Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		1.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		2.0

Porky's Revenge Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 18, 2016

While 1983’s “Porky’s II: The Next Day” was banged out in a hurry to capitalize on the success of 1982’s “Porky’s,” the box office results weren’t worth the rush, with the sequel grossing less than half of the original’s take. Profitable, sure, but hardly the type of audience response that supports a longstanding franchise. In an effort to lick the plate clean before moving on, the producers elected to give the series one last shot, waiting two years before creating “Porky’s Revenge,” which, tonally and dramatically, has more in common with the first picture than the dreadful second one. The Angel Beach High gang returns to duty for their third go-around, but the years haven’t been kind to the kids, finding the whole production running on fumes as it halfheartedly arranges speeds of silliness and juvenile behavior, working to restore the impish highlights of the brand name without creator Bob Clark around to dilute shenanigans. “Porky’s Revenge” isn’t a good movie, but it manages to improve on the second chapter simply by respecting what audiences responded to in the first place.

It’s senior year for the Angel Beach High School buddies, with Pee Wee (Dan Monahan), Billy (Mark Herrier), Tommy (Wyatt Knight), Meat (Tony Ganios), and Brian (Scott Colomby) doing their part for school spirit by conquering the competition on the basketball court, carrying a winning season into the state championship. However, all is not well with the team, finding Meat struggling with his academics, unable to master his biology class, with teacher Miss Webster (Rose McVeigh) ready to fail him, keeping him out of the game. Trouble also comes for Coach Goodenough (Bill Hindman), who’s greatly in debt to Porky (Chuck Mitchell), who now owns an illegal casino on a riverboat. Trying to gathering enough evidence to put Porky out of business, the gang is captured by the corpulent, violent man. Forced to throw the big game to help escape Porky’s wrath, the boys, joined by Wendy (Kaki Hunter), decide to manage their own mischief to save the day, while Meat suffers additional harm at the hands of Porky’s sex-crazed daughter, Blossom (Wendy Feign).

Social issues aren’t a priority for “Porky’s Revenge,” which does away examples of bigotry and intolerance to return to the basics of the brand name. The picture opens much like “The Next Day,” highlighting Pee Wee’s morning struggle with erection issues, establishing that the new “Porky’s” is much like the old “Porky’s,” only the screenplay by Ziggy Steinberg remains one big goof, losing interest in gravity Clark was determined to implement in his chapters. Perhaps this isn’t an artistically rewarding direction for the series, but “Porky’s Revenge” at least understands that nobody really cares about messages when dealing with Pee Wee and the boys and their insatiable need to molest women. There’s even a return of nudity, which took a bit of a breather in “The Next Day,” though the second sequel is happy to offer equal time, as bare skin is provided from women and men.

The antics aren’t fresh in “Porky’s Revenge,” and the cast certainly isn’t getting any younger. With Monahan 30 years old during production, it’s difficult to buy him as an 18-year-old horndog, looking a little haggard for a character initially conceived as a bright-eyed doofus ready to hump the world. Age plays an important part in the picture, with the entire cast coming off more parental than juvenile, making cutesy dialogue about “winkies” and “gazoombies” fairly ridiculous, trying to keep the cast infantilized when they don’t look the part anymore.

“Porky’s Revenge” goes through the motions, including extended adventures with the Angel Beach High gang, who plan to steal a critical test from Miss Webster, only to discover her ultra-kinky sex life, spending time photographing the shenanigans. What’s interesting about the sequel is how it actually comes up with something for Balbricker (Nancy Parsons) to do, with the beefy gym teacher warmed up for “Porky’s Revenge,” gifted a subplot where she strives to reunite with her long lost love. It’s not much, but for this series, such a turn of character is radical. After all, Pee Wee is still trying to score women (Playboy Playmate Kimberly Evenson portrays his Swedish exchange student object of desire) and Meat is still a goon. To see Balbricker humanized to any degree is genuinely shocking.

Porky's Revenge Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Much like "Porky's II: The Next Day," "Porky's Revenge" has not been gifted a fresh remaster for its Blu-ray debut. Instead, the AVC encoded (1.85:1 aspect ratio) catalog title works with a very old scan unable to bring out the best in cinematographic achievements, keeping an already softly shot feature flat, missing a great deal of detail. There's little depth to be found during the viewing experience, which smoothes out textures, while delineation isn't agreeable, periodically losing frame information, especially when the action heads into nighttime. Colors aren't impressive, suffering from fatigue, while even more active hues on bar signage lack power. Skintones run a little too hot at times. Grain isn't managed, with the climax fighting thick, noisy layers. Source isn't overwhelmingly problematic, but chemical damage is viewed on the right side of the frame during the third act. Speckling is also detected.

Porky's Revenge Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix has some trouble right out of the gate, hitting a couple spots of damage, but the track quickly regains power. While the sonic scope of the mix is inherently limited, and hiss is present, dialogue exchanges are agreeable, securing manic comic highlights and group interplay. Soundtrack selections and scoring cues are also adequate, bringing out the cheery mood the production intends to share. Atmospherics are passable, best with bar visits and basketball sequences, which offer a sense of big, populated spaces.

Porky's Revenge Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Theatrical Trailer (1:27, SD) is included.

Porky's Revenge Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Porky's Revenge" does bring the titular character back to the series after sitting "The Next Day" out. Not that Mitchell was missed, but at least Porky offers a distinct level of antagonism for the movie, which keeps to an episodic rhythm of pranks and humiliations before periodically returning to Porky's presence. However, familiar faces and dramatic baby steps aren't enough to salvage the viewing experience, as it basically maintains all the low-wattage entertainment value this series is known for. "Porky's Revenge" is raunchy, but it never sells itself as an event, sharing fatigue with viewers coming to this endeavor hoping for a return to the zip and surprise of the 1982 effort. In three short years, the franchise when from being the biggest thing around to becoming as unnecessary as all the imitators the original film spawned.