Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Double Trouble Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 4, 2023

John Paragon's "Double Trouble" (1992) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The only bonus feature on the release is a vintage trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

When John Paragon began shooting Double Trouble in 1992 someone should have pinched him and then politely reminded him that the 1980s had ended. Why you ask? Because Double Trouble has more 1980s genes than the majority of the films that emerged from the 1980s, and they are all it has to offer. Naturally, I think that this is what makes and breaks Double Trouble. These genes are a good thing if you are dealing with a severe case of nostalgia for the 1980s and need a proper cinematic fix. They are a bad thing if you are expecting something else from Double Trouble, like a good story or good acting.

Paragon’s camera follows closely Peter and David Paul. Do you remember them? They are the buff twins that Italian director Ruggero Deodato used in his trashy cult classic The Barbarians. Well, this time, the twins are using their real names and play two very different troublemakers roaming the streets of LA. Peter is a cop who has recently lost his female partner in an ambush and gone rogue, while David is a thief stealing from the rich to live like the rich. They unexpectedly reunite when Peter is dispatched to an active robbery in the heart of the city, and David turns out to be the robber. Peter then arrests David and puts him behind bars, assuming that it is only a matter of time before the inevitable lengthy prison sentence finally forces the bad twin to reconsider his philosophy of life and make a correction. However, much to Peter’s annoyance, David is offered a surprising deal -- if David helps Peter take down an international diamond-smuggling ring whose leader (Roddy McDowall) is in LA, his sentence and lengthy record will be wiped out from police computers. David enthusiastically accepts and against all odds the twins become partners, but getting the job done quickly proves to be quite a dangerous challenge.

Double Trouble is a pretty funny film, but not because Paragon did very well with a good script that was handed to him. It is a funny film because Peter and David are terrible action heroes. But here is the crucial detail that makes the terrible look entertaining -- they know it too, so instead of pretending that it is not so, the two do plenty of interesting things that work in their favor. For example, the twins constantly ridicule each other and, in the process, target a wide range of classic cliches about buddy cops. One of these cliches promotes buddy cops as drastically different individuals -- one is a good cop, the other a bad cop. Peter and David are both baddies and loose cannons. Another of these cliches promotes buddy cops as having drastically different appearances -- one is usually a fine dresser who likes to woo the ladies, the other a loner who prefers the company of Jack Daniel. Peter and David are both terrible dressers, with poor manners and awful hairstyles. Then there is the elephant in the room -- these guys might be successful in a brawl with the drunks at the nightclub, but they look ridiculous while going after and clashing with professional criminals. But it is the kind of ridiculous that is so silly it becomes funny, though it must be reiterated that it is most effective if you have a soft spot for it.

There is one more thing Double Trouble does well, or bad enough to effectively add to the humor. There are several out-of-left-field cameos that must have been added at the last minute. David Carradine’s contribution is the strangest one. He plays a completely random aging criminal who lectures the good twin while being locked in prison. Carradine must have needed cash when he agreed to do his part.

A solid soundtrack with popular tracks from some of the era’s greatest hair metal bands could have been enormously beneficial. Even better, while chasing their target, the twins could have been forced to enter a rock club and disrupt a show with several of these hair metal bands.

Double Trouble Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Double Trouble arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from an older master that was supplied by MGM. However, the quality of the visuals is almost always quite good. Yes, in some of the darker areas the grain does become a tad noisy, but delineation and clarity remain very pleasing. Depth is good too, though a brand new 2K or 4K master will easily introduce meaningful improvements. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Colors are stable. Saturation levels can be improved and some supporting nuances strengthened, but I did not see any troubling anomalies to report. Image stability is good. Finally, I saw a few dark spots and scratches, but there are no distracting large cuts, damage marks, warped or torn frames to report. My score is 3.75/5.00. (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).

Double Trouble 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.

I thought that the lossless audio track was excellent. Clarity, sharpness, and depth were great on my system. There were no stability issues either. To be honest, I do not think there is any room for improvement. If in the future someone remasters Double Trouble and the audio is redone as well, I suspect that at best there will be some minor cosmetic adjustments.

Double Trouble Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage U.S. trailer for Double Trouble. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

Double Trouble Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

So much of what Peter and David Paul do in Double Trouble looks so awkward that large sections of it seem brilliant. Consider this: these guys are so buff that when they attempt to run they routinely struggle. I found this incredibly funny. Even by 1980s and 1990s standards, both are terrible dressers too, and yet the girls are willing to flirt with them. I believe the late Walt Olsen wanted to bring Double Trouble to Blu-ray, so I am glad that the folks at Kino Lorber made his wish come true. I had a great time with this film. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.