Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Bird on a Wire Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 24, 2021

John Badham's "Bird on a Wire" (1990) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new audio commentary recorded by John Badham, producer and second unit director Rob Cohen, and filmmaker Daniel Kremer, as well as vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Bird on a Wire has all the key qualities a great summer blockbuster needs, which is precisely why it became such a huge box office hit in the early 1990s. While I was revisiting it last night, I could not stop noticing how carefully it is put together and polished so that it emerges as a huge crowd-pleaser. Someone, or most likely a group of people, definitely worked with a long and very detailed list of things to do, and then the star power of Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn did the rest. I would not argue that Bird on a Wire was destined to become the sensation it turned out to be, but if you spend the time to carefully examine how it was conceived it becomes crystal-clear that it was going to be a big film.

There is a very entertaining and quite illuminating new audio commentary that director John Badham and producer and second unit director Rob Cohen recorded with critic and filmmaker Daniel Kramer on this release, however, in which it is suggested that The Hard Way was supposed to be the original big project everyone was itching to do. I found this revelation quite intriguing because I don’t think that The Hard Way could have been that kind of a film. Badham and Cohen explain why The Hard Way had to be delayed -- they are very diplomatic while naming names now, but you can tell that back then they felt very differently about the people that forced them to put production on hold and then initiate all kinds of different changes -- and how Bird on a Wire happened while they were forced to wait. This made me wonder whether most everything that Badham and Cohen wanted to accomplish with The Hard Way happened in Bird on a Wire. Indeed, both were conceived to be successful summer hits, but Bird on a Wire definitely looks and feels like a more elaborate project with the perfect kind of polish. What does all of this mean? After listening to Badham and Cohen’s recollections it definitely made me wonder what type of film The Hard Way might have been if Bird on a Wire did not happen before it.

The two films set out to impress in very similar ways. In Bird on a Wire, Gibson and Hawn play former lovers who after years of living apart accidentally rediscover each other in Detroit and then become targets for a pair of very nasty characters (Bill Duke and David Carradine) working with a crooked FBI agent (Stephen Tobolowsky). Of course, the former lovers are completely incompatible now -- he is a witness protection program refugee who has evolved into a professional chameleon, she is a successful attorney with an attitude at a top law firm -- so their struggle to stay alive is as funny as it is dangerous. The Hard Way dispatches two completely incompatible characters played by James Woods and Michael J. Fox on a collision course with a maniac as well, but they are the ones that do the chasing. Predictably, both films blend plenty of humor and action while demanding that their stars shine bright.

Bird on a Wire emerges a bigger and better film because it adds a solid dose of romance to the fun that makes it more attractive. It really is this simple. The romance brings in lightness and charm to the activities that everyone can respond to. There is romance in The Hard Way as well, but the vibe is different because it is part of a subplot that isn’t particularly effective.

Ultimately, Bird on a Wire is most definitely a product of its time, but it offers nearly two hours of great, relaxing fun. This is precisely what these types of summer films need to do.

Bird on a Wire Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Bird on a Wire arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from a very healthy and very beautiful new 2K master. I have only one minor criticism that I would like to mention first, because everything else looked simply terrific on my system. For some reason, these wonderful 2K masters that the folks at Kino Lorber are creating for some older films turn out a little darker than they should and in indoor/nighttime footage light crushing begins to creep in. When it happens, minor nuances are lost. This was particularly obvious on the otherwise very good 2K master that was created for The Hot Spot as well. My guess is that something needs to be adjusted during the color-grading process, but I feel uncomfortable insisting that this is the exact area that needs to be addressed. But it happens to be the area where the imbalance is obvious. On this release, this is not a serious issue of concern, but I still noticed that a few areas are producing very light crushing again. The rest is great. Delineation, depth, clarity, and fluidity are very pleasing. There are a few minor density fluctuations, but they are part of the original cinematography. As you can tell from the screencaptures that are included with our review, the main color values are outstanding as well. Image stability is very good. All in all, this is a very solid organic presentation that makes viewing Bird on a Wire quite a treat. My score is 4.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Bird on a Wire Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The lossless track is very solid. It boasts very nice sharpness, clarity, and depth. Dynamic intensity is good too, but I think that this film needs a good 5.1 track as well. It has a lot of terrific action footage that could greatly benefit from a 5.1 track. The dialog is always clear and very easy to follow. There are no technical anomalies to report in our review.

Bird on a Wire Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for Bird on a Wire. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Commentary - in this new audio commentary, director John Badham and producer and second unit director Rob Cohen go down memory lane with critic and filmmaker Daniel Kremer and share plenty of very illuminating information about the production history of Bird on a Wire. Also, the commentary is full of hilarious and curious stories about the people that made the film. I had a great time with it and thought that it was outstanding.

Bird on a Wire Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Bird on a Wire is just a great summer film. Of course, it is silly and unbelievable, quite possibly half a dozen other things that 'good' films are not supposed to be as well, but the standards with which it ought to be judged are different. I enjoy it quite a lot because it blends old-fashioned but proper action with loose yet relaxing comedy, which is a winning formula that the current crop of politically correct summer films have transformed into something of a lost art. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from a lovely new 2K master and features a terrific exclusive audio commentary with director John Badham, producer and second unit director Rob Cohen, and critic Daniel Kremer. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.