In this enchanting film, Alan Arkin stars as a struggling Puerto Rican father who seizes on an outlandish plan to give his boys a better life. He sets them adrift in a boat off of Florida, hoping they will be rescued and raised by a wealthy family!

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[youtube https://youtu.be/e75oPdYf6F0?si=xTAZg171lk8i7tcb&t=4000]

Video Quality

Popi debuts on Blu-Ray with a 1080p transfer in its original 1.85:1 which looks to be derived from an older master courtesy of MGM that holds up pretty well. While it would have been lovely to freshen this one up a bit, at least we can be thankful the transfer avoids signs of excessive damage and digital manipulation. The picture maintains a notable sheen of natural film grain with some density fluctuations at play in different environments. The grain can resolve in a clumpy manner, but compression artifacts and other digital anomalies do not pop up consistently as an issue.

Black levels could be stronger when it comes to depth, as some moments struggle to showcase objects in the shadows. Highlights are somewhat of an issue as there are a few instances when whites have been clipped. The colors appear pretty decent overall with saturation not struggling. There are plenty of nicks and scratches throughout, but nothing that distracts from the viewing experience. The transfer occasionally looks a bit soft and undefined, but most of the movie looks acceptable. MGM has put forth another one from their catalog with minimal effort, but we are grateful the HD transfer holds up as well as it does.

Audio Quality

MGM brings us this new Blu-Ray with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix that is in line with the video side of things with subtle signs of age. The sounds of the bustling city add a dynamic touch to the mix, but elements could be more distinguished for clarity. The score complements the mood of the story, and it holds up well enough when it comes to fidelity. Dialogue emanates clearly without much sibilance or other sonic intrusions. The environmental effects are somewhat poorly defined in more kinetic developments. The age-related weaknesses are on display, but MGM keeps this one sounding pretty good. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.

Special Features

There are no special features provided on the disc.

Final Thoughts

Popi is a story that might sound somewhat outlandish from a simple description, but the way in which it plays out is very emotionally resonant. At its core, you have a father who is so intent on providing a good life for his children that he goes to extreme lengths that may not prove to be what is actually best for them. Alan Arkin is terrific in a role that oscillates between being broadly comedic and dramatically impactful. The young performers do a very believable job of playing rowdy children without feeling manufactured. This is a really good, overlooked feature worthy of a second life. MGM has brought this film to Blu-Ray with an acceptable A/V presentation but nothing in the way of special features. Those who love Arkin or family films should give it a spin. Recommended

Popi can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: MGM 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.