Good Color Restoration. Nice Special Features. Annoying Sound Quality.

I love the Beatles and every song in this film. I remember watching this as a kid, when it would occasionally show up on broadcast television on some Saturday afternoon. I never understood what was going on, but the imagery kept me interested until a commercial break, but wasn’t enough to hold me for the entire film. Now, as a middle aged man, decades after watching it as a kid, I can tell you I don’t understand it any better. The animation and art is terrible, but that was the style of the artist they used; and popular at that time - particularly in the U.K. The chaotic nature of the film, the animation (which takes an acquired taste), the nearly non-existing storyline, and the fact that the voices aren’t actually those of the Beatles, can make this a difficult feature to get through for some. Additionally, while the colors are much more vibrant than I recall as a child, the audio is annoying. It goes from blaringly loud, to soft, and even sounds distorted at some times. It’s a good nostalgic piece, but if you’ve never seen it before, you may want to pass this one by. And either way, sit with the remote in hand and a finger on the volume button, as you will have to make frequent adjustments. Three stars for nostalgia, the restoration of the colors, the special features and inserts, and the musical content. Two stars removed for the annoyance of the sound quality issues.

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