6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
The daughter of a wealthy businessman has disappeared in Mexico, and all the efforts to find her have been unsuccessful. A psychologist, knowing that the girl has an ultra bad luck, persuades her father to send to Mexico one of his employees, an accountant with super bad luck, to find her. Perhaps he will be lucky, and his bad luck could help to find the unlucky girl...
Starring: Martin Short, Danny Glover, Sheila Kelley, Sam Wanamaker, Scott WilsonComedy | 100% |
Crime | Insignificant |
Mystery | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 1.5 | |
Video | 2.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
1991’s “Pure Luck” is a remake of 1981’s “Le Chevre,” a French production directed by Francis Verber. The popular French filmmaker proved to be an object of fascination for Hollywood, with studios trying to bring his sense of humor to American audiences. Star Martin Short previously Verber-ed in 1989’s “Three Fugitives,” and he returns for “Pure Luck,” trying to find some funny business with co-star Danny Glover. Instead of luring Verber to handle directorial duties, Universal Pictures turns to Nadia Tass, an Australian helmer who isn’t quite up for the challenge of mastering the slapstick comedy. Instead of winding up the leads and arranging plenty of tomfoolery, Tass is caught up with uneven material, constructing a farce about clueless people that’s also a detective story, often stopping the feature to highlight weirdly DOA sequences that lack jokes. There’s Short, who’s always a welcome screen presence, but he’s working hard for no reward in this tedious misfire.
The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Pure Luck" is sourced from an older scan of the feature. The viewing experience is very soft with some mild filtering, losing needed facial textures and decorative additions for this Mexican adventure. Dimension is also lacking. Colors are aged but still appreciable, working with vibrant locations and loud costuming, which deliver some sense of primary power. Skintones are adequate. Delineation struggles with solidification at times. Source is in good condition.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix delivers comfortable dialogue exchanges, managing Short's broadness and Glover's raspiness. Scoring cues support as intended, adding a cartoonish sense of orchestral mischief to the endeavor, balanced with performances. Atmospherics are basic, handling community bustle and some travel activity.
There is no supplementary material on this release.
"Pure Luck" works through head injuries, a quicksand bit, and a tired Jeep-teetering-on-the-edge-of-a-cliff situation. There's also a lengthy detour into a Mexican prison, and an extended game of trust between Eugene and Raymond as they argue about a bar patron, who may or may not be a prostitute. A lot of "Pure Luck" plays like filler, and it's a shame Tass isn't more determined to make the endeavor connect as an anarchic comedy.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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