7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Disillusioned with life on the force, two of New York's finest decide to put their badges to bad use...to get into a Wall Street brokerage so they can leave with $10 million in untraceable bonds! But the plan goes awry when their deal to cash in the bonds with local mafioso goes sour. Now wanted on both sides of the law, the bumbling cops find themselves in a race to get out of Manhattan with their loot...and their lives! Starring Cliff Gorman and Joseph Bologna.
Starring: Cliff Gorman, Joseph Bologna, Frances Foster, Walt Gorney, Randy JurgensenCrime | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.84:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 16-bit)
BDInfo
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Released 42 years ago, “Cops and Robbers” is just as relevant today as was back then. A tale of class envy wrapped up in a heist film, the feature has a hunger to explore the disparity between the haves and have-nots, setting out to address the drudgery of middle-class stasis with a mildly humorous script that emphasizes the thrill of robbery as it absorbs the sting of need. Leads Joseph Bologna and Cliff Gorman are pitch-perfect in their roles as exasperated cops looking for easy money on the wrong side of the law, but the true star of “Cops and Robbers” is director Aram Avakian, who displays a gift for timing and streetwise intensity that conjures a perfect motivation for the lead characters. It’s funny work, but the movie is more persuasive as an examination of desperation tied to limited incomes, big dreams, and observation of an unfair world.
The AVC encoded image (1.84:1 aspect ratio) presentation is sourced from a battered print, which offers speckling and extended vertical scratches, and some judder remains. Beyond damage points, the viewing experience is comfortable, with a fine hold on primaries that are boosted by cop uniforms and street signage. Skintones are natural. Grain is present, finely managed and agreeably filmic. Delineation is secure, with depths sustained and darkness communicative. Fine detail is working with softer period cinematography, but textures are welcome, great with sweaty close-ups and tours of New York City.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix does reveal its age, carrying a thinness that slips into shrillness on occasion. Dialogue exchanges are not full, and while intelligibility remains, it's often holding on by its fingertips. The theme song is also missing dimension, with some mildly distorted areas as the music feels out highs and lows. Atmospherics are thick and loud, finding street activity especially pronounced, which actually sounds appropriate to capture the chaos of the city. Hiss is detected throughout.
Avakian gives "Cops and Robbers" an urban attitude and an understated wit, sneaking in sight gags while showing patience with character exchanges, allowing a mood of camaraderie and casual planning to creep into view before the theft commences. The feature isn't pressurized, but mounting stress is felt, which does wonders to help sell the snowballing plan the cops mastermind. "Cops and Robbers" offers laughs, but it really is most memorable as an askew character study with a backdrop of financial disparity, tapping into dark thoughts of envy and dishonor while remaining remarkably light on its feet.
1975
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Remastered Edition
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Retro VHS Collection
1990
Warner Archive Collection
1990
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Plus Bonus Content
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1981
Mélusine / Slipcover in Original Pressing
1981
Collector's Edition
1972
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