Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

La Cage aux Folles II Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 15, 2022

Edouard Molinaro's "La Cage aux Folles II" (1980) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Code Red. The only bonus feature on the release is a vintage trailer for the film. In French or English, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Smooth operator

Even in the old days when it was still very safe to shoot these types of comedies, I thought that Edouard Molinaro should have done a lot better with La Cage aux Folles II because its story is quite good and offers an even wider range of opportunities to excite than the ones seen in its famous predecessor. Unfortunately, the quality of the screenplay that was handed to Molinaro is average at best, which is somewhat surprising because Francis Veber was most definitely the right man to do it.

I had not seen La Cage aux Folles II in a very long time so when last week I sat down to revisit it my memory of it was quite incomplete. I could recall most of the ‘drama’ in the second half where Ugo Tognazzi takes Michel Serrault to rural Italy where his character is originally from, but not much that takes place earlier. The only scene that was still fresh in my mind was the one where the ‘gay’ cops face the macho boys on the street and give them a good beating. But this scene is one of the biggest highlights in the entire film, so once seen it is pretty much impossible to forget.

Earlier this week I also revisited the original film, which is something of a genre classic because it ploughs through so many cliches and with such casual attitude that nowadays it almost looks like a rebel from another galaxy. Of course, this is precisely the reason why it is still incredibly funny -- it confronts the ‘ridiculous’ head on, so even when viewed from different angles, it is instantly obvious that someone was genuinely having a great time with its characters. In other words, absolutely everything in it is fair game, so it was up to the director and cast to make the best of it.

Believe it or not, this complete freedom to mock everyone and everything might be the very reason why La Cage aux Follies II can’t quite match the quality of its predecessor. To be clear, it is still a pretty funny film, but it does not take long to realize that its humor isn’t as versatile and sharp as it could have been. Isn’t this surprising given the fact that Molinaro once again had the opportunity to work with Tognazzi, Serrault, Michel Galabru, and even Benny Luke? I don’t think so because there is a very simple reason why this time the end result is different.

In the first film the funny emerges primarily from the spontaneity of the awkward, not the choreographed posturing and mannerisms of the gay characters. Yes, there is plenty of visual comedy that emphasizes various very familiar cliches, but there is a lot of wit behind it. In La Cage aux Follies II the wit is largely missing and this is essentially what makes it an inferior film. Indeed, once Molinaro reintroduces Tognazzi and Serrault’s characters and places them in the middle of a ‘confusing’ espionage affair, there is a permanent shift toward scripted visual comedy. It is the type of visual comedy that emphasizes action too, so all of the fireworks become entirely predictable.

Tognazzi is the only actor that does a better job with his character. He looks a lot more casual and ultimately natural, which isn’t always easy because once again there isn’t a shortage of ridiculous situations where he is expected to do silly things. The exact opposite can be said about Serrault, who this time around transforms his character into an utterly unbelievable caricature of a human being. Simply put, Serrault mismanages his freedom to improvise and as a result the personality switches do not work. Galabru’s presence is insignificant.

The trip to Italy is what ultimately saves the film. It is where the best, relatively believable awkward moments emerge.

La Cage aux Folles II Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.67:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, La Cage aux Folles II arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Code Red.

The release is sourced from an older master that isn't bad at all. However, the entire film would have looked more convincing if it was placed on a dual-layer disc so that the strengths of the master are better emphasized. Delineation, clarity, and depth are usually good, but it is easy to tell that with some minor optimizations they could have been gravitating around very good. Density levels are nice, but fluidity is often a tad shaky. Most fine nuances are recognizable, but clipped highlights and less than optimal shadow definition are recognizable in quite a few areas. Color balance is good. There is room for some minor improvements, but I like the primaries and the existing ranges of nuances. Image stability is good. I noticed a few blemishes, but there are no large distracting debris, cuts, damage marks, warped or torn frames to report. (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).

La Cage aux Folles II Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

Both audio tracks feature original overdubbing, but the French track is preferable because virtually all actors utter their lines in French. The audio could be a bit thin at times, even slightly boxy, but it is not because there are some notable flaws. It is how it was originally recorded. With modern restoration tools meaningful enhancements can be made to improve some rougher spots, but the overall quality of the audio should be fairly similar again. The English subtitles are a bit too small for my taste.

La Cage aux Folles II Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailers - trailer for La Cage aux Folles II and other Code Red releases.

La Cage aux Folles II Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

La Cage aux Folles II should be most effective if seen very late at night, when the mind is too tired to dismiss the ridiculous behavior of its goofy characters. I suppose most people that enjoyed its famous predecessor will still have a good time with it because there is a decent amount of hilarious material in it as well, but the truth is that it is not as nicely crafted and executed. Ugo Tognazzi is the only actor that does a better job with his character, so this should tell you a lot about the overall quality of the production. Code Red's release is sourced from an older but pretty decent master that was supplied by MGM. RECOMMENDED.