6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.3 |
During the final days of the state gubernatorial race, Al Donnelly makes a campaign stop in his hometown. His younger brother, Mike, a well-meaning underachiever, is hell-bent on doing his brother proud, but despite his best intentions, something always goes wrong. Donnelly's advisors assign Steve Dodds, a lowly aide on the campaign team, to keep Mike under wraps, while the incumbent governor, Evelyn Tracy, takes full advantage of Mike's gaffes to bolster her own campaign--even if it means setting Mike up on purpose.
Starring: Chris Farley, David Spade, Tim Matheson, Christine Ebersole, Gary BuseyComedy | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.0
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.0
French: Dolby Digital 2.0
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
I'm not a brother, I'm an embarrassment.
Chris Farley (Tommy Boy) may
have portrayed a goodhearted yet embarrassing brother in the 1996 Comedy Black
Sheep, but his all-too-short career as a leading man proved to be anything but. Passing
away less than two years after the film's release, Farley represented one of the last of the great
pure comedians to grace modern cinema. His career only beginning to blossom after actors such
as Bill Murray (Groundhog Day),
Dan Aykroyd (Ghostbusters), and
John Candy (Uncle Buck) had seen their heyday, Farley's upstart career, which like so
many of the greats of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, saw its beginnings on "Saturday Night
Live," promised the charm of Candy, the comedic timing of Murray, and the infectious humor of
Aykroyd all rolled into one. Indeed, his trio of major studio hit films -- Tommy Boy,
Beverly Hills Ninja, and Black Sheep -- witnessed the potential for a Comedic
legend
and now remember a career cut far too short.
We all need somebody to lean on.
Paramount's Blu-ray release of Black Sheep delivers surprisingly good results. Presented in 1080p high definition and framed inside 1.78:1 window, the transfer never misses a beat, remaining lively and natural throughout. The transfer reveals above-average levels of detail in most every shot. Bright, outdoor scenes fare extraordinarily well, as the texture of the street pavement, tree trunks, the political banners and signs, clothing, and all sorts of objects are rendered nicely and appear natural and lifelike. The transfer also features a strong color palette that appears realistic and lively, never too dull and certainly never overly bright or blown out of proprtion. A thin veneer of grain over the image and adds to the film-like appearance of the transfer. The print is practically free of blemishes. Flesh tones appear solid, and blacks never falter too terribly. Paramount has delivered another impressive transfer with their release of Black Sheep.
Black Sheep campaigns on Blu-ray with a Dolby TrueHD 5.0 lossless soundtrack. Indeed, the soundtrack does not incorporate the ".1" LFE channel, but not necessarily to the detriment of the audio experience. It plays robustly and clearly throughout, with nice attention to detail and sound placement. Sound effects often fill the soundstage, be they zooming cars, crashing objects, a splash in a lake, or the rumbling of the earth. The score, too -- from subtle dramatic notes to rock and roll tunes -- emanates from the front soundstage with a good bit of punch and authority. Despite the lack of an LFE track, explosions, crashes, and the like offer a solid thumping that won't rattle the ribcage but add some heft to the experience. The track makes occasional use of the rear channels, mostly in support of the front, and the track also features strong dialogue reproduction. Overall, Black Sheep's lossless soundtrack supports the film far better than one may expect.
This Blu-ray release of Black Sheep offers absolutely no extra content.
One of the few feature films showcasing the late and great Chris Farley in a leading role, Black Sheep offers plenty of laughs, good performances by all involved, a solid story, and even a few dramatic moments to tie the comedy together into a cohesive and highly entertaining movie. Though not quite on par with Tommy Boy, Black Sheep features vintage Farley, again paired with David Spade for 86 minutes of laugh-out-loud fun. Paramount's Blu-ray release of Black Sheep features a strong video presentation, a surprisingly hefty lossless soundtrack, but falters where fans may be most disappointed, the disc offering absolutely no special features, not even a trailer. Nevertheless, considering the quality of the movie and the technical presentation, Farley fans should make a point of adding this one to the collection, particularly if and when the disc sees a drop in price.
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