Partners Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		1.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

Partners Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 18, 2015

From the “Who thought this was a good idea?” file comes 1982’s “Partners,” which looks at an odd couple relationship between two undercover cops, one heterosexual (Ryan O’Neal) and one homosexual (John Hurt), as they pose as a couple to help hunt down a possible serial killer targeting the gay community. A rare foray into feature-length filmmaking from legendary television director James Burrows, “Partners” takes a bad idea and spends 90 minutes pretending it’s a good one, trying to dilute any ugliness by infusing the movie with enlightenment arcs that aren’t the least bit credible.

Even for 1982, a few years after the release of “Cruising,” “Partners” feels outdated, trying to have a jolly old time with stereotypes and homophobia as the cops eventually get to know each other, discovering idiosyncrasies and sexual appetites as the case drags on. Focus is predominately on O’Neal’s character, with his pronounced straightness forced into leather outfits and social situations with the colorful community, working to stifle his discomfort while Hurt’s role is to act as a jealous wife, with the screenplay (by Frances Veber) sending a strange message about the unprofessional impulse of a gay man on the job. “Partners” complicates with the introduction of a female character for O’Neal to romance, which registers more as a contractual demand from the actor than an organic progression of the story.

Partners Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation balances the brightly photographed feature acceptably, presenting bold primaries that carry most potently on costuming and set decoration, while the effort's ample skintones are natural. Grain is present and filmic. Delineation is secure, exploring the picture's evening excursions with clarity. Detail is also encouraging, with sharper facial reactions and sure handle on exterior events. Source carries some mild damage points during the midsection of the movie, while speckling and minor scratches are spotted throughout.

Partners Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix isn't built to stun, but it's functional. Dialogue exchanges are alert and easy to follow, periodically hitting crispness when tensions rise between the cops. Music is generally comfortable, with soundtrack cuts sounding purposeful, while scoring needs are met, supporting the action without smothering it. Atmospherics and group activity are defined adequately.

Partners Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There is no supplementary material on this disc.

Partners Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Partners" isn't hateful, it's just clueless about its tone, sense of humor, and balance of mystery and what's meant to pass for heart. O'Neal and Hurt do what they can to add some humanity to one-dimensional characters, but it's Burrows and Veber who insist that this buddy cop tale is something worth exploring, under the delusion that they're challenging bigotry when they're actually participating in it.