Help! DVD Review

Help! is a scripted documentary about The Beatles and their individual comedic personalities. After realizing that the members of the band could not really be controlled and forced to read their lines, the film instead turned into a showcase of the Beatles songs, including “Help!,” “Hard Day’s Night,” and “You’re Gonna’ Lose that Girl” surrounded by a bundle of inside jokes and a loosely fitted plotline. Not only does this film successfully document a band and its members in a unique way, but also the entire era of the 1960’s.

The film follows drummer Ringo Starr as he is chased by a sacrificial Eastern cult attempting to kill him because he cannot remove their sacred ring from his finger. They must paint Ringo in red paint while he is wearing the ring before they can slay him, so The Beatles try to have the ring removed before it is too late. The group meets up with two scientists who claim they can do the job, but change their minds when they notice the ring’s unique metal properties and want it for their own selves.

After multiple assassination attempts, The Beatles collectively decide Ringo doesn’t really need his finger; he can drum without it, and consider chopping it off. Ringo differs in view, so ring finger continues its unity with hand and the band seeks the Queen’s protection. Even with police supervision, however, The Beatles continue to get into trouble.

Strewn thickly with silly titles, Cockney accents and humorous banter, Help! is a nonsensical, lighthearted look into the lives of The Beatles. This special edition two-disc DVD is fully remastered in both color and sound, showing six or seven full-length performances throughout the film of the songs by The Beatles in various locations. The first disc contains the 96 minute feature, and the second shows a 30-minute documentary of the making of the film, including new interviews with the director, cast and crew, the process behind the restoration of Help!, and a “missing scene” with Wendy Richard.

Although the film looks and sounds great, the audio is out of synch with the video, which is quite distracting and particularly shocking if you pay 135 dollars for the deluxe edition, and the film is in full screen, which I find utterly disappointing. Although the 30-minute documentary is funny and filled with interesting facts (such as the many reshoots that had to take place when Beatles members were visibly red-eyed and high), and the Color Restoration segment shows how tedious the process is, this edition of Help! terribly dreary and lackluster. The one extra that could have made this worth the buy is the “deleted scene” with Richard, but the actual scene is not included; only an interview with Richard and a few photos from the set are shown.

Help! is a classic comedy that should be added to every film lover’s collection sooner or later. If you’re a Beatles fanatic, then this is a sure buy because of its superior visual restoration, but prepare to not get your money’s worth. Although the film is great, the extras hardly make purchasing this DVD worth the small fortune coming out of your bank account.