Lieutenant Jangles Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Lieutenant Jangles Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 31, 2023

2018’s “Lieutenant Jangles” is an Australian production looking to celebrate rogue cop films from the 1980s, doing so with a tiny budget and limited patience for playing anything straight. Co-writer/director Nic Champeaux goes broadly comedic with the endeavor, which tries to charm viewers with displays of raunchy behavior and cartoon ultraviolence, believing more is more with this type of wacky production. There’s a lot of noise and constant penis references in the feature, but laughs are a bit more difficult to find. Champeaux and Co. certainly seem like they had fun making “Lieutenant Jangles,” but such mischief is seldom infectious.

“Lieutenant Jangles” explores the soiled might of the eponymous character. He’s a tough cop with a fondness for male genitalia, in pursuit of Baron, a German madman in Brisbane organizing the kidnapping of bodybuilders to complete his master plan to take control of the world. Jangles loses his partner in the hunt, happy to do things his way as he seeks revenge against Baron and his heavily armed goons.

“Lieutenant Jangles” is a one-joke movie, with the supercop a man of action and a top jester, keeping a cigarette firmly in his mouth as he tours Brisbane, looking to engage with bad guys in the most violent manner possible. Gunplay is common in the picture, which is far more interesting than comedy, finding the writing determined to be as juvenile as possible, and not in an inspired manner. Performances are equally crude, going big to make sure viewers understand that this is all meant to be goofy, with Champeaux skipping on a more alert understanding of the subgenre, content to spray the frame with bodily fluids and shapeless parody instead.

Lieutenant Jangles Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation often reaches the limitations of the original HD cinematography, while post-production tinkering is noted, creating some slightly blown-out scenes. Detail is acceptable, exploring the greasy facial particulars of the cast, and costuming is decently fibrous. Exteriors provide depth, examining neighborhoods and backyards, and interiors preserve decorative additions. Colors are alert, dealing with bright greenery and fashion choices. Skin tones are natural. Delineation is acceptable.

Lieutenant Jangles Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA track features little, if any, on-set sound recording, with the mix built in post-production. Dialogue exchanges have a canned quality, but unintelligibility isn't an issue. Scoring is sharp, offering a crisp synth sound, supporting atmosphere, and soundtrack selections are defined with clear instrumentation. Sound effects are emphasized throughout the listening experience.

Lieutenant Jangles Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features co-writer Daniel Cordery and director/co-writer Nic Champeaux.

• "Lieutenant Jangles: The Whole Bloody Story" (90:11, HD) is an extensive making-of for the feature, featuring interviews with producer Morgan MacKay, co-writer Daniel Cordery, director/co-writer Nic Champeaux, sound editor Andrew Dickens, producer Greg Kelly, executive producer Salvatore Merenda, ADR recordist Vincent Sheather, sound recordist Pierce Matson, hair and makeup artist Elizabeth Crossley, sound designer Alex O'Donovan, composers Thomas Joly and Jon Reilly, and actors Matt Dickie, Jack McGirr, Justin Gerardin, Tamara McLaughlin, and Harry Piaggio.

• Deleted/Extended Scenes (HD) offer "Anti-Pig and Hans Screwing Around" (:32), "Anti-Pig Muppet Babies" (:22), "Car Conversation En Route to Shootout" (:47), "Chief Fisted" (:45), "Kill Bill Style Alternate Opening Scene" (:42), "Mark Talking to His Dad During the Final Warehouse Fight" (1:38), "Police BBQ Mugby Tackling Game" (:47), and "Poop Roll" (:35).

• Blooper Reel (7:32, HD) collects giggle fits, flubbed lines, and general mischief.

• Behind-the-Scenes B-roll Montage (2:46, HD) showcases production playfulness.

• Hidden Gems (HD) include "Matt Singing" (2:24), "VFX Breakdown" (8:52), "Photo Gallery" (6:55), "Anti-Pig Video Game" (2:42), "Australian X-Men" (:35). And "Mexican Bar Supercut" (1:18).

• Documentary Stories (HD) include "Corn" (2:15), "Creek Thing Origins" (2:18), "Deano Spaghetti Origins" (2:39), "Jangles Character Backstory" (2:03), "Number 1 Favourites" (5:02), "Sequel Ideas" (3:03), "Story Time" (6:10), "The Misadventures of Morgan" (5:13), "Smoking On Set" (:48), and "Cocaine Cowboys" (1:18).

• And a 2012 Concept Trailer (4:39), 2018 Official Trailer (2:28), and a Teaser Trailer (:50) are included.

Lieutenant Jangles Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

For a film that cost less than a new car to produce, "Lieutenant Jangles" certainly has the drive to put on a show, with the production trying to create a frenzy of violence to best support its supercop celebration. However, there's nothing much more to the picture than clumsy gags and low-tech action, with the central selling point of anarchy growing tiresome after the first act.