Movie Reviews

‘Village of the Giants’ Blu-Ray Review – Larger-Than-Life Teenage Sci-Fi Feature Offers Campy, Groovy Fun

By Dillon Gonzales
March 6, 2022
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A small town runs into big problems when teenagers hit a growth spurt, turn into gallivanting Goliaths, lead an anti-elder rebellion and terrify anyone under seven feet tall! Featuring Hollywood teen stars Tommy Kirk (The Shaggy Dog), Johnny Crawford (TV’s The Rifleman), Ron Howard (TV’s Happy Days) and Beau Bridges (The Landlord), this fantastic, effects-laden tale delivers gargantuan, sexy entertainment loaded with rock ‘n’ roll. Eleven-year-old Genius (Howard) mixes up some super-goo with his chemistry set, turning cats and ducks into giants. When a group of wild teenagers see the results, they gobble it up too and turn into towering tyrants, challenging adults and making mayhem while the world desperately searches for an anti-teen antidote. It’s the teen scene you’ve never seen—from cult legend Bert I. Gordon, the director of The Cyclops, The Amazing Colossal Man, Attack of the Puppet People, The Magic Sword and Picture Mommy Dead. The stellar cast includes Joe Turkel (The Shining), Joy Harmon (Cool Hand Luke), Tisha Sterling (Coogan’s Bluff) and Toni Basil (Easy Rider).

For thoughts on Village of the Giants, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic here.

Video Quality

Village of the Giants makes its Blu-Ray debut courtesy of Kino Classics with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1 that is derived from a brand new 4K restoration by StudioCanal. Instances of print damage such as nicks and scratches have all but been eradicated with overall clarity and detail looking excellent. Skin tones are natural and consistent with subtle facial features easily noticeable in closeup. Black levels hold up well with no major instances of crush apparent. The presentation is beautiful throughout most of the runtime with image stability and delineation being top notch. The picture can run a touch soft in long shots and with special effects, but colors are well saturated with the warm hues of America coming through. This transfer maintains the natural film grain of the presentation with a refined look rather than a clumpy mess. This presentation is an excellent effort that should please fans.

Audio Quality

This new Blu-Ray comes with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix that sounds pretty dynamic throughout this larger-than-life narrative. The dialogue holds up wonderfully, coming through clearly without being stepped on by the music or sound effects. The environmental effects are delineated nicely from the car engine to the hustle and bustle of the local teenage hotspots. This is a film that utilizes music well in a way that packs a punch without hijacking the experience. It is presented with great clarity and a pleasing fidelity as it flows through the room. The track avoids most instances of age related wear and tear or distortion. This is a track that represents the film in a wonderful manner. Optional English subtitles are provided on this disc.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film Historian Tim Lucas delivers a very informative commentary track in which he discusses the original idea to have the children of Hollywood stars in a movie together, the transgressive nature of the teenage hedonism depicted on screen, the background of various creative figures attached to the film, the special effects implemented in the film, the history and reception of the picture, details about the shooting locations and more.

Trailers: The two-and-a-half minute trailer is provided for Village Of The Giants. There are also trailers provided for The Magic Sword and Jack The Giant Killer.

Final Thoughts

Village of the Giants is not a work of art by any means, but it has a bubblegum sci-fi teenage aesthetic that makes for a groovy time. The situations are more than a bit silly, but when you have a picture with a giant duck you know not to be too critical. This film has been mocked by the good folks on Mystery Science Theater 3000, but the actual film itself does not seem to take itself too seriously in the first place. This has the exact amount of camp you want in a “giant” movie. Kino Classics has released a new Blu-Ray with a stellar A/V presentation and a really informative commentary track. If the idea of giant teenagers causing chaos or dancing animals sounds fun to you, you might as well pick this up and let some joy into your life. Recommended

Village of the Giants is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

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

Disclaimer: Kino Classics 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.