Kuffs Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Kuffs Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 1, 2019

Christian Slater doesn’t get enough credit for his professional choices, especially during the heyday of his career. Here’s a guy who was a teen heartthrob with a young fanbase, and Slater made “Heathers” and “Pump Up the Volume,” while taking supporting parts in “Tales from the Darkside: The Movie,” and “Young Guns II.” It’s not exactly a Tiger Beat-approved filmography. Slater didn’t always churn out gold, but his tastes were varied, adding 1992’s “Kuffs” to his legacy of oddball parts, fitted for his own action vehicle that’s not shy about sharing influence from “Beverly Hills Cop,” even recruiting “Axel F.” creator Harold Faltermeyer to score the picture. “Kuffs” is an acquired taste, but for those who enjoy their Slater performances breezy and wiseacre-y, it’s a tremendous amount of fun, with writers Bruce A. Evans and Raynold Gideon offering idiosyncratic style and some strong violence to accompany their successful silly business.

George Kuffs (Christian Slater) is a high school dropout who’s never known responsibility. When Maya (Milla Jovovich), his girlfriend, informs him she’s pregnant with his child, George decides to bail on the relationship, traveling to San Francisco to beg his brother, Brad (Bruce Boxleitner), for money. A Patrol Special officer working the streets of District 33, Brad is brutally gunned down by Kane (Leon Rippy), a ruthless criminal enforcer looking to buy off the special security force. Inheriting District 33, George elects to keep the business, training to become a Patrol Special while pursuing Kane, soon partnered up with disgraced cop Ted (Tony Goldwyn) to keep him on task as a law enforcement figure working for the people. Dealing with the loss of Maya, the death of his sibling, and newfound obligations to others, George relies on his wits and mouth to keep him out of danger.

The Patrol Special angle to “Kuffs” is interesting, keeping the material away from traditional cop formula. George is dealing with a private security force, with the police managing his actions from afar, giving the rookie a chance to deal with shenanigans while on patrol. Gideon and Evans also make a weird choice to have George periodically break the fourth wall, hosting his own private documentary of his life. Such coverage isn’t explained, but it does permit Slater to play to his strengths as a comedian, playing the part with incredible comfort, able to juggle the needs of character with random goofballery, maintain comments that offer the viewer a chance to understand what’s going through George’s head. Such insight is also crucial when George decides to abandon Maya after she announces her pregnancy, with the practiced slacker fully aware that his actions are reprehensible, unable to conquer his compulsion to flee when faced with responsibility.

“Kuffs” is a comedy, and it’s very funny when it wants to be. Gideon and Evans deliver a few choice lines during the journey, and they pack the picture with colorful supporting characters, including Ted, who can’t catch a break when it comes to personal disasters, while Kane is a cold- blooded killer with atrocious personal style. One-liners connect, but the endeavor gets a little too chaotic at times, with the production slipping in slapstick here and there, most notably when George slips sleeping pills into Ted’s coffee, sending him into a fit of cross-eyed, dead-legged gymnastics. It’s wildly broad, far too much for this movie to handle. A St. Bernard fart joke and a bizarre scene where Ted’s curses are bleeped while chewing out George don’t help the cause. Still, bad ideas don’t cripple the endeavor, with Evans maintaining a tight pace (editing by Stephen Semel is creative) and loading up “Kuffs” with plenty of stylistics, laboring to give the effort some interesting visuals to keep it energized.

Kuffs Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.84:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Kuffs" does fairly well for a Universal catalog title. Some age is noted with source wear and tear (the Universal globe looks a little beat up) and occasional speckling, and softness is mild. Detail stays reasonable, with a decent look at the San Francisco locations, which maintain their depths, and interiors preserve decoration, with stable views of police offices, laundries, a church, and George's apartment. Costuming also finds passable fibrous appeal. Facial particulars remain, and while not refreshed, skin stays natural. Colors are true, with decent primaries for city visits and hotter neon for signage. Period clothing is preserved, and skintones are secure. Delineation isn't problematic.

Kuffs Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix supplies a pleasingly forceful listening event for "Kuffs," leading with soundtrack selections, which offer clean instrumentation and percussive snap. Scoring selections maintain synth authority, leading changes in the film's tone, balanced well with performances. Dialogue exchanges are satisfactory, capturing nuanced emotion and broad comedy, and some engaging separation is explored during telephone conversations. Sound effects are loud and sharp, maintaining the power of gun play and car chases, along with crashing glass.

Kuffs Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features writer/director Bruce A. Evans and co-writer Raynold Gideon.

• "Who Needs Experience When You Have Attitude" (11:37, HD) returns to Gideon and Evans to discuss the making of "Kuffs." Initial inspiration is recalled, with a newspaper article on the Patrol Specials compelling the men to write an action vehicle, eventually taking the project to Dino De Laurentiis, who was sold on Christian Slater as a star, eventually buying the actor's attention when he wasn't sure about the part. Other casting achievements are covered, with Gwyneth Paltrow and Sandra Bullock auditioning for the role that would go to Milla Jovovich, who was only 15 years old at the time. Gideon and Evans admit their mistakes with the picture, and their initial disappointment with the final cut. However, reassessment reigns, with the writers happy with the work, even dreaming of a sequel.

• "Composing 'Kuffs'" (11:25, HD) is a surprisingly technical conversation with composer Harold Faltermeyer, who was initially assigned to create a score that sounded similar to the one used in "Beverly Hills Cop." Faltermeyer tracks his musical development and discusses his technique, ultimately ending with a lengthy assessment of equipment challenges and needs. While not entirely satisfied with the score, Faltermeyer enjoys "Kuffs," happy that it lives on all these years later.

• T.V. Spots and VHS Trailers (2:37, SD) includes three commercials and two home video clips for "Kuffs."

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:08, SD) is included.

Kuffs Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Kuffs" can't entirely escape cliché, but it's lively, staying active with car chases, a near-miss with a bomb, and an assortment of shoot-outs, with one staged inside of George's apartment very well done. The production wisely elects to keep the movie on the move, speeding through a reasonable reveal of evil intentions tied to Kane and his employer, while San Francisco is used well, with the action traveling all over town. It's fluff meant to coast on Slater's charisma and semi-shirtless status, but there's more imagination driving "Kuffs" than expected, with Gideon and Evans putting in the effort to give their endeavor crime film textures and a big sense of humor. If you're a Slater fan, this is one of his most delightfully carefree performances, clearly enjoying this shot to become the next Axel Foley.