For 1953’s Niagara, we find Marilyn Monroe in a somewhat unusual position: the femme fatale. The film casts her as she plays Rose, the new wife of older, troubled veteran George Loomis (Joseph Cotten). Though on their honeymoon, the couple bickers quite a lot, and we see that George displays a serious temper.

We also meet another young couple, Polly (Jean Peters) and Ray Cutler (Max Showalter). Polly quickly grows suspicious of the events that surround the other couple, and when George apparently dies, things take a turn for the weird.

It becomes clear that Rose plotted with her lover Ted Patrick (Richard Allan), but although she identified a corpse as George’s, Polly claims to see him in their bungalow. Polly tries to convince her husband and the authorities that they have the wrong dead dude, but no one listens, and she eventually becomes involved in the various events herself, a course that inevitably leads her into danger.

”Inevitable” is probably the best word to describe the events that occur during Niagara. Very little of the plot comes as a surprise, as virtually all of the “twists” and events seem telegraphed. The movie tries to gain depth from its setting, but those attempts appear pretty hokey and laughable. We hear some metaphors that connect relationships and the Falls, but these come across as silly and forced.

Because the events contain so little tension, we must rely on the characters to provide interest. Unfortunately, they fail to do so. Cotten offers the strongest performance of the bunch; although all of the roles are thin and underwritten, he brings a nice sense of weariness and desperation to the part.

Peters is lovely but insubstantial as Polly; frankly, I think she’s much prettier and sexier than Monroe, but she does little to distinguish herself as an actress. Still, that tops Showalter, who offers such an annoying presence as Ray that I continually hoped he’d go over the Falls himself!

As for Marilyn, it’s interesting to see her play this kind of part. She didn’t often portray such a conniving bitch, so it’s cool to watch her do something different. However, she doesn’t accomplish much in the role. She overplays Rose, perhaps in an attempt to wring some drama from this tepid vehicle.

Unfortunately, she fails, as Niagara offers nothing more than a tame and tired thriller. The predictable flick provides little tension or depth, as it just grinds along from one bland plot twist to another. I can’t call Niagara a terrible film, for it fails to muster that level of passion in me. Instead, it simply seems relentlessly bland and ordinary.

Niagara appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.33:1 on this Blu-Ray Disc. I felt pleased with this appealing presentation.

Sharpness caused a few minor concerns. For the most part, the image remained accurate and well defined, but light softness materialized at times. These instances didn’t create notable distractions, though. Jagged edges and moiré effects presented no issues, and I didn’t notice edge enhancement of intrusive noise reduction. A clean presentation, the transfer lacked any specks, marks or other print flaws.

Colors came across quite well. The movie featured a natural palette, with a bit of an emphasis on brown that was typical for Technicolor. Various hues looked peppy when necessary, though, and seemed pleasing. Black levels appeared acceptably deep and dense, and low-light shots demonstrated nice smoothness and clarity. This was an image that looked very nice, especially given the fact it just hit its 60th anniversary.

In addition to the film’s original monaural audio, we got a new DTS-HD MA 5.1 remix. I usually prefer to watch movies with their theatrical tracks – and would opt for the mono if not reviewing the title – I found the 5.1 version to work surprisingly well.

The story’s natural setting benefited the most from the remix, as the Falls opened up the spectrum in an involving way. These popped up with relative frequency, and they used the five channels to immerse us in the water-based environment. Even quieter scenes ensured that we heard reminders of the Falls, and those created a pretty natural feel.

Other scenes lacked as much pizzazz, but they formed a nice sense of place. Music stayed fairly monaural; the score spread gently to the sides but didn’t show real stereo presence. Other effects created a moderate impression of the locations, but the Falls remained the most impressive element.

Audio quality held up well for its age. Speech lacked edginess and seemed pretty concise and clear. Effects had nice range and punch, especially when the Falls roared. Music sounded smooth and lush. This was one of the better 5.1 remixes I’ve heard in a while.

How did the Blu-ray compare to the original DVD from 2002? The 5.1 remix was a substantial improvement over the DVD’s boomy, loose, and tinny stereo reworking, and visuals were a lot better, too. The Blu-ray appeared tighter, cleaner and better defined than the DVD. This was a nice upgrade.

Only minor extras appear here. In addition to the trailer for Niagara, we get promos for Bus Stop, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, How to Marry a Millionaire, River of No Return, The Seven-Year Itch, and There’s No Business Like Show Business.

The Blu-ray drops some of the DVD’s extras, but we don’t lose anything substantial. The Blu-ray lacks some still photos and a restoration demonstration; neither goes missed.

With Marilyn Monroe in the part of a fairly nasty little shrew, Niagara possessed the potential to be something unusual in her roster of films. Unfortunately, the movie succeeded as nothing more than a dull and obvious thriller with no sense of ingenuity or life. The Blu-ray delivers very good picture and audio but lacks substantial bonus materials. I don’t care much for the movie itself, but the Blu-ray brings it home in a satisfying manner.

To rate this film, visit the original review of NIAGARA