Rating summary

Movie		0.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		1.5

Dudley Do-Right Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman October 17, 2019

What's more obnoxious in the battle of the "Do's": a screening of Dudley Do-Right or the repetitious baby shark! do do, do do do-do! song playing on loop for about 80 minutes? It might actually be the movie. As Marlon Brando would say, "The horror. The horror." Based on the cartoon segment that would play in accompaniment with The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show (another live action adaptation botched by Universal), Writer/Director Hugh Wilson's (Blast from the Past) Dudley Do-Right is a cinematic failure, a dead on arrival misfire of legendary proportions that, for lack of better or more creative terminology is the proverbial train wreck (the film doesn't deserve any kind of serious thought processes be dedicated to its review). One just has to look and gawk at the carnage, but it's so repulsive that even its mercifully brief runtime will prove too much for all but the most iron-willed audiences or for poor reviewers charged with sitting through it from inauspicious beginning to Scanners-like brain exploding conclusion.

The plot is inane at best and incomprehensible at worst. Dudley (Brendan Fraser) grew up with dreams of becoming part of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He's grown up to fulfill those dreams, even if he's the resident nitwit who can barely dress himself, never mind effectively carry out his law enforcement duties. His friend growing up has also fulfilled his dream of joining the ranks of the world's most heinous criminals. Snidely Whiplash (Alfred Molina in the worst part and performance of his career) has by force and sleight of hand taken over the small town of Semi-Happy Valley, planting the idea of a gold rush and profiting off the backs of hungry prospectors eager to get their cut. The story also involves a lady named Nell Fenwick (Sarah Jessica Parker), love interest to both Dudley and Snidely.

The film opens with a cartoon about a legendary box full of treasure that promises its opener will die. It’s 5.5 minutes long, cutting into the main feature’s already limited runtime, which is actually a blessing in disguise. Dudley Do-Right is a noxious, incomprehensibly awful movie. It is a literal attempt at bringing a cartoon to life, with grossly over-exaggerated performances that in no way convey the same style of slapstick humor the animated realm is capable of achieving. It’s entirely forced and unquestionably unfunny, particularly as it recycles the same gags over and over again within the prism of a dull, borderline delirious plot that serves as only a loose framework for gags. The movie feels like it was made in reverse, with the characters superseding the concept and the supposed laughs conceived prior to the plot. The result is a movie that languishes rather than flourishes, that makes audiences want to beat their heads against the walls rather than beat down the door to see it again.

The cast at least appears to mostly enjoy the opportunity to ham it up and have some fun, giving enthusiastic performances that attempt to drown out the plot's shortcomings and divert attention away from the total vapidity that otherwise defines the picture. For Fraser it's business as usual, playing the brainless buffoon, but Molina scrapes the bottom of the barrel for a role well beneath his abilities as an actor. But this is, on the whole, an unmemorable and, frankly, unwatchable movie. Opportunities for critiquing it are slim beyond stating the obvious. Audiences looking for an entirely brainless escape might find it moderately pleasurable, but there are so many other, better options to satisfy that craving without having to resort to Dudley Do-Right.

Dudley Do-Right Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Dudley Do-Right's 1080p transfer obviously has its roots in the DVD era. It's another typical Universal reissue of an old master prepared for a standard definition release. Noise reduction has been applied and the application of other additional digital processes have left the movie looking fairly forgettable. It's noisy and heavily processed but it's not an absolute train wreck. Grain is not entirely gone and the image doesn't look like plastic, but it's certainly flat and lacking the sort of robust texturing and true filmic structure that is somewhere in the original negative. Add in splotches and speckles and some edge enhancement and the warts certainly carry the day. On the plus side, textures aren't horrible, holding firm to some adequately defined character details, showcasing skins and clothes (a wide range, including Mounty costumes and SWAT-style tactical gear) with positive clarity. Some of the Canadian wilderness locations look nice, even if there's a distinct lack of color solidification and depth to the greens. The palette is fair though certainly a bit pasty with only some sporadic examples of superior color reproduction. Skin tones carry that inorganic pastiness and black levels are decent if not slightly unbalanced. This is a watchable image (if the movie is watchable at all) but it is not up to par.

Dudley Do-Right Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Dudley Do-Right's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is easily the best thing this disc has going for it. It's generously spacious and surprisingly active, with plenty of low end response and full stage engagement throughout the film. Action scenes spring to life with a surprisingly robust amount of content swirling around the stage, and in some semblance of order to boot. Clarity is a little rough around the edges but the sheer involvement and intensity make up for the lack of finesse. An explosion towards film's end and the resultant flying debris is one of the highlights. A couple of the more involved dance sequences are likewise home to positive low end depth, full stage saturation, and impressive elemental balance. Musical delivery satisfies for clarity and spacing. Dialogue is clear, well prioritized, and positioned in a natural front-center location.

Dudley Do-Right Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Universal's Blu-ray release of Dudley Do-Right contains no supplemental content. No top menu screen is included. The pop-up menu offers only the opportunity to toggle subtitles on and off. No DVD or digital copies are included. This release does not ship with a slipcover. Summary: this is as bare-bones as they come; it's almost a miracle the disc actually ships in a case with artwork.

Dudley Do-Right Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Ignominious cinema defined, Dudley Do-Right is a disaster of a movie. It's unfunny, forced, convoluted, and lacking any redeeming value whatsoever. The opening cartoon is OK, but that's about it. Its greatest asset is its runtime, which is brief by broader standards but still far too long for this failed stab at transitioning a cartoon into the live action arena. Universal's Blu-ray has been shoved onto the high definition format with no fanfare and no incentive to buy. The audio presentation isn't bad but the video is DVD era bland and no extras are included, though the thought of spending even another second with anything related to this movie would be enough to drive a person insane. Skip it.