Mad Dog and Glory Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Mad Dog and Glory Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 25, 2019

A writer specializing in gritty inspections of hollowed out souls, Richard Price looks to lighten things up after spending his early years in the industry crafting pictures such as “The Color of Money” and “Sea of Love.” 1993’s “Mad Dog and Glory” isn’t a knee-slapper in the usual sense, but for Price, who rarely passes on adrenalized masculinity, this endeavor is practically a Billy Wilder film, surveying the accidental collision of crime and justice, and the woman caught up in the war of discomfort. Director John McNaughton (“Wild Things”) tries to preserve as much Price as possible, delivering an intermittently calloused tale of romantic awakening dimmed by criminal entanglements, and he has a fine cast to help achieve unsteady tonality, with Robert De Niro and Bill Murray playing against type, trying to manufacture a special dance of intimidation with darkly comic timing. When it connects, “Mad Dog and Glory” is very funny and loose, but McNaughton doesn’t always nail the special mood of the endeavor, often in a hurry to wrap up a story that needs more time to marinate.

A longtime crime scene photographer for the Chicago Police Department, Wayne (Robert De Niro) lives a quiet, lonely life, often mocked by his colleagues for his timidity, nicknamed “Mad Dog” by Mike (David Caruso). While dealing with a drug-fueled murder scene, Wayne comes across a convenience store robbery, saving the life of mobster Frank (Bill Murray). In therapy to sort out his life, Frank is urged to shed his innate anger and thank Wayne for the help, inviting the shy cop into the daily existence of a criminal kingpin. As a reward for his duty, Frank delivers Glory (Uma Thurman) to Wayne’s apartment, with the young woman under orders to remain there for a week and act like a “friend” to the stranger. Wary of the implications and rattled by his connection to a member of the mafia, Wayne tries to get rid of Glory, only to melt in her presence, learning more about her situation, with her massive debt to Frank, forcing her to do his bidding. Falling in love and exposing himself to trouble, Wayne leads with his heart, figuring out a way to peel Glory away from Frank.

Price isn’t aiming for gags with “Mad Dog and Glory,” but he does maintain a sense of humor with Wayne’s situation. As a crime scene photographer, Wayne is a smart cop, skilled at breaking down evidence, but he lacks bravery, which keeps his presence to minimum around his colleagues, who choose to rib him. McNaughton supports humor around fresh murders, with one amusing bit highlighting Wayne’s efforts to photograph onlookers who are well-trained to keep their faces away from the police, and he captures the character’s frustrations with fear, with Wayne turning to police shows on television to learn how courage works.

The convenience store robbery connects Wayne to Frank, with the pair embarking on a tentative relationship, finding the cop careful around the crook, who owns a comedy club and enjoys performing with mob-based material, inspiring Wayne to offer his critiques of craft. There’s no real understanding between the men, but Price offers alcohol as a way to open Wayne up, exposing doubt for later manipulation, inspiring Frank to deliver Glory to the single guy. Focus is muddied with the arrival of the young woman, who declares zero intent to be a prostitute, but remains fearful of distance, trying to remain in Wayne’s presence for the week, simulating the girlfriend experience. “Mad Dog and Glory” struggled with reshoots during production, and Glory is perhaps the movie’s most confusing element, finding parts of Thurman’s accomplished performance suggesting that the skittish character is actually a master manipulator, while other scenes reinforce her damsel in distress position, giving Wayne purpose to free her from Frank’s control. Such underhandedness is welcome but arrives in pieces, blurring the ultimate resolution of “Mad Dog and Glory,” but there’s enjoyable strangeness with Wayne’s approach to Glory’s kindness, with his near-virginal manner enjoying a carnal connection to someone who seems to care for him.

Mad Dog and Glory Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation falls in line with other Universal catalog titles, with Kino Lorber unable to acquire a fresh scan of the 1993 movie. Age is apparent during the viewing experience, found in slightly muted colors, offering pinkish faces on occasion. Skintones aren't problematic overall, with a few bloodless stretches as well. Period hues make the biggest impression, finding the neon glow of the comedy club and costuming offering a more varied palette. Detail is modest, but most facial surfaces are appreciable. Urban visits look tad restrained at times, with diminished dimension. Delineation is adequate, not remarkable, but true solidification is seldom encountered. Source is a little unstable at times, with some jumpy frames and quick speckle storms.

Mad Dog and Glory Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix does a fine job bringing life to the "Mad Dog and Glory" listening event, with a brighter, louder presence for dialogue exchanges. Performances are easily tracked, with Murray's confidence appealingly balanced with De Niro's intense internalization and mumbling. Scoring is delivered with satisfactory instrumentation, sustaining the orchestral mood, and soundtrack selections are buoyant, providing a jazzy flow to Wayne's awakening. Atmospherics are defined, with some mild frontal separation to manage street gatherings and apartment activity.

Mad Dog and Glory Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features director John McNaughton.

• Making Of (3:28, SD) is a brief EPK featurette that explores the story, characterization, and the "fairy tale" tone of "Mad Dog and Glory," using on-set interviews with cast and crew. Some BTS footage is included to help capture the production experience.

• Interview (3:24, SD) is billed as a discussion of "Mad Dog and Glory" with Bill Murray, Robert De Niro, and producer Martin Scorsese, but Murray takes command of the conversation, which takes place inside De Niro's apartment. The actor jokes around about playing bad guys and preparation, and details the climatic fight between Wayne and Frank, trying to come up with enough authority to pound on the "Raging Bull." De Niro and Scorsese hang out in the background, cracking up at everything Murray says.

• Interview (:12, SD) with Uma Thurman has no value, but if you ever wanted to hear the actress discuss the plot of "Mad Dog and Glory" in 12 seconds, here's your chance.

• Interview (:34, SD) with McNaughton describes the helmer's effort to bring some authenticity to the fight scene and examines the story.

• Interview (:32, SD) with Scorsese explores the "urban fable" tone of "Mad Dog and Glory."

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:11, SD) is included.

Mad Dog and Glory Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While they share only a few scenes together, it's fun to watch Murray and De Niro play psychological games while in-character, doing well with Price's chewy dialogue (Caruso practically dines on the language), and "Mad Dog and Glory" feels complete while in their company. Motivations have been mangled along the way, and a few supporting characters (including Kathy Baker as Wayne's abused neighbor) are underdeveloped, leading toward a finale that's too convenient for comfort. Still, "Mad Dog and Glory" has personality, and laughs mesh well with its darkness, with McNaughton sustaining Wayne's journey as a milquetoast man finding his confidence with the help of love and newfound do-gooder purpose.