THE MOVIE

Josie and the Pussycats began life as a trio of comic book musicians in the Archie comic books. Quickly outgrowing the confines of the printed medium they made the jump to the small screen and went on all sorts of adventures, including going into space, on the Josie and the Pussycats TV Show. The show was popular but as with many of the 80s Saturday morning cartoons (sniff, *wipes away a tear*) they disappeared.

However, pop culture being what it is it was long before there was a craving to bring back the Pussycats and what better way to do it than on the big screen. So we have Josie and The Pussycats The Movie.

The tongue in cheek story, spoofs popular music through following the bands rise to fame from a garage bad to the biggest band in the world, literally overnight. When super boy band DuJour (whose current single “Back Door Lover” is on top of the charts) are killed in a plane crash Mega Records need someone new to keep bringing in all that disposable income today’s teenagers are waving around. They come across The Pussycats, sign them, and the rest, as they say, is history. However, Mega Records prime focus isn’t the money to be gained from record/merchandise sales, it is something more sinister.

I really enjoyed myself in this film. It is bright, breezy, full of energy and very fun. Whilst it isn’t going to tax your brain it does contain many hidden, subtle jibes at the recording industry and pop culture. Good entertainment.

THE TRANSFER

Video:

The image is presented in 1.85:1 (16x9) widescreen and is awash with color. It is everywhere! In fact this is one of the most colorful films I have seen in a long while. Thank goodness then that this transfer is great. Each of the colors stands out and never bleeds or shows signs of fading. They are rock solid and very cool. Blacks are also strong and shadow detail excellent.

The image is sharp and clear and you can see everything in the background, which is useful as many of the hidden jokes are placed there.

This is a modern film and so an excellent transfer is to be expected. Very good.

Audio:

The 5.1 English soundtrack is also full of life and helps to bring the film alive. Dialogue is clear and always audible, even over the soundtrack, which is full of popular songs. Great use is made of al speakers to create an atmosphere, especially during the crowd scenes. I liked the way that music videos when shown in the film had a different ambiance to them, it made them seem more authentic. This is an excellent example of a modern audio transfer.

THE EXTRAS

We have a few extras here but they aren’t very substantial.

The first is a “Backstage Pass” featurette which although running for around 20 minutes is a tad promotional. Still it contains some good interviews and some good behind the scenes footage. We have three music videos, two from DuJour and one from The Pussycats. The DuJour ones are hilarious and are the best extras on the disc (listen carefully to the lyrics). Finally we have three deleted scenes. These are brief but could easily have been put into the film, especially the one at the toy store as they expand upon the story. Trailers wrap up the extras.

It is a shame the audio commentary on the R1 disc is missing.

SUMMARY

A bright, colorful and fun film on a bright colorful and fun DVD. What more can you ask for? The film itself is a lot better than it may seem and it should appeal to a wide audience.