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By
NICK ZEGARAC
A WWII melodrama and
problematic recasting hamper "Son of Lassie," a
dismal successor to "Lassie Come Home." The collie
is now recast as Laddie -- a haplessly playful
mutt that runs amuck until Joe (now recast as
Peter Lawford) is enlisted as a flyer for the
Allies. Laddie sneaks aboard Joe's plane and the
two are off into the wild blue yonder.
Unfortunately, the wild blue fizzles out when the
Nazis shoot down Joe's plane. In need of medical
attention, Joe summons Laddie to seek help and
inadvertently brings half of Nazi Germany along.
Clearly attempting to rekindle the essence of the
original film, the characters of Priscilla (now
recast as June Lockhart) and the Duke of Rudling
(alumni Nigel Bruce) return to lend moral support
to a dragging tale that is barely reminiscent of
the original's glory. This film is an adventure
yarn with the dog thrown in, but it doesn't play
as either an adventure or a family drama -- the
latter of which must have clearly been the target
of MGM's publicity campaign for the film. The
casting of Lawford and Lockhart in the roles
originated by Roddy McDowell and Elizabeth Taylor
is a huge error in judgment from which the film
never recovers.
Small ironies aside, Warner's DVD is the most
satisfying of the bunch, presumably because it
didn't get much play over the years and has
therefore been spared most of the ravages of time.
Tonal quality is the least dated of the three
"Lassie" films with consistently rendered colors
that are vibrant. Age-related artifacts are, on
the whole, absent. Edge enhancement and
pixelization are kept to a minimum. Overall, fine
details are very nicely realized. Contrast and
black levels are very solid. The audio is mono but
respectably cleaned up and presented with a
fidelity that outweighs the visual
characteristics. There are no extras. |
