Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.0

Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 9, 2019

Monstrous murders have come to Edwardian London, troubling police, who can’t solve the crimes. For American cops Tubby (Lou Costello) and Slim (Bud Abbott), the case leads them to Bruce (Craig Stevens), a local reporter trying to romance Vicky (Helen Westcott), a young suffragette trying to spark change in the city. Her guardian is Dr. Jekyll (Boris Karloff), whose scientific experimentations have allowed him to unleash Mr. Hyde, a creation capable of extreme violence. Looking to protect their reputations, Tubby and Slim try to capture Hyde, soon realizing just what type of horror they’re up against.

Returning to the cinematic monster realm to maximize box office potential, Abbott and Costello explore the extremes of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for the 1953 endeavor, which reunites them with a previous co-star, Boris Karloff. Instead of developing any sort of fear factor, director Charles Lamont goes straight to monkey business, arranging a series of panicky encounters for Tubby as he tangles with Hyde, with the pair enjoying a special dance inside a wax museum. For additional fun, Tubby is also subjected to a few altered states of his own, becoming a man-sized mouse mid-movie, which adds some welcome weird science to the mix.

Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" arrives on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded image (1.36:1 aspect ratio) presentation utilizing an older master, resulting in an aged, lightly filtered appearance and processed grain. Detail is there with most extreme surfaces, picking up on monster elements (and rubber masks) and period additions, including costuming and sets decoration. Facial particulars run slightly smoother. Delineation is acceptable, preserving scenes with limited lighting.

Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Heavy hiss carries throughout the listening experience of "Abbott and Costello Meets Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," bringing down the potency of the 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix. Dialogue exchanges are understood but remain far from fresh, maintaining a basic understanding of comedic antics and creature encounters. Scoring is adequate as well, with acceptable orchestral surges for madcap events.

Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historians Tom Weaver and Richard Scrivani.

• Image Gallery (5:59) collects BTS snaps, publicity shots, film stills, poster art, and lobby cards.

• Production Notes (1:35) share information on the making of "Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:27, SD) is included.

Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" isn't raging entertainment, but it's hard to deny the appeal of a film that opens with an outdoor brawl between suffragettes and the men who hate everything they stand for. Such spunk is welcome here, elevating a viewing experience that's primarily about repetition.