Can you "really" trust a movie that starts off with the words, "Based on a True Story", or "The Following story is totally based on fact"???  Well The Coen Brothers obviously thought so when they made Fargo, a movie that "says" the following story is true, when in Fact, it's a bold face lie!!!!  These pair of pranksters thought it'd be funny to do this, and it seemed to have worked.  Even the great Leonard Maltin thought it was true.

One film that really is based on fact, believe it or not :-) is Fly Away home.   It's the true Canadian story (I believe:-) about a girl (The Piano's Anna Paquin) who helps a bunch of geese migrate south for the winter (or is that north) in a "goose plane" built by her somewhat eccentric father (Jeff Daniels of Dumb & Dumber) .....hmmm..whatever....This whole premise starts off with Amy (Paquin) finding a nest of goose eggs, abandoned as a result of a new development starting near the their home.   Having recently lost her own mother in a horrific car accident in New Zealand (hence her legitimate accent), she decides to raise the eggs herself, which eventually hatch in to geese (of course).  These geese grow up thinking she is their mother (she was the first thing/person they saw) and won't migrate as they don't want to leave her.   So to get the geese to "fly away home" her dad builds her a lightweight motorised aeroglider (decked out with goose wings and all :-)  and she and her father set off across the sky to lead the geese to their new home.  Incidentally, this created a huge sensation and a tonne of media involvement throughout their trek. 

So How Does This Transfer Hold Up?

Presented as a 16:9 transfer, this Columbian DVD is generally very nice, with crisp clear images and accurate flesh tones.  On occasions the contrast level seems to drop a bit, but this wasn't too often, so isn't a real drama.  In some sequences, the colours are very heavily saturated and are rock solid throughout.  As with most Columbia DVDs this was taken for a very clean transfer without any specks or grain.  In general a terrific transfer.

The soundtrack is also very well presented in the 5.1 channels.  The entire soundfield, for the most part, is often very active and is well utilised by the music score.  Unusual for this type of movie is the often aggressive bass attack (a big plus in my books if used well).  Dialogue remains intelligible, even during the flight sequences which don't shy away too much for the engine noises.  So again a great soundtrack for this DVD.

With a RRP price of $34.95 (or $31.45 with The Video Shift Special, a shameless plug, I know :-) This is a great family movie that will be enjoyed by all. Highly Recommended.

Review Equipment: TV: Mitsubishi DIVA 68cm TV 16:9 switchable(with a screw driver), DVD: Samsung DVD905, Receiver: Marantz SR870, Speakers: Front - B&W 602's, Rears - Jamo, Subby - M&K V125 (grumble- growl-BOOM). Cinema Chairs (Gilberton Recliners....okay so there not REALLY cinema chairs but they're very comfy..)

- Reviewed 30th sept 1998