (The Elephant Man), Camille Coduri (Doctor Who), Richard Griffiths (Harry Potter and the sorcerer's stone), Leslie Phillips (Carry on Teacher),
Davis S. Ward is the co-writer and director of King Ralph. He knows how to write screenplays as he was nominated for Academy Awards for The Sting and Sleepless in Seattle. Now most critics consider this film's comedy predictable and lowbrow. And while it is a bit predictable lowbrow, I beg to differ. This is not nostalgia talking. I genuinely enjoy this film.
The film was originally rated PG and as we watch the film in this generation and know how the film ratings are this film should be more PG-13. The film contains a fair amount of profanity, nothing really bad. There is a brief scene of nudity and some sexual innuendoes. So yeah this is a film for older teens and adults only.
Mill Creek Entertainment have transferred this film to Blu-ray in 1080p in it's original widescreen format in 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The soundtrack is a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. There is also an option for English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing.
I am so used to seeing the film in full screen format that it is so cool to be able to see it in the original widescreen format. I must say the picture quality of this transfer is really nice. There is no signs of damage to the print whatsoever. The film looks crisp and sounds clear. I am highly impressed with this Blu-ray release.
Now that is not the only reason to purchase this release. The slipcover is where this release shines. This Retro VHS slipcover is so nostalgic when I see these it takes me back to my childhood and you really can't put a price tag on that. As a bonus there is different art work on this actual Blu-ray insert. Very cool!
Watch The Trailer Below:
This Retro VHS Style Blu-ray of John Goodman in King Ralph goes great with the other Retro VHS Blu-ray of The Babe Starring Goodman. An amazing double feature! The only downside I can see with this release is that there are no bonus features. But for me the slipcover is enough of a bonus for me,
So if you are a fan of 90s comedies or John Goodman films this Retro VHS Blu-ray release of King Ralph would make a tremendous addition to your collection. Head over to Amazon and order your copy today.
Out of 4 film reels (4 being the best) Mill Creek Entertainment's Blu-ray release of King Ralph receives...
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