John Travolta was well on his way to regaining his star power in the 90s after Pulp Fiction made people realize he was still a major talent. He continued his streak with a fun turn in the critically respected Get Shorty, and subsequently indulged in his first John Woo flick, Broken Arrow. He followed this up with two peculiar films in 1996 in which he was graced with extraordinary abilities, Phenomenon and Michael. The latter happened to be directed by the wonderful Nora Ephron, who already had the stone cold classic Sleepless In Seattle under her belt. Michael provided a more lighthearted turn for Travolta, and it blossomed into a respectable hit for Warner Bros. following its Christmas debut. While not heralded as a high point in either Travolta of Ephron’s career, Michael offers a lot to enjoy for fans of either. Warner Archive has rescued this fantastical film from the dusty DVD bins to give it the high definition treatment it deserves.
We have all seen those trashy tabloids in checkout lines that are filled with unbelievable stories meant to entice a particular type of reader. Frank Quinlan (William Hurt) is at a point in his career where he is the one writing these stories for The National Mirror. He does not particularly enjoy the sensational news he is forced to cover, but you have to take what you can get. His professional career is currently at the mercy of his cranky boss, Vartan Malt (Bob Hoskins), who is always looking for a hot story. When Frank brings him a potential story of a woman living with an angel in Iowa, Malt sends him to investigate along with the freshly hired Dorothy (Andie MacDowell), photographer Huey (Robert Pastorelli) and his famous pooch, Sparky. The crew has no real expectations for this trip, so you can imagine their surprise when they show up to find Michael (John Travolta), a disheveled, overweight, cigarette smoking man who smells like cookies and sports a pair of wings. Michael is not your typical angel; he is an archangel who is enjoying his final trip to Earth.
Michael is John Travolta harnessing his innate charm to deliver a relaxed performance that is endearing without be cloying. Michael has a particular plan for Frank and the crew, which involves a road trip back to Chicago with stops along the way at kitschy tourist traps and local watering holes. Throughout the journey, we learn more about our characters, including the unlucky-in-love Dorothy, who is hiding a secret from the group, the professionally and emotionally unfulfilled Frank, and the also there Huey. As much as the film tries to get us on board, a burgeoning romance between Frank and Dorothy never feels completely believable. Michael has a way of bringing a little magic into people’s lives, but even that explanation requires more chemistry than Hurt and MacDowell are able to conjure in such a condensed timeframe. This relationship is supposed to be the crux of the film, but the movie is at its best when it is focusing on the effect Michael has on the people they meet along the way. Even the moments with Sparky the dog tap into a greater well of emotion than the romance does.
Michael is a film that lacks the necessary laughter or poignant moments that would elevate it to the level of a classic in the genre. It rarely rises above the level of being perfectly pleasant. Nevertheless, the movie enshrines you like a comfortable sweater to the point where you begin to dismiss most of your quibbles and enjoy the ride. Ephron has an easy style that revels in sentimentality, which should not be a bad word even in our cynical times. The Christmas time period only adds to the sense of nostalgia this film invokes to a more simple time period. The film could have been a markedly better experience if it had added more laugh out loud moments and fine-tuned the romance at the core, but still remains a fun way to spend a couple of hours.
Video Quality
Michael gets a much-needed upgrade to Blu-Ray from Warner Archive with a 1080p transfer sourced from a new 2020 master. The transfer provides nice, natural film grain absent of any compression artifacts or other such damage. This disc also beautifully represents the natural wintery midwestern landscape that runs throughout the film. There is no noticeable blooming in the whites of the snow, and the drab colors of the dead grass are presented accurately. Skin tones look natural, and the presentation offers up fairly deep black levels. There is also a noticeable uptick in detail that should please fans of the film. This is a major upgrade from the ancient source material used for previous DVD releases.
Audio Quality
Warner Archive brings this new Blu-Ray to consumers with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix that is just as worthy of praise as the video presentation. The dialogue primarily stays within the center channel, but makes its way to the surround speakers when necessary, such as in a crowded bar. Being somewhat of a road trip film, a large portion of the film takes place outdoors, which the track is able to nicely represent with some subtle surround activity. The movie sports some tracks from the ever-reliable Randy Newman, along with his folksy score that sounds great here. This is a track that gets the job done in a very satisfying way. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are provided on this disc.
Special Features
- Trailer: The two-minute long trailer looks a bit rough, but offers up one of the better instances of appropriately teasing a film without giving anything important away. I wish more movies were this subtle in their marketing.
Final Thoughts
Michael largely succeeds in what it is trying to accomplish on the shoulders of Travolta’s charming performance. Likewise, Nora Ephron utilizes her penchant for injecting her films with a lived-in warmth that leaves you feeling better than when you started. Warner Archive has given the film a major A/V upgrade that should please fans of the film. Those who have been waiting for an HD upgrade should buy with confidence.
Michael can be purchased directly through Warner Archive or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
